5 biggest WWE Superstars and Vince McMahon's first reaction when he saw them

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has hired a long string of in-ring legends and Hall of Famers over the course of the past four decades or so. These Superstars gave us some of the biggest moments in the history of pro-wrestling, that we'll cherish for decades on end.

The most interesting aspect of these legends' careers is the fact that they weren't as big once as they are now. Every in-ring performer has to start from scratch, and WWE's biggest Superstars did the same. Every single one of these wrestlers had their first meetings with Vince McMahon before they became mainstays on WWE TV.

In this slideshow, we'll take a look at five of the biggest WWE Superstars of all time, and what was Vince McMahon's reaction when he saw them for the very first time.

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#5 John Cena

Currently, John Cena is doing quite well for himself in Hollywood. But around two decades ago, he was a generic rookie who wasn't a household name. The 16-time World Champion recalled his very first meeting with Vince McMahon and revealed that the WWE Chairman was disgusted when he looked at Cena. Longtime fans of Cena might remember that he once used to don super-dyed blond hair.

"He turned around and with a disgusted look on his face, he said, ‘Cut his hair,’ and I was whisked away from Vince like an assembly line. That was the first time I met Vince McMahon and he was disgusted to look at me. They shipped me out and I immediately got a haircut, which was not dyed blond, but equally as horrible."

Cena wrestled Kurt Angle in his first match on WWE's main roster, in a losing effort. He quickly became a popular Superstar on SmackDown and was holding the WWE title by the time WrestleMania 21 was done and dusted with. He is regarded by many as the face of WWE during the PG Era.

#4 Triple H

In the mid-90s, Triple H parted ways with WCW after not being satisfied with how he was being handled in the promotion. He met Vince after the latter watched him wrestle Alex Wright at WCW Starrcade. The WWE Chairman made it clear that he wasn't promising good money, but was offering Triple H a spot in his company.

He was like, ‘I want you to come here, I think you’re a talented kid. I’m not offering you any spot, I’m offering you a spot. I don’t guarantee money.’ I had told him when I came in, it’s not about the money for me, I want to work everyday, I want to work the best, I want to be the best.

Triple H soon began to get over with the crowd, and the formation of DX only helped him in the long run. He went on to become a multiple-time World Champion and is currently the EVP of WWE.

Triple H has headlined several WrestleMania main events against the likes of Chris Jericho, John Cena, Randy Orton, and The Rock. He recently celebrated his 25th anniversary in WWE.

#3 Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar made his way to the main roster in the spring of 2002. Way before his WWE debut, Lesnar had his first meeting with Vince McMahon, and the boss was impressed with what he saw. In an interview with ESPN, former WWE announcer Jim Ross revealed Vince McMahon's reaction when he saw Lesnar for the first time.

"After Vince met him, he said, 'My god, he's a viking." I said to Vince, 'I was thinking more like a Hereford bull.' Then Vince started quizzing me about cattle: 'What's a Hereford bull?' Never mind. Vince was amazed at the athletic specimen that Brock Lesnar was and is."

Lesnar's incredible physique and larger-than-life persona aided him in becoming a top star in a matter of months. He won his first WWE title at SummerSlam 2002, by defeating The Rock. His first stint ended in 2004, and he came back to WWE eight years later. Lesnar is still signed with WWE and is still a major draw. He recently lost the WWE title to Drew McIntyre in the main event of WrestleMania 36, after holding the belt for around six months.

#2 Daniel Bryan

It goes without saying that Daniel Bryan will go down in history as one of the biggest Superstars to ever step foot in the ring. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had actually called him and let him know that Shawn Michaels had spoken highly of him. The first meeting between the two was awkward and uncomfortable as per Bryan.

"Vince said, ‘Shawn tells me you’re very good.’ And I just said, ‘Well, I’m okay.’ And I could tell instantly he disliked that."

"It was very awkward and very uncomfortable. Vince takes these very long pauses after he asks you a question and you answer him. He’ll just look at you. Some will start talking, which I think he likes because it shows they’re uncomfortable."

Bryan came up to the main roster in 2010, as a part of the heel stable, Nexus. In two years, he had become a popular Superstar and his association with Kane made for some hilarious programming. Bryan's crowning achievement came at WWE WrestleMania 30, where he first defeated Triple H followed by Batista and Randy Orton on the same night to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

#1 The Undertaker

The Undertaker has had a 30-year career in WWE

Before he became The Undertaker in WWE, Mark Calaway was a generic big guy in WCW and went by the moniker of "Mean" Mark Callous. Vince McMahon didn't show interest in him initially and watched a bunch of his WCW matches before deciding to have a meeting with him. It was Bruce Prichard who convinced Vince to have a talk with Mark Calaway.

Prichard revealed that when Vince met Calaway, he loved his personality and wanted to sign him immediately.

Soon after, Calaway was given the gimmick of The Undertaker. He made his debut at WWE Survivor Series 1990 and quickly established himself as a top heel. Over the next three decades, The Undertaker turned into one of the biggest Superstars in the history of professional wrestling. He boasted a legendary WrestleMania undefeated streak with 21 consecutive victories at the event, which was broken by Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30.

The Undertaker has won numerous World titles during his WWE stint and is one of the most respected veterans in the industry.

Edited by Raunak J