As most of the Wrestling fans would know, there is only one Supremo in the World of Pro Wrestling, Vincent Kennedy Mcmahon. Vince has single handedly changed the face of Pro Wrestling, when he churned it into the glamorous world of Sports and Entertainment. When there was a change needed, to evolve (If you have read my previous articles, you’d have a better clue of what that means), Vince was successful in his attempt to get rid of the ‘Sport’, and make it ‘Entertainment’. It is probably a testament to Vince’s incredible business mind that the WWE has survived and turned into a Global phenomenon that it is presently. When you think of ‘Entertainment’, you think of WWE. That’s the power of the man. So, who would possibly stand up to him if things didn’t go the way they liked? Those who did have accepted defeat, the likes of Ted Turner, Eric Bischoff, heck, he won over the United States Government during his drug trial!
So who or what can force the ever stubborn Vince? The fans, as seen on many occasions, are the answer. The so called ‘WWE Universe’, when spoken in tandem, can ruffle even Vince’s feathers! This was the case on certain occasions, and proves the recent motto in the WWE, ‘People Power’!
1. Rock becomes fan favorite in 1999
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At a point when The Rock was a heel, or a villain in wrestling terms, the fans sided with him due to his incredible mic skills, his promos and comedic segments. It is not often that Vince Mcmahon fails in making the people do as he wants, but this time, he was forced to turn The Rock back, that is, make him a fan favorite, the good guy. One of the few instances that Vince had to admit defeat and do what the fans wanted. Although a similar thing happened with Austin being the bad guy while getting cheered, but the Rock’s turn proved a huge success for his career.
2. Matt Hardy’s return and push
One of the most personal rivalries took place in 2005, when the personal lives of Matt Hardy, Adam Copeland, better known as Edge, and Amy Dumas, better known as Lita became public. Lita and Matt Hardy were in a relationship, when Lita started seeing a married Adam, which resulted in his divorce, and when Matt found out about it, he engaged in a personal feud with Adam Copeland. Following the outbreak of the news, WWE released Matt Hardy, and Edge and Lita became an on-screen couple. This was followed by backlash from the WWE fans, who started a petition to hire Matt Hardy back, which saw over fifteen thousand online signatures! This forced Vince Mcmahon to hire Matt Hardy, who went on to receive the biggest push of his career! Talk about fans having your back!
3. Bryan Danielson’s release and return
Arguably the best wrestler in the World, Bryan Danielson, made his way into the WWE after a decade on the independent scene, earning the title of the ‘Best Wrestler in the World’. The former American Dragon came into the WWE to the ecstasy of the WWE, and wrestling fans alike. But all didn’t go too well during his NXT run. Many expected him to win it, but when the story played out, and Nexus was formed, people expected big things from Bryan. All of that came crashing down when the news broke out that he was released following an incident, during which he choked Justin Roberts with his tie. This led to an outcry among the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) and Wrestling fans alike, with chants of “We want Bryan” during RAW, Smackdown! and other shows. This practically forced the WWE to bring Daniel Bryan back after his 90 day no-compete clause ended, thus showing the power of the WWE Universe once again!
4. Ryder Revolution
Every Wrestling fan who knows Zack Ryder, also knows how he virtually clawed his way to being shown on air. This didn’t happen overnight. Ryder was on the verge of being released in early 2011, but he made up his mind to do something about it. He started his “Z! True Long Island Story” on Youtube, and slowly, he gained momentum. Soon, fans realized his hardwork, and he increased his fanbase. This resulted in people chanting “We want Ryder!” during the shows, and which led to the WWE think tank to finally give in to the WWE Universe. This saw Ryder getting the push of his career, by winning the US Championship from Ziggler. A guy who was on the verge of unemployment became one of the hottest stars in the WWE! Once again, WWE Universe made its decision, and once again, WWE had to cave in!
