5 WWE stars who complained directly to Vince McMahon (and the reasons why)

As WWE’s ultimate decision-maker, receiving complaints from superstars is part of Vince McMahon’s job. The WWE Chairman not only has the final say on match outcomes and storyline developments, but he also has to deal with other backstage issues.

If someone in WWE is unhappy with their booking, Vince McMahon is likely to have the answers. Similarly, if a member of the roster has a problem with an opponent, there is a good chance that McMahon will find out about it.

On one occasion, a WWE legend almost became involved in a fight backstage with a non-wrestler before McMahon calmed the situation down. The WWE boss also had to intervene once when his top babyface felt he was being overshadowed.

In this article, let’s take a look at the full stories behind five WWE stars who complained directly to Vince McMahon.

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#5 Mr. Perfect complained to Vince McMahon about Adam Bomb’s singlet

Mr. Perfect once complained to Vince McMahon about a wrestling singlet that former WWE costume designer Tom Fleming created for Adam Bomb.

Fleming told Pro Wrestling Defined’s Jonathan O’Dwyer in 2021 that Mr. Perfect thought Bomb’s attire looked too similar to his. After confronting Fleming, the former Intercontinental Champion took his complaint to Vince McMahon.

“I was like, ‘Vince approves everything, I just do the designs. If you’ve got beef, man, go talk to Vince.’ He stormed over to Vince and I saw the same thing. He was screaming and yelling, and I saw Vince start laughing, and he [Mr. Perfect] just punched one of the lockers and stormed off,” Fleming said.

Mr. Perfect was “so p****d off” about Bomb’s singlet, according to Fleming. The WWE Hall of Famer even squared up to the costume designer and looked as though he wanted to fight backstage.

Fleming said he was prepared to fight Mr. Perfect if the former WWE star tried to hit him. Instead, he nervously laughed and the issue was dealt with after Mr. Perfect’s short conversation with Vince McMahon.

#4 Kevin Owens complained to Vince McMahon about masks

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vince McMahon’s WWE shows emanated from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Fans were not allowed to attend due to social distancing regulations, so NXT stars and Performance Center recruits watched the action from ringside instead.

It was widely reported in July 2020 that an unnamed WWE star had complained to Vince McMahon about other employees’ failure to wear masks safely. That person turned out to be Kevin Owens, who later told Sports Illustrated that WWE introduced stricter rules after he raised the issue.

“It’s been brought up—at first, the masks weren’t being taken seriously enough. Eventually, a fine system was implemented to make sure people took it seriously. That came from me. I thought that the masks weren’t being worn seriously enough, so I went and talked to the people in charge. They immediately did what they could to remedy the situation,” Owens said.

Owens missed RAW tapings in June 2020 due to concerns about a COVID-19 outbreak within the WWE locker room. Although he lives in Orlando, the former Universal Champion wanted to adhere to social distancing guidelines by staying at home with his family.

After consulting with his wife, Owens felt comfortable with the COVID rules that Vince McMahon implemented. He returned to work in July 2020.

#3 Hulk Hogan complained to Vince McMahon after the 1992 Royal Rumble

Vince McMahon booked Hulk Hogan as his top babyface for a decade before The Hulkster’s WWE exit in 1993. While most fans reacted positively to Hogan during that time, his reception at the 1992 Royal Rumble was less than favorable.

Sid Justice, also known as Sycho Sid and Sid Vicious, eliminated Hogan from the 1992 Royal Rumble match. Discussing other superstars’ jealousy toward him, Sid told Wrestling Inc. in 2020 that his rival complained to Vince McMahon after the event.

“Most of them were jealous to the point that I actually gave my notice. At the Royal Rumble when they booed Hogan, Hogan came back into the locker room screaming and crying at Vince and saying he planned that to happen to him. I actually went to Vince that night and offered my handshake and said, ‘Vince, I gotta go,’” Sid said.

Three months later, Sid Justice (w/Harvey Wippleman) lost via disqualification against Hulk Hogan in the WrestleMania 8 main event.

Shortly after the pay-per-view, Sid walked out of Vince McMahon's company due to The Ultimate Warrior’s unwillingness to cooperate in matches.

#2 Ric Flair complained to Vince McMahon about Charlotte Flair’s booking

Vince McMahon reportedly planned for Charlotte Flair to face Lacey Evans (w/Ric Flair) in a RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 37. However, due to Evans’ pregnancy, the storyline was dropped and Rhea Ripley defeated Asuka for the title at WrestleMania 37 instead.

Four months later, Ric Flair left WWE after deciding he no longer wanted to be under contract with a wrestling company. According to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, he also contacted Vince McMahon and commented on his daughter’s recent booking.

“He had sent a message, I think it was a text message, but he had sent a message to Vince McMahon, and it was basically complaining about Charlotte’s booking, her situation, and now he’s gone. I’ve seen it said it was his decision to leave, and I just know from people who I know who are closer to this situation than I am that say that it was Vince’s decision,” Meltzer said. [H/T Wrestle Talk]

Although she missed WrestleMania 37, Charlotte Flair immediately returned to the title picture after the event. She held the RAW Women’s Championship for one day in July 2021 before recapturing the title from Nikki A.S.H. in August 2021.

Shortly before Ric Flair’s WWE exit, the company decreased Charlotte Flair’s official tally of World Championship victories. Charlotte's NXT Women’s Championship reigns were removed from her World Championship record, which meant she became a 12-time Women’s Champion after SummerSlam.

#1 Bruno Sammartino complained to Vince McMahon about legends’ paychecks

It is no secret that Bruno Sammartino had a strained relationship with Vince McMahon. Having worked under Vince McMahon Sr. in the 1960s and 1970s, Sammartino disliked what wrestling had become under the current WWE Chairman’s guidance.

In an RF Video shoot interview, Sammartino recalled how he once complained to Vince McMahon about the amount he paid non-wrestlers compared to legends.

“You want to sit here and say you have nothing but respect for the old timers? I said, ‘I’ll tell you what, if you ever want to do anything with me, you have to show me the same kind of respect you showed the non-wrestlers you have shown so much respect for.’ I said, ‘Because if you think you can show that disrespect for me, you might as well forget about it.’ Not that I intended to go back or anything, but I just wanted to let him know,” Sammartino said.

Sammartino could not understand why Mike Tyson received $3.5 million to appear in WWE in 1998. He added that returning legends including Dominic DeNucci, Killer Kowalski, and Lou Albano should have received more than $1,500 per appearance.

The Italian-American, who passed away in 2018, joined the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 after several years of animosity between himself and Vince McMahon. To this day, nobody has held the WWE Championship (f.k.a. WWWF Championship) for more combined days than Sammartino (4,040 days).