5 WWE Superstars and their first time meeting Vince McMahon
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is one of the most important figures in the history of the wrestling business. After purchasing the promotion from his late father Vince Sr., he turned WWE into the biggest and most profitable wrestling company in the world.
A genius in his own right, Vince McMahon is also directly responsible for the success of many larger-than-life superstars such as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, who paved the way for the stars of today and entertained fans on a daily basis.
While his role on WWE TV as the evil boss is fictitous, Vince McMahon is still often described as an intimidating individual and he has an aura that leaves everyone in awe. Meeting him for the first time can be unforgettable but nerve-racking for anyone. For some stars, it can be a career-changing moment either for the better or for the worse.
Let's find out what happened when these five WWE Superstars met Vince McMahon for the first time.
#5 JBL thought of Vince McMahon as a charismatic person
When John Bradshaw Layfield had his first meeting with Vince McMahon to discuss what character he would portray, he instantly regretted his decision to join WWE. Vince McMahon apparently told JBL they were going to make him a 'bad guy ballerina,' which, thankfully for the WWE Hall of Famer, turned out to be just a rib.
Speaking to WWE.com, JBL recalled how his first meeting with Vince McMahon went:
“I had to go up to Stamford to meet Vince for the first time. I walked in the room and it was JJ Dillon, [Human Resources executive] Lisa Wolfe and Vince. He sat me down, and with a complete straight face he said, ‘We’re going to make you a bad guy ballerina.’ I’d always been a cowboy and I’d already told WCW I wasn’t coming. I looked at him and thought, ‘Oh god, I’ve made the worst decision of my life.’ I said to him, ‘Really?’"
"And he said, ‘Yeah, it’ll be great," he added. "You’re going to be a ballerina that’s a real bad guy.’ Then he started laughing and said, ‘No, I like the cowboy. We’ll do that. That sounds good.’ He threw this contract out there for virtually no guaranteed money and said to me, ‘That contract’s not worth the paper it’s written on. All I can guarantee you is the handshake behind it.’ And that’s all I needed. I could live with that. He’s charismatic. No doubt about it. I don’t think anybody’s that ever met him will say any different.”
JBL went on to attain success in WWE as a top heel, capturing the WWE Championship and holding it for 280 days. His reign included victories over former champions such as The Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle.