5 Top WWE Superstars who had an awkward first meeting with Vince McMahon
The first meeting with Vince McMahon is intimidating for most, if not every WWE Superstar. He is ultimately the man that everybody answers to, and there are several stories of large men getting intimidated to enter his office or even knock on his door.
Vince McMahon's presence can often be intimidating, and many superstars have fumbled or had an awkward first meeting with the Chairman of WWE. Here are five legends and World Championship-level superstars who had an awkward first meeting with the boss:
#5. Drew McIntyre - Thought he messed up his WWE career when he first met Vince McMahon
Drew McIntyre is a superstar who Vince McMahon has a lot of respect for. He made a prophecy in 2009 by introducing McIntyre as a "future world champion" not long after his debut.
Dubbed as "The Chosen One," he seemed destined for World Championship glory in WWE - especially with direct backing from McMahon. Various issues outside the ring and perhaps a change of mind from Vince McMahon led to Drew McIntyre drastically falling down the card.
His run with 3MB, while entertaining, wasn't suited to him at all and proved to be a death sentence in his first WWE run. In 2014, five years after McMahon's declaration, McIntyre was released from WWE.
Speaking to Ryan Satin on his Out of Character show, Drew McIntyre admitted that he had an awkward first meeting with Vince McMahon:
"The first [meeting with Vince] was on my first day on the road. I sat in catering and I remember he sat in front of me and I panicked." Drew McIntyre said, "I introduced myself, he knew who I was. He gave me some advice and I mumbled some stuff in my very thick Scottish accent, especially back then. He stood up, nodded, walked off and I thought 'I just messed up my whole WWE career'. Vince McMahon did not understand a word I said," said Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre's release from WWE proved to be a big chip on his shoulder, as he would spend the next three years traveling the world and refining his skills and improving his physique. He had a successful stint with IMPACT Wrestling and ended up jumping ship to WWE in 2017. While he joined NXT and won the NXT Championship within months, his run would be cut short by a bicep tear when he lost the title to Andrade.
When he returned, it was straight to Monday Night RAW. The new and improved Drew McIntyre impressed Vince McMahon, who seemed determined to fulfill the prophecy he had made several years earlier. It culminated in 2020 with a Royal Rumble victory for The Scottish Warrior and a WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36.
Despite his awkward first meeting with the WWE Chairman, McIntyre has come far. The fact that he carried the company on his shoulder during the COVID-19 era proves how much trust Vince McMahon has in him.
Despite Drew McIntyre taking a back seat in 2021, it's unlikely that his run at the top is over.