A giant ego is something that gets one in trouble regardless of one’s profession. And thanks to the volatile nature of the professional wrestling business, the impact of uncontrollable ego is much larger in comparison to ‘regular’ jobs.
Over the course of the history of professional wrestling, we have heard about numerous instances wherein the ego of a wrestler caused havoc on different levels.
It is hard to blame a celebrity performer for having a huge ego, but at the same time, the fact that this is dangerous makes it worth talking about. There are certain names in the business that have big egos and this list is going to take a look at them and the instances that prove this.
#10 Goldberg
One of the reasons why Goldberg had a short-lived wrestling career was because of his ego. Thanks to the brilliance of Eric Bischoff, Goldberg was projected as a big name in the wrestling business even though he did not have the skill set to be one.
The monstrous figure and the charisma were the reason for the same, but Goldberg fueled his ego with his new-found stardom.
He had some great demands when WWE signed him up and his backstage fights with Chris Jericho are other instances that showcase his ego.
Furthermore, Goldberg returned to the company for yet another run in the build-up to Survivor Series against Brock Lesnar, and every match during this tenure until WrestleMania and the fact that it was after a 12-year hiatus could be cited as examples that justify the accusation above.
#9 The Ultimate Warrior
The Ultimate Warrior’s case is similar to that of Goldberg’s. He was clearly not the best in-ring worker in the business but flourished thanks to the way he was booked and the gimmick he had. However, despite his shortcomings, Warrior felt he was a big draw and let money motivate his career choices.
It was his demand for more money which led to his departure from the WWE. Warrior also had problems with Hogan which are well documented as well. Warrior, however, will be remembered as a great name and thankfully, his ego will be buried beneath the good things that he did.
#8 Ric Flair
Although the egoistic side of Ric Flair is not on display these days, back during the 80s and 90s, it was at its peak. Flair was ‘the’ biggest draw during the NWA days and when he landed in WCW afterwards he wanted things to remain that way. Thus, when WCW decided it was time to give others a chance, Flair decided to leave the promotion.
Flair, who had a great say in the creative matters before his departure, used to see himself in high regard and didn’t even look at the lesser drawing Superstars when he met them backstage. As mentioned, the current situation is still not clear and hopefully, Flair has changed for the better.
#7 Hulk Hogan
There aren’t many Superstars in the world that could be on par with the achievements of Hulk Hogan. Hogan has been one of the main reasons wrestling went mainstream and with all these achievements contributed to his giant ego. Thanks to a string of shoot videos and wrestler autobiographies, Hogan’s ego is well-known.
The backstage politics that he was involved in, during his days in WCW, is infamous and the way Hogan used his creative clause in the contract to his benefit also underlines his ego. It is not clear whether Hogan still has such a big ego after what happened to him, but at one point, he was pretty hard to deal with.
#6 Bret Hart
There is a fine line between self-respect and ego and Bret probably falls on the latter side of this line. Bret claims he is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be, and from what he wrote in his autobiography, he is someone who keeps track of all his achievements.
Bret was a great wrestler perhaps, but he was never near the level of Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin when it came to star power.
#5 Shawn Michaels
The life of Shawn Michaels could easily be split into two parts based on the time period that he chose to be a born-again Christian. Michaels was incredibly hard to deal with during his pre-Christian days and his ego during this time frame supposedly made him quite unbearable.
One of the best examples is that Michaels kept drinking and getting into trouble despite warnings from the WWE because he knew that he was valuable to the promotion.
At one point of his career, Michaels also refused to put over anyone and the whole ‘I’ve lost my smile’ incident was also to stroke his ego according to various sources. Shawn is currently a changed man but we cannot erase the past, can we?
#4 CM Punk
Some of the fans out there might be split when it comes to the inclusion of CM Punk into this list. CM Punk knew that he was a great performer when he was on the independent circuit and that continued when he joined the WWE as well. This led to Punk seeing himself as a highly rated talent in the wrestling business.
In fact, he was indeed a highly talented performer but that doesn’t really backup his claims. During his podcast with Colt Cabana, Punk rated himself alongside the star power of John Cena and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Although it sat well with the die-hard fans, for the casual fans who only tune in for big events like WrestleMania, it felt like some random guy blabbering.
#3 Kurt Angle
If it wasn’t for Kurt Angle’s ego, he would’ve still been in WWE right now. Kurt is a dedicated performer, period. He gave his blood and sweat for WWE during his time but there was one point when the doctors refused to clear him.
The doctors suggested that Angle would have been in a wheelchair if he continued wrestling but he was in no mood to listen.
Some might say that this was his love for the business, but from another perspective, it is Angle’s unwillingness to retire because someone else told him to. He then went on to have a good run in TNA and now, that he is back in the WWE as General Manager of Raw, all Kurt needs is one final farewell match in WWE.
#2 Steve Austin
Some of you might be surprised to see Steve Austin in this list, but others would be wondering why he is not first. Austin was such a polarising character. He was once tagged as the most demanding Superstar by none other than Vince McMahon himself. And it was this that led to him walking out of the company.
During the last part of his career, Austin was not happy with the way he was booked and felt he was bigger than the actual promotion. Although Austin carried around the company when they needed it so badly, it would be safe to say that the success of WWE during that time frame was not only because of his brilliance.
#1 Vince McMahon
When you build a wrestling empire and successfully run it for numerous decades, you are bound to have a big ego and Vince McMahon has just that. McMahon, who has the power over everyone when it comes to WWE, has put himself in some situations that project his ego.
He has been crowned the WWE champion, he has wrestled God and he has been involved with many WWE women performers as well.
And the most damning piece of evidence is the fact that he ignores the other wrestling promotions. Ever since the death of WCW, Vince has been running WWE as though it is the only promotion in the world. However, the situation has changed a bit thanks to the influence of Triple H.
Did we miss someone or did we make a mistake somewhere in the list? let us know in the comments section.
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