5 People who Vince McMahon touted as future WWE stars (and what happened next)

Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff and Triple H are currently in charge of overseeing the creative direction of Raw, SmackDown Live and NXT, but Vince McMahon is the one person who has the final say on WWE’s biggest storyline decisions.

As we have seen with dozens of Superstars over the last five years, somebody can be the most popular character in Triple H’s NXT but it counts for little when they make their way onto Raw and SmackDown Live, where people have to prove themselves all over again to McMahon.

In some cases, however, the WWE chairman has seen lots of potential in somebody early on in their career and he has even gone as far as name-checking them as potential stars of the future.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five people from WWE past and present who McMahon thought could go on to become major players for his company.

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#5 Bray Wyatt

What did Vince McMahon say about Bray Wyatt?

Speaking to Steve Austin on the first edition of the ‘Stone Cold Podcast’ on the WWE Network in December 2014, Vince McMahon said Bray Wyatt was one of four Superstars who was “chomping at the bit” to become the first person since John Cena to reach for the imaginary WWE “brass ring”.

What happened next to Bray Wyatt?

At the time of McMahon’s comments, Wyatt had already faced Cena in a marquee match at WrestleMania 30. He went on to appear in high-profile encounters against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 31 and Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33 before his career began to stagnate in 2017 and 2018.

What does the future hold for Bray Wyatt?

The ‘Firefly Fun House’ segments recently ended on Raw, which means the rejuvenated Wyatt looks set to return to in-ring action for the first time in almost a year. The future looks very bright for the former Wyatt Family leader, who has become one of WWE’s most popular stars again over the last few weeks.

#4 Drew McIntyre

What did Vince McMahon say about Drew McIntyre?

In September 2009, Vince McMahon personally introduced Drew McIntyre as a member of the SmackDown roster. The Scot was dubbed “The Chosen One” and he was described by his boss as a “future World Heavyweight champion”.

What happened next to Drew McIntyre?

Following a 161-day run with the Intercontinental Championship in 2010-11, McIntyre became known to WWE fans for his unusual alliance with Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal as a member of comedy faction 3MB. He was then surprisingly released from his WWE contract in June 2014.

What does the future hold for Drew McIntyre?

During McIntyre’s time in 3MB, he looked nowhere close to ever challenging for one of WWE’s world titles. Now, after a career resurgence since his return to the main roster in April 2018, there is every chance that McMahon’s 2009 words might just come true one day.

#3 Baron Corbin

What did Vince McMahon say about Baron Corbin?

Unlike Bray Wyatt and Drew McIntyre, Vince McMahon has never publicly discussed the potential that Baron Corbin possesses. However, it was reported by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer in April 2018 that McMahon viewed Corbin as the biggest future star on SmackDown Live at the time.

What happened next to Baron Corbin?

Corbin moved across to Raw and became one of the brand’s most featured Superstars, appearing on a weekly basis as an authority figure before sending Kurt Angle into retirement by defeating the WWE Hall of Famer at WrestleMania 35.

What does the future hold for Baron Corbin?

The momentum that Corbin built up in 2018 has carried into 2019, and he is currently preparing to team with Lacey Evans against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in a ‘Winners Take All’ Extreme Rules match for the Universal Championship and Raw Women’s Championship.

#2 Tom Magee

What did Vince McMahon say about Tom Magee?

Former powerlifter and strongman Tom Magee worked for WWE between 1986 and 1990. In one of his first appearances for the company, he faced Bret Hart in a match which impressed Vince McMahon so much that the WWE chairman instantly believed that Magee would become the company’s next Hulk Hogan.

What happened next to Tom Magee?

As McMahon and the rest of WWE’s decision-makers would soon find out, the real star of the match was 29-year-old Hart, who went on to become one of wrestling’s greatest in-ring performers and a two-time WWE Hall of Famer. Magee, meanwhile, continued to compete at live events before leaving the wrestling business in 1990.

What does the future hold for Tom Magee?

The footage of the infamous Hart vs. Magee match was believed to be lost for over three decades. However, after a tape of the match was recently found, it was the subject of a WWE Network documentary, which included the match in full. Moving forward, it would not be at all surprising if Magee, 61, took advantage of his new-found stardom by appearing at wrestling conventions in the coming years.

#1 Dean Ambrose

What did Vince McMahon say about Dean Ambrose?

Along with Bray Wyatt, Vince McMahon name-checked Dean Ambrose in December 2014 as somebody who was grabbing the WWE “brass ring”. He also noted Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns as future stars during his conversation with Steve Austin but, for obvious reasons, the mention of Ambrose is a lot more notable in hindsight.

What happened next to Dean Ambrose?

Despite McMahon’s comments, Ambrose was often made to look like the ‘third member’ of The Shield, with Rollins and Reigns going on to have major storylines at WWE’s next two events – the 2015 Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 31 – while “The Lunatic Fringe” had limited roles. He later became WWE champion in 2016 before leaving the company in 2019, citing his unhappiness with the booking of his character.

What does the future hold for Dean Ambrose?

Now signed to AEW, Ambrose goes by the name Jon Moxley again and he is currently preparing to compete in NJPW’s G1 Climax. He will also face Kenny Omega at AEW’s All Out on August 31.