Wayne Rooney Slaps WWE Superstar Wade Barrett on 'Monday Night Raw'

On Monday, Manchester United star Wayne Rooney sat ringside at Monday Night Raw in Manchester, along with his 6-year-old son, Kai. The pleasant evening out between father and son quickly turned into something of a harrowing experience when WWE superstar Wade Barrett took an interest in the United captain, and the pair exchanging a few words. Rooney, less than tickled, slapped Barrett across the face.

The feud between the two dates back to February when Barrett, whose real name is Stu Bennett (which leads to perhaps the most tantalizing question of them all, is Wade Barrett really a better name than Stu Bennett?), took offense to the manner in which Rooney won a penalty in the FA Cup against his beloved Preston North End.

The penalty came late in the match, all but ending any chance of a comeback for Preston North End. Disgusted with Rooney's antics, Barrett took to Twitter (naturally) to express his dissatisfaction.

How about that @WayneRooney dive vs @PNEFC? He won't need to dive when I catch up with him.. #BullHammer #BNB

— Stu Bennett (@WadeBarrett) February 17, 2015

The tweet set off a barrage of subtweets between the Manchester United captain and WWE superstar, and things reached a tipping point--perhaps it was the theatre of Manchester, perhaps it was the testosterone--when the pair met face to face at Monday Night Raw.

Watch the spirited exchange:

The slap comes as something of a little victory for Rooney, as his performances on the field have been the subject of heavy criticism. However, the joy for the Manchester United superstar may be short lived. After the event, Barrett left Rooney with a chilling message that could disturb even the manliest of men, ominously telling a reporter that Wayne's days are numbered.

Stay tuned.