5 Times Vince McMahon punished WWE Superstars for breaking WWE rules

WWE is full of some of the top Superstars from all around the world. They have had some of the best matches all around the world before coming to WWE. Other top WWE Superstars are products of the company itself.

Often, due to the success these Superstars have experienced, there are clashes of egos between the Superstars and WWE's management, due to them not following specific instructions. This has led to several superstars being confronted by the WWE Chairman Backstage himself, or at least a member of the WWE Management.

While some of these WWE Superstars were able to get away with just a warning, others had to pay for their mistake. Whatever be the case, Vince McMahon or some other WWE authority set them straight with a confrontation backstage.

In this article, we will see 5 times when WWE Superstars were punished by Vince McMahon or by WWE management for breaking WWE rules.

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#1 Big Cass

Big Cass disregarded backstage instructions

Big Cass is one of the latest Superstars to have suffered the wrath of Mr. McMahon and the WWE management.

Big Cass had just returned from a bad injury and it seemed that WWE was about to continue with his big heel push. He was put into a rivalry program with Daniel Bryan, who had just returned from retirement himself.

In one segment, Big Cass was mocking Bryan by attacking a man dressed up as Daniel Bryan in the ring. In the segment, he was simply supposed to knock him down with the Big Boot, but that was not all he did. Despite being told not to backstage, Big Cass attacked the man after knocking him down with a ground and pound.

Backstage, McMahon and other members of WWE management did not take well do this blatant disregard of instructions. He was booked poorly and beaten by Bryan multiple times, before being fired from the company altogether.

#2 Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were two of the top independent wrestlers in the world before they signed with WWE. In WWE, they were not always booked to their full potential and the WWE Universe were dissatisfied with the way that the wrestlers were portrayed in WWE.

During a match with the New Day, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were apparently supposed to be attacked and beaten up. However, that did not quite go according to plan, and instead, they rolled out of the ring and walked up the ramp.

WWE management did not take well to this, and both men were pulled from the European tour immediately. However, the two superstars claimed that they had not known they were supposed to be beaten up and there had been a miscommunication.

It was too late for the tour, and they had to go home early.

#3 Titus O'Neil

Titus O'Neil grabbing

Mr

McMahon

Titus O'Neil is one of the prime examples of why a WWE Superstar should never ever enrage the WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon.

After Daniel Bryan's retirement ceremony, Vince McMahon was heading to the back through a crowd of WWE Superstars. Titus decided to get handsy and apparently grasped the arm of the WWE Chairman. Vince McMahon is known for being one of those people who doesn't mind contact, but Titus' timing was clearly very off.

He shoved away Titus O'Neil and was furious with him. On returning backstage, Titus O'Neil was suspended for 2 months. Usually, a WWE Superstar is suspended for so long after violating the WWE Wellness Policy twice, but it also appears that is the same as grabbing the arm of the Chairman.

Mr. McMahon felt that the ramp was still visible to the public and by doing this Titus was breaking kayfabe.

Titus O'Neil really needs to work on his timing.

#4 Paul London

Paul London was fired for smiling at the wrong time

In WWE, your career depends completely on timing, not only in the ring but off-stage as well. WWE Superstars are expected to maintain their characters properly when they are on camera. In truth, this includes a lot of acting as well. If you smile at the wrong moment, then you could end up spoiling your career.

This is a lesson that Paul London learned the tough way. Vince McMahon was marching to his limousine during a segment, where he was going to fake his death in front of the WWE Universe in kayfabe.

For this, he walked past a lot of wrestlers backstage on the way to the limo. One of these stars was Paul London. London was smiling at the wrong time, and the fixed smile was what cost him his career. Every Superstar was sombre except for him. McMahon was enraged about it and fired him.

#5 Batista

Batista and Chris Jericho in a Steel Cage Match

Dave Batista came into WWE during the Ruthless Aggression Era in a big way. He was one of the top wrestlers in the company and was extremely brutal inside the ring in the way he approached his matches.

So when the PG Era came he found the idea of matches without blood distasteful. During a Steel Cage match with Chris Jericho, although he knew that blading was clearly against the rules, he went ahead and bladed.

Vince McMahon was furious about the incident, and let Batista know in the way only he can. He shouted at Jericho, Batista, and the booker of their match Dean Malenko. He didn't talk to them all week after that, shutting Jericho up in an 18-second phone call. He then fined Jericho and Malenko $5000 before charging the Animal a massive $100,000.

To his credit, Batista did not allow Malenko and Jericho to pay for his action and paid their fines as well as his own.