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It's safe to say that Vince McMahon would make it to every list that talks about some of the most influential people in the history of pro-wrestling. He might top many of these lists as well. The WWE Chairman has had quite an illustrious career as a businessman and as a promoter.
Vince McMahon bought WWE from his father back in the day and wanted the company to dominate the wrestling business. He did exactly that in the coming years, and more. WWE not only became the biggest pro-wrestling company in the world, it has now turned into a global media giant. In this list, we will take a look at Vince McMahon's impressive career, and highlight some of his biggest achievements over the past several decades.
#5 The WWE Network
The WWE Network is a digital subscription service that brings an incredibly large catalog of wrestling history right into your screens. Back in the 80s, Vince McMahon ruthlessly began taking over the pro-wrestling market in North America and didn't stop until the territory system became history. Throughout his long career, Vince McMahon has bought off several promotions and has a large pro-wrestling tape library.
WWE brought out the Network in 2014, sometime around the road to WrestleMania 30. This digital service allows fans to dive into pro-wrestling's rich and storied history, and watch some of the matches and segments from a wide variety of defunct promotions, as well as from WWE's archive.
In a time when the world is completely going the digital route, WWE did the right thing and changed the way they provide their content to fans. The WWE Network is a must if you are someone who loves keeping up with WWE's weekly shows and wants to revisit some of the classics.
#4 WWE and Pro-wrestling goes mainstream during the Attitude Era
By the time the mid-90s arrived, Vince McMahon's WWE had started losing fans at a quick pace. The product had gotten stale and people had gotten tired of over-the-top characters and goofy angles. When WCW introduced the nWo, Vince McMahon was forced to change his product drastically, in order to be able to compete with his rival. As a result, Vince McMahon announced WWE's new adult-oriented direction, which would consist of mature storylines and other such content.
This time period is now famously dubbed the Attitude Era. It saw the rise of megastars like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Mike Tyson's run with WWE on the road to WrestleMania 14 gave the company some much-needed mainstream attention. Things only improved further, as WWE kept garnering huge rating numbers over the next few years. Some of WWE's top Superstars had become cultural icons, and were well known even among people who didn't watch the product. The introduction of the Attitude Era was a turning point in the Monday Night Wars, and is rightfully deemed as possibly the greatest time to be a wrestling fan.
#3 Vince McMahon buys WCW, effectively ending the Monday Night Wars
Back during the Monday Night Wars, Vince McMahon's WWE and Ted Turner's WCW engaged in a ratings battle that lasted for years. At one point, WCW beat WWE in the Monday Night Wars for more than 80 weeks in a row. Soon, WWE began catching up. The Fingerpoke of Doom incident was an important event that made a major difference when it came to fan perception of both companies. This was the night when Tony Schiavone took a shot at Mankind while giving away WWE's results, and the move backfired heavily.
WWE didn't look back from that point onwards, while WCW kept getting worse with each passing week. By the year 2000, WCW had lost some of its top young stars to WWE, and was a sinking ship. Vince McMahon struck upon sensing what was happening, and bought off his competition in March 2001. This was hands down the biggest victory of Vince McMahon's career. He had finally defeated WCW after competing with the promotion for several years.
#2 WWE crosses a billion followers on social media
We are living in a world that is heavily influenced by social media. Contrary to a decade ago, everyone has internet-enabled smartphones in their pockets. People have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, Reddit, and other major social media sites. It's vital for a brand to have a strong presence on social media. Vince McMahon's company had realized this a long time ago, and started building an online presence from the very beginning.
WWE currently has more than a billion social media followers across all of its major platforms, which include Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. WWE has crossed the 60 million subscriber count on Youtube, and boasts more than 500 million likes on Facebook. It goes without saying that no other promotion comes even close to having an online presence such as WWE.
WWE's product is presented on a weekly basis, and it's crucial for it to update its social media channels with new content on a regular basis. WWE's strong social media presence has been integral in helping Vince McMahon reach the masses, not only in the USA, but in several other nations across the world. Some of WWE's biggest Superstars have major presence on social media, including Vince McMahon himself, John Cena, Triple H, and The Rock.
#1 WrestleMania is born
The very first WrestleMania took place in Madison Square Garden, New York City, on March 31, 1985. Presented on closed-circuit TV, the show featured a who's who of WWE and non-WWE celebs. Vince McMahon went out of his way to make the event a grand success.
The main event featured a tag team match pitting Hulk Hogan and Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. The babyfaces won the contest to send the fans home happy. This was only the beginning, as WrestleMania became an annual event, and WWE's biggest show of the year. Soon, it turned into a week-long festival, with fans getting to meet their favorite Superstars during WrestleMania weekend. The WWE Hall of Fame also became a yearly event, usually held on the night before WrestleMania.
WrestleMania has several monikers as well. Hulk Hogan, John Cena, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Shawn Michaels have made careers out of having classic matches at WrestleMania. Vince McMahon himself has wrestled several times at WrestleMania, in marquee matches. The 35th edition of the show last year was attended by fans from all the 50 states, and over 60 countries. It goes on to show the cultural impact WrestleMania has had on a global level. Vince McMahon has achieved a lot over the course of his career, but WrestleMania is, and always will be, his greatest creation.
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