5 WWE Hall of Famers close to Vince McMahon in real life

Vince McMahon is the undisputed king of not only WWE but all of professional wrestling. The Chairman and CEO of WWE has given his life to the business for the past four decades. He has made this company the largest professional wrestling promotion in the world. A feat worthy of every praise.

During his time in the business, Vince has worked very closely with talent off-screen as well as competed against some of them in the ring. So it's only natural that he has developed a special bond with his fellow superstars of the past and the present.

In this article, we look at 5 WWE Hall of Famers who have been close to Vince McMahon in real life:

Special Mention - Future WWE Hall of Famer - The Undertaker

The Undertaker and Vince McMahon's friendship is like wine. It has just got better with age. The Deadman, since making his debut at SurvivorSeries in 1990 has shared a longstanding friendship with Vince that has lasted for 30 years and counting.

The Undertaker's documentary 'The Last Ride' showcased the special bond these two greats shared. Taker referred to Vince as the most influential man in his life other than his father and said he would "take a bullet for the man." When asked about his friendship with The Undertaker, Vince just had tears in his eyes which is surely a lot more than words can describe.

As a tribute to the special bond, The Phenom even named his son Gunner Vincent Calaway after McMahon's first name.

#5 WWE Hall of Famer - Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon formed a deep friendship during the 1980s when the Hulkster was at the peak of his wrestling career in WWE. Hogan took the business to greater heights at the time for which Vince has always been indebted.

Despite blacklisting the WWE Hall of Famer in 2015 for his racial comments, Vince still welcomed back the Hulkster a few years later, which was largely down to the friendship they built over the years.

Hogan continues to make sporadic appearances in WWE and was last seen as the guest host of WrestleMania 37 earlier this year.

#4 WWE Hall of Famer - Ric Flair

WWE Hall of Famer and former 16-time World Champion Ric Flair and Vince McMahon have had some epic on-screen rivalaries. The one that comes to mind was when they feuded in early 2002 with Ric being the head of RAW and Vince controlling SmackDown, albeit in storyline.

With that being said, off-screen, the two men have had a friendship that has withstood the test of time dating back more than three decades. Both men are veterans of this business and share a bond that's thicker than blood. Vince even loaned $800,000 during a time when the Nature Boy was in need of money which truly showed how close they are.

#3 WWE Hall of Famer - Patt Patterson

WWE Hall of Famer, the late Patt Patterson, has been one of the greats this business has seen. Patt was the inaugural Intercontinental Champion and the creator of the Royal Rumble in WWE.

The friendship that Patterson and McMahon shared has spanned decades, with the former being one of the first wrestler friends Vince had. Apart from their friendship, Patt was also Vince's right-hand man and the chief architect of WWE. His contributions as a behind-the-scenes creative consultant and producer have certainly helped the company scale new heights.

Vince was deeply heartbroken by Patterson's death in December last year when he lost not only a friend but also one of his biggest business allies.

#2 WWE Hall of Famer - Kurt Angle

WWE Hall of Famer and former Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle shares a special friendship with Vince. During Angle's prime, he consistently used to shoot wrestle Vince, with the two men constantly trying to take each other down for fun.

The former five-time world champion has always spoken highly of McMahon and even considers him a father figure in his life. Despite moving to TNA in 2006 for a good ten years, on Angle's return to WWE in 2017, Vince welcomed Kurt with open arms and even embraced him.

Angle, in the same year, was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame which surely serves as testament to the strength of their friendship.

#1 WWE Hall of Famer - Stone Cold Steve Austin

WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon had memorable showdowns in the Attitude Era, with the latter being on the receiving end of some unfortunate Stunners.

In real-life they have absolutely no disdain for each other and in fact share a friendship that has become very strong over the years. Austin and McMahon were the two key pillars that helped WWE grow in the late 90s and early 2000s. Having spent so much time inside and outside the ring together, their camaraderie and mutual respect has just grown from strength to strength.

As a testament to their special bond, Vince was also the first guest on the Stone Cold Podcast back in 2014.