Whilst Superstars like The Rock and John Cena may be household names,
it is arguable that Vince McMahon is the biggest icon in wrestling history.
After all, without McMahon there would be no WWE, as the chairman
turned what was once one of several promotions in the
U.S to the Sports Entertainment juggernaut it is today.
Known for his ruthless business tactics, Vince has also been one
of wrestling’s greatest heels, though the patriarch of the McMahon family isn’t all bad.
Here are 15 Instances In WWE That Proved That Even Vince Mcamahon Has Heart
15. Sable, you may sue me but I still love you
So popular that she inadvertently destroyed her then-husband Marc Mero’s career,
Sable was without question the biggest female wrestler of the Attitude Era (before you argue Chyna,
keep in mind she mostly wrestled men, and we’re talking about the women’s division).
Not initially hired to be a wrestler, as Sable became increasingly famous and transitioned
to an in-ring role, Vince and his writers also wanted to put her in exponentially sexual situations,
causing her to walk out of the company and sue for sexual harassment
Sable and WWE settled out of court in a manner of months, presumably for
considerably less than the $110 million she was seeking.
The details on that settlement might be unclear, but what we know for sure is that Sable returned to the company barely over four years later
engaging in what were arguably far more sexual storylines than she had ever before participated in.
Though she didn’t stay with the company long, we can assume the relationship remains strong considering her new husband Brock Lesnar remains employed to this day.
14. Hey Billy – I Still Love You
In the late 1970s, the bombastic claims of “Superstar” Billy Graham made him one of the first “cool” bad guys in wrestling
predicting a trend that would gradually take over the industry and play a huge role in the development of sports entertainment.
WWE goes back and forth on giving him credit for doing this,
largely because Graham has repaid the favor by attempting to blackmail the McMahon family on more than one occasion.
The first publicized attempt came during the 1992 sex scandal,
when Graham baldly lied about witnessing WWE officials abuse children on Donahue.
He later admitted to making it up, but that didn’t stop him from telling more lies some two years later,
when he claimed those same fictional WWE officials forced him to take steroids during his t ime with the company
Regardless of all the hostility, WWE had apparently
forgiven Graham in 2004 when he was inducted into the Hall Of Fame.
13. Hey Bruno, let’s pump up pal!!!
Reigning as WWE Champion for a lmost twice as long as his closest competition, Bruno Sammartino
was the top star the McMahon family business for longer than any other individual.
Granted, this time of success came when Vince McMahon, Sr. was in charge of
what then was called the Worldwide Wrestling Federation, and if you were to ask Bruno, the elder McMahon
could at times be just as controversial as his more famous son
Bruno would first come public about his problems with the McMahons in the early
1980s when he sued Vince, Sr. over unpaid wages, earning a job as a commentator through part of the settlement.
He left the company in 1988, and spent the early ‘90s appearing on whatever talk show that
would have him to discuss whatever anti-Vince McMahon subject they felt fit to air.
Sammartino spoke out against WWE during both the steroid and sex scandals, getting
especially heated during discussions about steroids and claiming the company forced his son
to use the drug. For decades, it seemed like Bruno and WWE would never reconcile, until he
was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 2013. Bruno has since made a handful more
appearances with the company, including accepting a statue in his image the next year
12.The Ultimate Warrior Tribute Show
We all know to never say never in WWE,
but for years fans believed that the Ultimate Warrior would
never return to the company that he had left in 1996,
especially after their DVD ‘The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior’.
In 2014 though, Warrior did return,
taking his rightful spot in the Hall of Fame,
and appearing both at WrestleMania 30
and at Monday Night RAW.
Giving an emotional speech,
it seemed Warrior and WWE had found peace,
which made it all the more tragic as the former World Champion
died just hours after the show.
Paying tribute to the legacy Superstar,
McMahon couldn’t fight back the tears
as he quoted Warrior’s own words from his final message
to the WWE Universe.
In the years since, the company have revealed their new Warrior award
award celebrating incredible people
during their annual Hall of Fame ceremony,
showing just how important the face-painted Superstar really was.
11 .After Shane McMahon’s WrestleMania performance
As the WWE approached WrestleMania 32 in 2016,
things were looking dire.
A series of injuries had left
the roster worn down,
with top stars like Seth Rollins,
Sting
and Randy Orton unable to compete.
