"You are a fat New Year's baby" - 5 times Vince McMahon influenced WWE Superstars to lose weight
WWE Superstars are some of the fittest athletes in the industry. Vince McMahon ensured during his time in the business that his talent had the best physiques in the business. Nearly every month, fans find out about a superstar who has lost some weight and gotten shredded in the process.
While most superstars are incredibly lean, some are bulkier than average. Most such superstars work hard to get in better shape as time passes. Many current wrestlers have also helped each other get in better shape over the years.
However, former Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon has also influenced a few top superstars to lose weight over the years. He has done so by either making some brutally direct comments about their physique or motivating them to go the extra mile.
Check out the five times Vince McMahon has influenced WWE stars to lose weight over the years.
#5. WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley
Mick Foley’s character work will forever be remembered by the WWE Universe. He played some of the most unique characters on television and put his body on the line to entertain the fans at all costs throughout his career. The superstar won numerous titles during his time in the ring. However, he was never known for his physique.
Mick started focusing a lot more on his health after retiring from the ring. He started eating healthier, and also benefited from DDP Yoga. After going off-track from his diet, an interesting conversation with Vince McMahon got him back on it.
Speaking to USA Today’s For The Win, the Hall of Famer revealed how Vince helped him stay on track and lose even more weight than he had planned:
"I dropped 80 big ones. This is a true story. When I got back in touch with Mr. McMahon… I had been out of contact with Mr. McMahon, and I was told that it was important to him that he reestablish a friendship with me," he said. "When I talked to him on the phone a couple of days later I said ‘no one’s ever verified this, but I believe part of the reason I’m rarely on the show is because it’s difficult to watch me get around.’"
"He didn’t say yes, he didn’t say no. I said ‘I just want you to know, I’ve lost 25 pounds with a goal of losing 80 by Christmas.’ And once I heard his voice on that phone say ‘I’m going to hold you to that,’ I knew I could do it," Foley revealed.
Mick Foley went on to lose 80 pounds after his conversation with Vince McMahon. Stephanie McMahon has repeatedly told him that her father is extremely proud of him. Thanks to the former WWE Chairman, Foley stayed on track and lost more weight than he had originally planned.
#4. Gunther has lost a significant amount of weight
Gunther has emerged as one of the most dominant forces on the main roster. He has taken SmackDown by storm and is currently the Intercontinental Champion.
Gunther started his WWE career in NXT UK. He first came out to confront then-NXT UK Champion, Pete Dunne (Butch). Many fans will remember that when Gunther first emerged onto the scene, he was quite heavy.
He became the longest reigning NXT UK Champion of all time. Over the past several months, fans have seen The Ring General lose significant weight. He has become one of the most shredded heavyweight superstars on SmackDown.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer revealed that Vince McMahon wanted The Austrian Anomaly to lose weight. According to Meltzer, Gunther agreed to the request before moving to the main roster.
"Vince wants slim people on TV. I could see from the Vince perspective, telling the guy, ‘Hey, drop 30 pounds,’ right? I thought what made him special was the idea that he’s a 290-310 pound guy who can fly around and can move and hits really hard and looks like a powerhouse and now he’s just a 6’3” guy," said Meltzer.
While The Ring General has said that losing weight was his idea, Vince McMahon’s involvement in the decision cannot be ruled out. After all, the former Chairman of WWE has always preferred shredded heavyweights in his ring.
#3. Big Show was humiliated by Vince McMahon into lose weight
Big Show made waves in WWE thanks to his monstrous size and incredible strength. He was the perfect giant that the company needed to get some other top superstars over. Show had a great career that saw him win several championships in WWE.
Vince McMahon and Big Show shared a good relationship. However, on-screen, the giant was made to do some ridiculous things and wear some insane costumes during gimmicks.
On an episode of the podcast Talk is Jericho, Big Show revealed why Vince made him the New Year’s baby. The former WWE Champion said he got so fat that Vince McMahon wanted to humiliate him on television.
"I got fat, so he told me: 'You are a fat New Year's baby. Maybe you should lose some weight. ' But that's the kind of relationship I've had with him. It was a way for Vince to say: 'He's getting fat. I need to motivate him. Let me embarrass you. ' You know what I mean? The one who made me wear a diaper worked."
Vince McMahon’s words worked wonders as The Big Show decided to slowly start losing weight in the months that followed. He ultimately ended up losing over 100 pounds by working hard and maintaining a strict diet.
#2. Former WWE Champion Sheamus
Former WWE Champion Sheamus just keeps getting better in the ring. The veteran has been with the company for a long time, and he has proven himself to be one of the hardest workers in WWE.
The Celtic Warrior has always been seen as one of the fittest superstars on the roster. He takes his fitness so seriously that he’s created his own "Celtic Warrior Workouts" YouTube channel that now has over 730,000 subscribers.
During an appearance on the E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness in mid-2019, Sheamus recalled the time when Vince McMahon motivated him to get even more shredded. The 44-year-old went into great detail about how Vince influenced him to lose some holiday weight during a conversation.
"It also started because I came back from holidays in Ireland and me and Cesaro were walking by Vince and Vince goes, 'Hey Sheamus!' I said, 'Yeah?' He goes, 'Enjoyed the holidays, huh?' and he was looking at me in the gut and I was like, 'Okay, that’s it. That’s it. I need to do something about it.' But that was the change in gear and Cesaro will tell you as well. Cesaro knew right away when that comment was made. I just put too much weight on, man," Sheamus said.
The Celtic Warrior went on to state that losing weight helped him feel much better. It also positively affected his in-ring work and likely elongated his career. He is still among the most shredded superstars on the roster.
#1. Kevin Owens and Vince McMahon have had some heat in the past
Kevin Owens has suffered a lot of bullying from the WWE Universe due to his weight. Even superstars like Randy Orton have poked fun at Owens' physique in the past. However, that hasn’t stopped The Prizefighter from being one of the best and most athletic men in the ring.
Reportedly, Vince McMahon was never a big fan of KO due to his physique. Former superstar Chris Jericho has also confirmed that Vince wasn’t a big fan of the former Universal Champion.
"I think he was going through a phase where he thought maybe Kevin had some extra weight that he wanted him to lose or wasn’t happy with his work as a heel," Jericho revealed.
Over the years, Owens has lost a lot of weight and has gotten into better shape. He has played a great heel character on television and continues to push ahead as one of the top stars in WWE.
Speaking on a recent edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW, Vince Russo praised the former Universal Champion’s weight loss.
"I will say this, it looks like he's lost some weight. he looks a lot better. Maybe he's doing that for Triple H, whatever, but I will give him kudos to that. He looks in a lot better shape," said Russo.
The change in physique could help KO make it to the top title picture again. With Vince McMahon out of the picture, fans could see him win a championship soon.