What is the Hall of Shame?

The WWE Hall of Fame is hallowed territory for the greatest Superstars and personalities to ever grace the squared circle. Each year, new inductees are granted access into the Hall because of how they continually enraptured the WWE Universe with their larger-than-life talents.

But what about those who walk a much different path in WWE, completely unconcerned with the repercussions of their hurtful actions and words? There has never been a basket waiting to catch WWE's rotten apples … until now. ( WATCH VIDEO PLAYLIST)

WWE.com would like to introduce you to our very first Hall of Shame – a hall not intended to glorify WWE Superstars and personalities because of their remorseless antics and insufferable nature. Rather, its intention is to exemplify why they deserve to be shamed by the WWE Universe. And in many cases, these miscreants already have been given a taste of their own medicine.

Who is most worthy of the first spots in the WWE.com Hall of Shame? It's time to meet the inaugural class …

John Laurinaitis

Why he's in the Hall of Shame: There arguably hasn't been an authority figure more reviled and scorned by the WWE Universe than the former Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown (aren't you glad you don't have to hear that long spiel anymore?).

As "People Power" grew and grew, so did Laurinaitis' towering ego. The former GM routinely made matches that were intended to punish any WWE Superstar who dared to threaten his reign over Raw and SmackDown – or mock his unmistakable voice. Under his rule, popular WWE mainstays like The Bella Twins, John Morrison and Jim Ross were all wished the best in their future endeavors. Plus, who could forget Big Johnny’s lowdown ruse of firing Big Show in humiliating fashion, only to bring him back to help pull off a monumental upset at WWE Over the Limit?

When Laurinaitis finally ran out of tricks to extend his stay, the WWE Universe made it resoundingly clear how elated they were to hear the words "You're fired!" out of Mr. McMahon's mouth at No Way Out. The only thing that drew more cheers was the painful farewell beating that followed on Raw SuperShow, courtesy of John Cena ( WATCH).

The Miz

Why he's in the Hall of Shame: There's a reason why The Miz was named Jerk of the Month in WWE Magazine more than once. Heck, The Awesome One seemed to embrace the dubious distinction.

If you really want to know how big of a jerk The Miz can be, just ask his former protégés or tag team partners. Early in their WWE careers, Alex Riley and Daniel Bryan quickly learned that he will go to great lengths to ensure no one shares his spotlight, even if it means attempting to embarrass his pupils. Tandems with R-Truth and John Morrison also fell apart just as abruptly as they formed.

However, everything The Miz has done pales in comparison to his heinous theft at the 2010 Slammy Awards. It was on the Dec. 13, 2010 special edition of Raw that The Awesome One swiped the "WWE Universe Fan Reaction of the Year" Slammy from a young WWE fan named Cayley, or more widely known as "Angry Miz Girl," for her priceless facial expression after The Miz won the WWE Title from Randy Orton ( WATCH). That moment cemented Miz's status as a Superstar worthy of contempt.

Michael Cole

Why he's in the Hall of Shame: Seriously, who gets knighted by a fake Queen of England, and then cites the show as being the most interesting Raw of all time? ( WATCH) The loudmouth commentator is regularly showered with boos for his obnoxious, often over-the-top style, but it's his merciless abuse of his fellow announce team members which have led to some of the most revolting incidents the WWE Universe have ever witnessed. From forcing Jim Ross to kiss his grotesque foot to insulting Jerry Lawler by mentioning his deceased mother, it's no wonder Cole needed to announce from inside a glass booth he dubbed the "Cole Mine."

Still, even a cube of protection hasn't been enough to keep Cole's adversaries at bay. Aside from Ross and Lawler, WWE Superstars like The Rock, Zack Ryder, and most recently, John Cena, have taken turns teaching the commentator a lesson in humility. But no abuse was fouler than getting coated in Good Ol' J.R.'s barbecue sauce – twice.

Batista

Why he's in the Hall of Shame: Don't let the door hit you on the way out! That was the WWE Universe's collective message to the indignant Batista on the May 24, 2010 edition of Raw. After refusing a request from then-General Manager Bret Hart for him to fight Randy Orton, The Animal punctuated a disgraceful departure by shouting to WWE fans: "You're nothing without me! This place is nothing without me! It will go bankrupt in a week!"

Spoiler alert: WWE didn't go bankrupt, and Batista flashed the same entitled attitude that had become his calling card throughout the last few years of his WWE tenure. The man who once told 10-time WWE Champion John Cena to "keep on kissing babies and hugging fat girls" racked up more than his fair share of underhanded and ruthless attacks, including one on the much smaller Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series 2009, which led to a referee stoppage and The Master of the 619 taken out of the ring on a stretcher.

Batista did collect an impressive six World Championships in his WWE career, but not without committing some pretty shameful acts while climbing to the top.