Fortunately a saving grace
came in the form of Shane McMahon,
Vince’s son who had returned to the company
after a seven-year absence.
On-screen, the father and son were enemies,
with Vince only agreeing to Shane’s request to run RAW,
if he defeated the Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell.
A 30-minute bout,
Shane gave his all, including diving off the top of the satanic structure,
but was unable to claim a victory over the Deadman.
Backstage, Vince greeted his son, and cameras caught McMahon openly weeping
with pride over his son’s performance
and thankful for his return
after so many years away from the business
10. The Rock’s Birthday
As a leading man in Hollywood Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
has become one of wrestling’s most iconic stars
in the mainstream media.
Returning after a seven-year absence in 2011,
The Brahma Bull was a welcome return,
and on May 2nd, celebrated his birthday live on RAW.
There was no shortage of well- wishers for the Birthday boy,
as everyone wanted to make their feelings clear
even McMahon.
Gushing the great one with praise
and thanking him for his tenure with the company,
Vince couldn’t help but be swept up with emotions
after speaking about one of his most
successful employees and good friends.
Though McMahon wasn’t exactly crying at the end of the night,
it was clear the moment had moved him,
as eagle-eyed fans could see the usually evil boss getting misty-eyed.
9. Linda McMahon’s concession speech
The McMahon may be best-known for their wrestling empire,
but in 2010 and 2012, Linda McMahon
tried to enter the political game.
Coming up short in a race for the U.S Senate the first time,
Linda would try again two years later,
losing to Demographic Representative Chris Murphy.
In her concession speech,
Linda thanked her husband who had supported her all the way,
as Vince was clearly distraught with his wife’s defeat.
Telling the audience that Vince was actually a very shy person,
fans can’t help but wonder what the Chairman of the board
was thinking as he saw Linda throw in the towel.
Years later, Linda would find a role in the political world,
becoming the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration in 2017,
before stepping down from the role two years later.
8. The Chris Benoit tribute show
When Chris Benoit and his family were found dead in June 2007,
everybody was shocked.
Touted as one of the most professional men in the industry,
Benoit’s death instantly ended McMahon’s scripted demise,
as a teary-eyed Vince appeared in an empty RAW arena,
and spoke candidly on the Canadian’s incredible career.
Showing some of Benoit’s greatest matches
and tributes from his fellow Superstars,
the show is forever tainted by what came to light mere hours later.
After it was revealed that Benoit had killed his wife and son
before taking his own life,
McMahon didn’t mince his words,
appearing the next night on ECW saying:
“The facts of this horrific tragedy are now apparent. Therefore, other than my comments there will be no mention of Mr. Benoit’s name tonight.”
A black mark on wrestling history,
fans can hardly blame Vince for being a whirlwind of emotion
during those few days.
7. Eddie Guerrero’s WWE title win
Eddie Guerrero’s victory over Brock Lesnar
for the WWE Championship at No Way Out 2004
was the end of a long, winding journey.
A few years earlier, Guerrero had been
released by WWE due to his personal demons,
and his win over the Beast showed just how far he had come.
Completely sober, his WWE title win meant everything for him,
and meant a lot to Vince as well, who had put so much trust
in Latino Heat despite his past.
Bruce Prichard,
a long-time right-hand man of McMahon,
recalled Eddie getting a standing ovation, saying:
“Vince was crying. He was very emotional because it was magical. Everyone believed that there was a happy ending"
A truly historic night for both Eddie and his employer,
Latino Heat would be an incredible champion
defending the title at WrestleMania before
losing it to JBL at 2004’s Great American Bash.
6. Jerry Lawler’s special gift
Today’s fans will know Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler as a commentator,
and some older fans may know
his wrestling career,
but only the most devout fans
will know that the King is an incredible artist.
Getting his big break in wrestling by drawing wrestlers in Memphis,
Lawler has always had an artistic streak,
and in 2018, recalled giving a special gift to Vince McMahon.
After working on a portrait of Vince, his son Shane, and his father Vince Sr,
Lawler spoke about the Chairman’s reaction in an episode of his podcast:
“He turned away and walked over into a corner and he just stood there for maybe a couple of minutes and then he like slowly came back and looked at the picture again.
I think it brought tears to his eyes …then he hugged me and said how much it meant to him.”
