'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Vince McMahon is a ruthless businessman, and if history is to be believed, he will go to great lengths for the sake of the business. Over the course of the past several decades, McMahon has built up a globally recognized empire, out of the company he bought off his father.
It's no secret that Vince has given his blood and sweat for a long time, and was once on the verge of going out of business when WCW was toppling WWE in weekly ratings. Somehow, he managed to fend off the competition and buy it in the end.
He also made a string of enemies on the way to the top. Recently, Vince came into the limelight for an incident involving Bret Hart at the Hall of Fame, where the employee who wrote Bret's speech resigned backstage after learning that Vince was livid after Hart mentioned his name.
He apparently knew he was going to get fired, and chose to do it his own way. Bret was also attacked during the speech.
WWE's history is filled with instances where Superstars made grave mistakes that ended up costing them their careers. Let's take a look at a few of those instances.
Also read: 5 times Vince McMahon saved his rivals' careers
#4 Yokozuna refuses to lose weight
The Samoan behemoth came into WWE in the early 90s and soon made his intentions clear. He was seen dissing The United States of America on several occasions and was positioned as the biggest heel on the roster. Yokozuna headlined two back-to-back WrestleMania events, both in losing efforts against Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart.
Although Yokozuna was brought in due to his gargantuan stature, it ended up being the reason for his departure. He was consistently being asked to work upon losing weight, as he was weighing around 600 pounds by the time 1996 rolled around.
He didn't listen though and was eventually released from the company. By 2000, Yokozuna weighed around 750 pounds, which played a major role in his death that same year.
The WWE were looking for a strong heel character at the time and Yokozuna fit the bill. His gross physicality, accompanied by his persona, made him the right man for the job. But unlike his other Samoan family members, Yokozuna failed to look after himself, thus cutting short what could have been a legendary career.
#3 Paul London's smile
Paul London enjoyed a brief stint on WWE's SmackDown brand and won the SmackDown Tag Team Championships alongside Billy Kidman in 2004. He could've continued being a mainstay on the WWE roster. Unfortunately that didn't happen.
The infamous segment from the June 11, 2007 edition of Monday Night Raw saw Vince McMahon walking towards his limo, which went up in flames following a blast, as soon as he closed the door behind him. The segment saw Vince walking out to the back of the arena, with the entire WWE locker room surrounding him from both sides.
Also read: 5 times WWE Superstars forgot the script
Paul London was there too but was seen sporting a smile on his face, something that irked Mr. McMahon to no end. Vince wasn't thrilled by the fact that London was smiling during a moment that was supposed to be a dark and disturbing visual. London dangled in the mid-card for a while before he was released from his WWE contract.
London was part of an exciting and high flying tag team setup during the the 2000's in the WWE. He, along with The Hardy's, The Dudley's, Billy Kidman, Bryan Kendrick and a host of other superstars helped legitimize the tag team division in the promotion.
It is indeed unfortunate that what London deemed a harmless gesture turned out to be anything but that. One can never be sure what irks the boss and London had to find out the hard way.
#2 Nailz assaults Mr. McMahon
This is a story that has been told by former WWE Champion Bret "The Hitman" Hart on several occasions. Apparently, Bret Hart was out in the hallway when he heard a commotion from a nearby room.
Also read: 5 creepiest WWE segments of all time
According to Hart, Kevin 'Nailz' Wacholz got into a heated confrontation with Mr. McMahon in his room. The behemoth was arguing with Vince over money, and the discussion soon took an ugly turn when he knocked McMahon and began to choke him.
This turned out to be a huge mistake on Nailz's part, who proceeded to testify against Mr. McMahon in the much-publicized trial regarding the distribution of steroids.
Nailz had nothing but hatred towards Vince McMahon and went on to express his opinion of Vince in front of everyone in court. Nailz was never seen again in a WWE ring, and rightfully so.
Wrestlers have been punished for much lesser crimes in the McMahon era. Hence, it is a no brainer that the boss chose to fire Nailz and also ensure that he was never associated with the organization in the future.
#1 The Ultimate Warrior holds WWE up for money
In 2005, WWE produced a unique DVD titled "The Self Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior". The DVD saw a bunch of WWE personalities, including Vince McMahon, bury the former WWE Champion throughout the course of the documentary.
Also read: 5 mistakes Triple H will rectify when he takes over from Vince McMahon
In the DVD, it was mentioned that Warrior held up WWE for more money before his SummerSlam tag team match. He demanded US$550,000 that was apparently owed to him by McMahon, or he would not show up for the match.
McMahon agreed to pay him the amount, and the bout went ahead as planned. Immediately after the match was done and dusted with, Vince fired Warrior. The two parties later reconciled again in 1996, but it didn't last long, and Warrior was not seen again on WWE TV.
The DVD was slammed by fans and critics for targeting a Superstar in the way it did. Warrior and Vince again came to terms with each other, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, mere days before his untimely death.
There are few wrestlers who have attained a cult status similar to that of the Ultimate Warrior. He is perhaps the most energetic individual to ever lace a pair of boots in a squared circle.
