5 ways WWE Chairman Vince McMahon changed Pro Wrestling forever

#4 Turned mid-carders into megastars who enjoy major fan followings today

Vince McMahon sensed the possibilities he had with Hulk Hogan as WWE's top face, and ran with the opportunity at his hand. The Result? Hogan is regarded today as possibly the most recognizable pro-wrestler of all time. Vince took 'The Ringmaster' and turned him into Stone Cold Steve Austin, who essentially saved him from going bankrupt and being defeated by WCW in the Monday Night Wars.

The Rock, a cringy babyface once, is now a major Hollywood star, and John Cena seems to be going the same way, now that he has bagged a role in Fast & Furious 9.

Also read: Former World Champion welcomes Seth Rollins to the 'family'

#3 Created Wrestling's own annual festival

People from various countries gather once a year to enjoy festivals pertaining to a variety of genres. Tomorrowland, an electronic dance music festival, is one such example. Vince McMahon put all of his eggs in the same basket back in 1985 and created WrestleMania. The event was a huge hit, and has now become an annual pro-wrestling festival, lasting a whole week.

Fans from more than 60 countries visit WrestleMania every year, plus several indie promotions make it a point to host shows on 'Mania weekend. Add to it the Hall of Fame ceremony, WWE Axxess, and the Raw after WrestleMania, and it becomes a festival a fan must visit at least once in their life.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Anirban Banerjee