A touching moment, this gift really shows the bond between McMahon and the King.
5. During the Andre the Giant documentary
In the late 80s and early 90s,
there was no Superstar literally bigger than Andre the Giant.
Standing over seven-feet tall,
the Frenchman was an instant star,
and formed a close friendship with the young McMahon.
Sadly dying in 1993 at the age of 46,
there have been plenty of things said about the eighth wonder of the world,
but a particular 2018 documentary showed
just how close McMahon was to Andre.
Being interviewed for the documentary, Vince was clearly
choked up speaking about the former World champion,
as director Jason Hehir explained:
Vince seemed to be trying to keep it together, and as an interviewer it's excruciating because your instinct is to turn the camera off,
but you have a responsibility to the viewer to let them experience this feeling.”
It just goes to show how much McMahon cares,
that he can still get choked up about the French Superstar’s death all these years later.
4. The Freddie Blassie tribute video
Though he worked much of his career as a despised heel,
Freddie Blassie’s comedic timing won over many people,
including Vince McMahon.
After an incredible career in the ring,
as well as appearances in movies and music,
Blassie would work alongside the young McMahon on WWF’s Tuesday Night Titans show.
Despite being confined to a wheelchair in his later years,
Blassie always gave what he could to the WWE,
famously appearing to rally the WWF during the 2001 Invasion.
After his death in 2003, WWE aired a tribute,
with McMahon clearly emotional saying:
“Even though there's a vast age difference, there's a tremendous camaraderie I have with classy Freddie Blassie and I will miss that forever.”
This was a huge sign of respect by McMahon,
who at the time was raising hell on SmackDown,
but found it necessary to break character to pay tribute to his old friend.
3. Shawn Michaels entering the WWE Hall of Fame
When Shawn Michaels was forced to retire in 2010,
fans knew it was only a matter of time before the Showstopper was a Hall of Famer.
Being inducted the following year,
the Heart Break Kid spoke openly about his problems
both on and off-screen in the past,
and how he had only made life difficult for the WWE’s owner.
Nonetheless, McMahon teared up and hugged Michaels during the ceremony,
showing everything was forgiven.
Speaking in a 2012 interview with the Miami Herald,
Michaels spoke about how Vince had been able to put up with him for so long:
“It was a desire and a passion to be the guy and to be the absolute very best that I could be......
He tells people all the time that’s the reason he didn't fire me.”
A class act by both men,
it’s clear why Shawn Michaels is truly considered
one of the greatest Superstars to ever lace a pair of boots.
2. Eddie Guerrero’s tribute show
Vince McMahon may have cried tears of joy
when Eddie Guerrero won the WWE Championship in 2004,
but less than two years later, things would be very different.
In November 2005,
Guerrero passed away tragically young at the age of 38,
a death that was a huge blow to the entire wrestling community.
Paying tribute to the fallen Latino Heat on the November 14th edition of RAW
and the November 18th edition of SmackDown,
McMahon showed just how much Guerrero had given to the company,
and how incredible he truly was, saying:
“Eddie loved to perform there's one thing Eddie loved more than performing and that was his family Eddie was a good man. A damn good man"
Touching words by the usual villainous McMahon,
Eddie would be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame the following year,
and is now regarded as one the most charismatic
and entertaining stars of a generation.
1. Discovering Stone Cold Steve Austin needed neck surgery
There have been very few feuds more iconic
than Mr McMahon Vs Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Beginning in 1998 and continuing to this day,
McMahon was the ruthless corporate man
who couldn’t stand Austin’s brutish antics and off-colour language,
making for some of WWE’s greatest moments.
But before these two ever feuded,
Austin’s career nearly came to an end,
after a botched piledriver by Owen Hart
at Summerslam 1997 put everything in jeopardy.
After having his neck broken,
Austin was forced to undergo surgery,
though was fortunately able to return to the ring that November.
In his 2004 memoir, Jim Ross
said about how scary the situation was,
saying how he went into Vince’s office,
only to find McMahon wiping away tears after finding out about the surgery.
Showing he truly cared about Austin,
the two would work wonders together as
Austin captured his first WWF Championship in March 1998,
and with the help of McMahon as his arch-enemy,
ushered in an era of Attitude.
Well guys that's our list, can you think of any other instances that shows us Vince Mcmahon has heart ?
Leave us a comment below and let us know
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