July 9, 2025 marked the 25-year anniversary of one of pro wrestling’s most infamous moments—the WCW Bash at the Beach 2000 incident, where Jeff Jarrett “laid down” for Hulk Hogan, leading to a chaotic in-ring promo by Vince Russo and Hogan’s final WCW appearance.
To commemorate (or condemn) the moment, WWE producer Shane “Hurricane” Helms took to social media with a sharp critique, calling the angle “embarrassing.” That didn’t sit well with Russo, who quickly fired back.
Helms: “Being a work or a shoot isn’t the point. Either way it sucked ass. It sucked then and still sucks in retrospect. And yeah I watch my company, along with huge crowds that are having a great time. Have a good day.”
Russo: “Embarrassing? For starters—-it was a WORK that Hulk was in on. For finishers—have you watched the product of the company you work for lately?”
Helms: “If it hurt you that bad, then I hope you recover as well … cuz WCW sure didn’t. 🤷🏻♂️”
Russo: “Was that your ‘Mike Drop’? Man, I hope I recover from that. Don’t know if I can though.”
At Bash at the Beach 2000, the WCW World Title match between Jeff Jarrett and Hulk Hogan devolved into a chaotic “worked shoot.” Jarrett laid down for Hogan as part of a scripted angle that later dissolved into real backstage tension. Russo cut a promo afterward burying Hogan, who promptly exited WCW—never to return.
While Russo has long claimed the segment was a “work” Hogan was in on, many—including Eric Bischoff and Hogan himself—have disputed that over the years. The incident became one of the most hotly debated moments in wrestling history and symbolized WCW’s creative chaos in its final year.
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