Wrestling thrives on controversy — but sometimes, even manufactured outrage can spark very real consequences.That’s what happened to WWE veteran Dave ‘Fit’ Finlay in 2011, when a spur-of-the-moment decision saw him face disastrous consequences.‘Fit’ Finlay was a no-nonsense wrestler of WCW and WWE fameWWEFinlay — a former in-ring competitor of a bygone era, yet still one of the most influential backstage figures of WWE’s present era — had been a trusted hand in helping stage the company’s live events.But at an untelevised show that year, designed to ramp up anticipation ahead of WrestleMania, one call to generate some disgust from the audience proved too much for some in attendance.At the heart of the issue? An attempt further audience dislike for The Miz — who, at the time, was the most despised villain in WWE and headed towards a world title defence in the main event of WrestleMania 27.Finlay made the call to cut into the American national anthem – played at the start of every show – midway through with Miz’s entrance music, hoping to rile up the crowd and further the story of Miz’s disrespect and arrogance.But this wasn’t just any WWE crowd. There were members of the National Guard present — a group often celebrated by WWE on air — and the backlash was swift.Speaking to Fighting Spirit Magazine, Finlay reflected on the decision that cost him his job.“I was given a lot of leeway and a lot of power in WWE, and that comes with a lot of responsibility,” he said. “I made a call that caused a storm, and I paid for it.“We had Miz going out first and, because it was just before WrestleMania, we were trying to get as much heat on him as possible.”“So my spur-of-the-moment call, as I sat right by the technician, was to tell him to hit Miz’s music while they were halfway through the national anthem.”It worked in wrestling terms — the crowd was furious. But some in the audience weren’t playing along with the show. They were genuinely upset, particularly the military personnel who felt the moment had disrespected the flag and the anthem.WWE fans may best remember Finlay for his storyline with HornswoggleWWEFinlay’s in-ring career began in the 1970sWWEFinlay, for his part, understood why the reaction was so strong, adding: “Of course, people were up in arms about it, but it was a good reaction as a heel.“But there were National Guard people in the building that took exception to it, and I understand that fully.”“It wasn’t intended to insult anybody in that way — it was just part of an entertaining show. That’s what we do, we entertain — it’s about cheers and boos.”Still, the consequences came swiftly. Despite years of service to WWE, Finlay was released following the incident.Miz went on to win against John Cena at WrestleMania, with headline-stealing help from The Rock as he and Cena began their epic rivalry.Before and after the incident, though, Finlay’s influence on the business has been enormous.An accomplished competitor in his own right, he carved out a name across Europe before joining WWE full-time in the mid-2000s, bringing a hard-hitting, no-nonsense style that stood out even among an already tough roster.WWEFinlay’s controversial call was an attempt to help build Miz (with title) against Cena and The Rock[/caption]Fit Finlay worked a backstage producer in WWEBut it was and is behind the scenes where Finlay – rehired by WWE in 2012 – has arguably made his most lasting impact — especially when it came to the evolution of WWE’s women’s division.Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Bayley have all spoken publicly of the debt they owe to Finlay’s influence over the years, the man himself – a former US champion – explaining how that role began.“When I first went to WWE, we were doing all these silly matches: mud-baths, lingerie matches and all this stuff,” he went on to say.“I got all the girls together one time, and said: ‘Girls, I’m embarrassed doing this stuff, but what I would like to do is teach you how to wrestle and bring you higher up the totem pole wrestling-wise.’“So we started working on that and began having a good little thing going on with wrestling.” Women’s wrestling is unrecognisable from its WWE standing in, say, the Attitude Era and the years following it, when the focus was on anything other than in-ring skill.The performances of Flair, Banks and co have spearheaded that change, guided by Finlay and those alongside him.The Irishman, once again a firm fixture in WWE’s backstage world as a typical wrestling comeback story, is proof that while the line between performance and controversy can be paper-thin, redemption can also be just around the corner.