The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WWE has done a lot over the years to take the company to a grand level but he has had his share of untoward incidents that have been bashed by fans as well as critics. In this article, we will take a look at 5 instances when Vince McMahon got into trouble as a result of his unapologetic demeanor.
5. Vince McMahon joked on air that he ‘Enjoys firing people’
Well, we might have tried to imitate McMahon’s walk and his style of saying, “You’re fired” when we were young but when he releases superstars left, right, and center, it is devastating not only for the talent but also for his close ones.
In 2021, WWE went on a releasing spree of their talents. They explained that those were due to “budget cuts”. However, the people who were released were some of the more accomplished wrestlers on the roster. The likes of Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Nia Jax, Keith Lee, Samoa Joe, and many others were released during the period.
McMahon appeared in a backstage segment of Monday Night RAW and joked:
“I enjoy firing people. I especially enjoy firing people just before the holidays. It gives me a warm feeling in my stomach like I just had a really good meal.”
This comment was heavily criticized by the fans on Twitter and McMahon received a lot of heat. They were already fuming after some of their favorite wrestlers were no longer a part of the company. McMahon’s comments certainly added salt to the wound.
4. Vince McMahon earned heavy criticism after he wrestled ‘God’ in a match
This one was certainly unfathomable. Vince McMahon shocked the world when he decided to team up with his son Shane McMahon to take on Shawn Michaels and ‘God’ in a tag team match at Backlash in 2006.
McMahon started a feud with Shawn Michaels where he poked fun at the expense of the Showstopper, who was a born-again Christian. McMahon cut some heel promos addressing God, which was represented by a spotlight. The “boss of WWE” said that God was in his house and not the other way round.
The father-son duo won the match after The Spirit Squad got involved. However, McMahon received a lot of backlash for this awkward and needless segment.
3. Handling of Owen Hart’s death
Bret Hart’s younger brother died during 1999 Over The Edge pay-per-view while facing an accident while attempting one of his spectacular entrances from the rafters.
Owen lost his life after falling to the ring from 50 feet above after the safety harness malfunctioned. Owen landed head-first on the ring post and was left motionless. Vince McMahon decided to carry on with the show after taking a short break. Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, had later said:
“They scooped him out like a piece of garbage, and they paraded wrestlers out to wrestle in a ring that had Owen’s blood, where the boards were broken from Owen’s fall and where the guys could feel the dip in the ring from where he fell.”
2. Forced Lita to have sex celebration with Edge
One of the weirdest segments in WWE history took place in 2006, on an episode of RAW. Edge and Lita pretended to have sex inside the ring on a bed on live television.
Edge and Lita shared many intimate moments before and after this segment but nothing was as peculiar as this. Both Superstars were against the idea of having this segment and John Cena also supported them but McMahon was stubborn. McMahon even threatened to fire Lita if she didn’t comply with the idea.
1. The steroid case
Vince McMahon’s company almost went out of business in 1994 when he was accused of handing steroids to his wrestlers like candy. McMahon had almost given up hope of winning the case as many wrestlers testified against him.
He handed the ownership of WWE to his wife, Linda McMahon, but eventually, he overcame the odds and won the case. However, the reputation of WWE was hit hard after this incident.
If McMahon would have been found guilty, he would have had to face up to 11 years of imprisonment and a hefty fine of $1.5 million.
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