WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is one of the most controversial figures in pro-wrestling history. While he is often credited with taking the industry to a whole new level, many of his decisions haven't been popular with the WWE Universe.
Vince McMahon bought WWE from his father in the 80s. Today, WWE is a global media giant with some of the most popular wrestlers in the world. It goes without saying that Vince McMahon has dedicated his life towards turning WWE into a major profitable corporation and succeeded.
Vince has come up with a long list of brilliant ideas over the past several decades that have delighted fans. He has also given the WWE Universe some storylines that flopped horribly.
In the following list, we will take a look at three Vince McMahon ideas that fans loved, and three they didn't.
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#6 Otis' 2020 push (Vince McMahon idea that fans loved)
Otis and Mandy Rose's romantic angle on SmackDown in early 2020 was incredibly well-received by the WWE Universe. Otis was heartbroken when Mandy went on a date with Dolph Ziggler instead of him. The WWE Universe instantly felt bad for Otis and it kicked off a big push for him.
Otis won Mandy's heart when he defeated Ziggler at WrestleMania 36. The duo remained an on-screen couple for a brief period and Otis won the Money In The Bank briefcase.
However, the angle abruptly ended when Mandy was drafted to WWE RAW. Otis later lost his briefcase to The Miz. According to reports, Otis' was a "Vince McMahon project" and the boss was responsible for his push last year. The angle, minus the way it ended, was a hit with the WWE Universe.
#5 Baron Corbin as Kurt Angle's final opponent (idea that fans didn't like)
In early 2019, WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle announced that he was going to retire at WrestleMania 35. Fans wanted John Cena to be his last opponent, but Vince McMahon had other ideas.
Longtime fans of Cena may remember that Angle was his first main roster opponent, way back in 2002. Angle also wanted Cena to retire him while bringing their storyline into full circle. However, Mr. McMahon wanted Baron Corbin to retire Angle as both men were feuding at the time.
The decision led to a forgettable final match for Angle at WrestleMania 35. The big win didn't do much for Corbin either. The WWE Universe wasn't happy at all, especially when they saw Cena appear briefly at the event that year.
#4 Getting his head shaved bald (Vince McMahon's idea that fans loved)
The road to WrestleMania 23 in 2007 saw Vince McMahon feuding with Donald Trump on WWE TV. The two billionaires were hell-bent on one-upping each other, leading to a match at WrestleMania 23.
Bobby Lashley (representing Trump) took on Umaga (representing Vince McMahon) at 'The Show of Shows'. To make things bigger, Stone Cold Steve Austin became the referee, with an added stipulation that the loser would get his head shaved bald.
At WrestleMania in Ford Field, Lashley ended up defeating Umaga. More than 80,000 fans in the stadium witnessed Vince McMahon getting his head shaved bald by Trump, Austin and Lashley. McMahon knew that this otherwise embarrassing moment would prove to be a wise business decision.
WrestleMania 23 broke the record for highest pay-per-view buys for WWE and garnered 1.2 million buys. The worldwide revenue was around $24 million. The image of a screaming Vince McMahon getting his head shaved bald is still popular.
#3 Brock Lesnar ends The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak (Vince McMahon idea that fans didn't like)
Vince McMahon decided to put an end to The Undertaker's streak on the night of WrestleMania XXX itself. WWE initially planned f Brock Lesnar would fall prey to The Deadman.
Dave Meltzer of WOR reported the reason behind Vince McMahon deciding to kill the streak:
"Vince McMahon was going on the assumption that this was Undertaker's last hurrah, and he could either win, or lose. McMahon chose the idea that it was better to lose on your way out... One person close to the situation said McMahon talked Undertaker into doing it." said Dave.
Vince McMahon's assumption that The Undertaker was going to hang his boots after the match led to the streak's demise. When Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX, the fans in attendance let out a collective gasp. For the next several seconds, the arena stayed silent as Lesnar made his way back.
Fans were outraged over the streak being broken, but the steak remained broken. Interestingly, The Undertaker continued to wrestle for the next six years, angering fans even more over Vince McMahon's decision.
#2 WrestleMania (Vince McMahon's idea that fans loved)
Vince McMahon bought WWE from his father in 1982 and kicked off his quest for industry domination. McMahon had a bunch of ideas in his bag that would help WWE become even bigger than it already was.
This led to the birth of WrestleMania, Vince McMahon's greatest creation. The Show of Shows was first held at the historic Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985. Vince McMahon put in every bit of effort and finances that he had to make the event a major success.
The event was headlined by WWE Champion Hulk Hogan and Mr. T taking on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. WrestleMania's success led to annual installments of the event. Vince McMahon's hard work paid off when first WrestleMania became a huge hit.
Today, WrestleMania has turned into a week-long mega event that attracts fans from more than 60 countries. So far, WWE has presented 37 WrestleMania events. It certainly isn't a stretch to say that 'The Showcase Of The Immortals' is the greatest creation of Vince McMahon.
#1 Roman Reigns' 4-year mega push (Vince McMahon idea that fans didn't like)
Vince McMahon pushed Roman Reigns to the moon following the implosion of The Shield in mid-2014. He defeated Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2014 and was further pushed on the road to WrestleMania 31.
Over the next four years, Vince McMahon pushed Roman Reigns as a babyface despite fans' disapproval. Vince McMahon didn't seem to care that Reigns was delivering horrible promos while fans were quickly getting tired of him.
Roman Reigns' win at the 2015 Royal Rumble was met with loud boos even though The Rock was right there beside him to raise his hand. Reigns headlined four consecutive WrestleManias and became the second man to defeat The Undertaker on 'The Grandest Stage Of Them All'. The WWE Universe did not care.
Vince McMahon finally gave in to fans' demands in 2020 and turned Roman Reigns heel. As expected, the decision paid off big time and Reigns is currently the biggest superstar on WWE TV.