'%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 giant name in the pro wrestling world. As the WWE Chairman, he has built a global empire. He has also had a profound impact on his Superstars over the years. McMahon is an incredibly dedicated man with decades of experience under his belt, and this passion is clear in the way that he runs his business.
WWE performers work closely with Vince McMahon, so they often form close bonds with him. These relationships can turn into life-long connections built on the foundation of respect. The most reputable names in WWE have time and again revealed that McMahon has been a constant source of guidance and support for them. In many ways, McMahon is like a father figure to these performers.
This list offers a small sample of the group of stars who have formed a close connection with Vince McMahon. As always, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
#5 Kurt Angle has had a tumultuous relationship with Vince McMahon in the past, but still considers him as a father figure
Many years ago, Vince McMahon looked at Kurt Angle and saw an athlete who had a lot of potential as a professional wrestler. McMahon was so impressed that he offered Angle a long-term contract and a prominent spot as a WWE Superstar. To his credit, Angle seamlessly adapted to the craft and won the WWE Championship roughly a year after his on-screen debut.
Angle was a top star for a few years, but his struggles with addiction severely damaged his relationship with Vince McMahon. In fact, the two men almost got into a physical altercation. The incident had a lasting impact on their relationship, and they didn't speak to each other for nearly a decade. Angle opened up about the situation in an interview early last year.
“I was really screwed up-psychically, mentally, psychologically, and I had to leave. When I did leave, Vince and I never spoke again, until I came back, two years ago. The first time we saw each other, we hugged each other. I apologized to him for the things I did and said, and he said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ So, we’re back to normal. Vince has always been a father figure to me. I never wanted to intentionally hurt him.”
Still, Angle has nothing but respect and love for Vince McMahon. The two men buried the hatchet upon Angle's return to WWE in 2017, and they've been on good terms with each other ever since.
#4 Former Universal Champion Braun Strowman considers Vince McMahon as a father figure
Vince McMahon has always believed in Braun Strowman's potential as a megastar in WWE. Though many people have written him off as just another big man, McMahon has viewed Strowman as a potential main eventer from the start. As a result, McMahon pushed Strowman to the moon on more than one occasion.
But at one point, Strowman was in a really rough patch, and his mental health struggles had gotten so severe that the former Universal Champion contemplated ending his life. Strowman has openly credited Vince McMahon for helping him recover. In a WWE Chronicle episode that aired in 2019, Strowman reflected on McMahon's support.
“I kind of busted in on Vince one day in a meeting and I was like ‘I need to talk to you’, and he kicked everybody out of the production meeting and he sat down and talked to me. Not like boss to employee, but like man to man, almost like a father-son talk thing.”
Based on Strowman's statement, it's safe to say that Vince McMahon has been instrumental in Strowman's resurgence. The Monster Among Men went on to defeat Goldberg at WrestleMania 36 to become the Universal Champion.
#3 John Cena considers Vince McMahon to be a boss, a friend, and a father figure
Vince McMahon and John Cena's partnership in the late 2000s and early 2010s resulted in one of WWE's most profitable eras. At a time when many Superstars of the past had slowed down their in-ring careers, McMahon chose Cena to be the face of the company. Cena's status as a 16-time world champion is a testament to McMahon's belief in him.
During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's show in 2020, John Cena opened up about the relationship he shares with McMahon. The former champion stated that McMahon is much more than a boss to him.
“He is so much more than that [a boss] to me. He is a friend, a father figure, a mentor, a trusting resource, he’s filled with wisdom, but above all else, yes, I still think of him as my boss. I always like for them to give me ideas and then me to kind of make it my own."
Cena clearly respects Vince McMahon, and The Boss has been a guiding force for his top stars. Though Cena has transitioned into a part-time role due to his Hollywood career, he still shares a close bond with McMahon.
#2 WWE SmackDown commentator Michael Cole recently revealed that Vince McMahon is like a father to him
WWE SmackDown's lead commentator Michael Cole has always been a company man. He does everything Vince McMahon asks of him, and Cole has been a fixture in WWE for over 23 years now. While many fans often criticize Cole's work as a broadcaster, his peers, like Jim Ross and Eric Bischoff, have nothing but praise for him.
It's clear that Vince McMahon trusts Cole, as he has served as the voice of RAW and SmackDown at different points in his career.
In a recent interview, Cole opened up about his relationship with Vince McMahon. He credited McMahon's support as one of the reasons that he has been with the company for over two decades.
"I think he's one of the reasons I've been able to keep going as long as I have, because I look at Vince as an example, in many ways he's been like a father figure to me.
With so many years in WWE behind him, Michael Cole could possibly stay with the company for several years to come. His relationship with Vince McMahon will only grow stronger in the process.
#1 WWE Champion Drew McIntyre credits Vince McMahon for his success and called him a father figure
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is currently having the best run of his career, and he credits Vince McMahon for believing and trusting him. While many fans say it was WWE's fault that McIntyre's first stint with the company failed, the champion believes that he was responsible for this disappointment.
In a recent interview, McIntyre revealed that when he couldn't succeed in his first run, he felt like he let Vince McMahon down.
"Vince [McMahon] himself, he’s almost like a father figure to me, and when my initial run didn’t go to plan, as much as he was trying to help me, as much as the company were trying to help me, I didn’t live up to my potential and quite frankly, I feel like I let him down a lot. And this whole journey, coming back to the company, I wanted to do it for me, I wanted to do it for my fans, my family, but in the back of my mind, I still wanted to make the boss proud for his belief in me all those years ago and show him, ‘Hey, you’ve pretty much got a crystal ball, sir.’"
Since his return to WWE, McIntyre has rewarded Vince McMahon's faith in him. The fact that he's going into WrestleMania 37 as the WWE champion, a full year after he won the championship at WrestleMania 36, is a testament to the belief the Chairman has in the Scottish Superstar.
Other than Randy Orton's brief reign with the title, McIntyre has carried the title the entire time. He has admirably taken up the responsibility of being the company's face in these difficult times.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
