10 Shocking Moments from WWF (WWE) 1994

The year of the Kliq

#7 Vince on trial

Not guilty

Despite an impressive set of PPVs and the creation of new main event stars, 1994 was a troublesome year for the WWF as a company. A few years previous, the FBI decided to launch an investigation into the McMahon family after numerous reports that WWF competitors were given illegal steroids. In 1994, the initial findings of the investigation prompted a court trial, with the very future of professional wrestling's signature brand on the line.

One of the more vocal witnesses to testify against Vince was Kevin Wacholz who wrestled for Vince throughout much of 1992 as Nailz. Despite his insistence that Vince was, in fact, guilty of supplying him and several other wrestlers with illicit substances, his testimony was deemed unreliable due to the real life hatred the two men shared.

The outcome of the case would eventually rest on the testimony of former WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Lawyers were hopeful of a prosecution as many expected Hogan to testify against his former employer when in actual fact he swore under oath that at no time did McMahon offer or convince him to take steroids. Vince was acquitted by the jury, and a potentially fatal blow to his reputation and future career prospects was avoided.

As well as running the company, along with his wife Linda, Vince also made appearances on WWF television as a play by play commentator. This was before the Mr McMahon character was created, and it was never explicitly admitted on-screen that Vince was, in fact, the boss. This meant that for different periods throughout the year, the WWF would have to look elsewhere for a commentator, giving opportunities for Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler to step up and become the voice of the company.

It’s difficult to imagine what the wrestling business would look like today if Vince had been found guilty. Given the ambitions of Ted Turner to make WCW the number one wrestling company in the world at this time, perhaps the wrestling landscape would be a whole different story in 2017 if Hogan had decided to point the finger at McMahon.

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Edited by Staff Editor
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