5 Vince McMahon ideas that were pure genius and 5 that definitely weren't

#2 Genius – McMahon vs Austin

The McMahon-Austin feud is legendary

The feud between Mr. McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin was one which defined an entire era. It helped WWE reach the zenith of their popularity during the Attitude Era. WWE did business at levels they had never done before, reaching all-time ratings highs as Austin, who represented the everyman anti-hero, took on his crooked boss.

Countless stunners and beers later, the McMahon-Austin feud remains enshrined in wrestling lore as one of the greatest feuds of all time.

#2 Not Genius – Brawl For All

Bart Gunn (L) won the Brawl For All

The 1998 Brawl For All tournament ended up being a disaster for WWE. Taking a leaf out of the rise of MMA book, the Brawl For All tournament put WWE Superstars in shoot fights on the same shows as traditional wrestling matches.

The tournament was supposed to be a vehicle to get Dr. Death over as a fearsome monster after WWE signed him. Calamitously for the WWE, Steve Williams was defeated by Bart Gunn, who went on to beat Bradshaw aka JBL in the final.

Not only did the Brawl For All lead to bad blood backstage amongst the wrestlers, it confused fans, most of whom thought that the Brawl For All fights also had predetermined outcomes. Let’s also mention that a number of Superstars picked up injuries during the tournament including Dr. Death, Steve Williams himself.