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As the artichitect behind WWE, Vince McMahon has had many roles over the years. His duties have included the acquisition and dispersal of talent to TV production and creative input. He's essentially done everything to help build his company into the biggest sports entertainment entity in the world today.
Those tasks also included appearing onscreen, first as a play-by-play announcer and then as an authority figure in the company. Many professional wrestling pundits have stated that the 'Mr. McMahon' character may be the greatest heel of all time, and he certainly played it to perfection.
Vince's longtime war with Stone Cold Steve Austin not only resurrected WWE in the late 90's, it was appointment television for people who weren't even wrestling fans. Everyone just wanted to see The Boss get his in the end.
With McMahon's all-encompassing presence both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, it was only a matter of time before his entire family got in on the act. Let's take a look at the times when Mr. McMahon had to deal with those who shared his surname.
#5 - Linda McMahon has made sporadic appearances in WWE over the years
While every other member of the family has embraced being a performer, Linda really hasn't. However, she has humored her husband a few times by actively participating in storylines. For example, she pretended to be catatonic during an angle where Vince was openly cheating on her with Trish Stratus.
Her time on camera is mostly limited to being the ultimate authority figure in the organization and the family. In other words, no matter what Vince says, she's really the one who wears the pants in the family.
That would all be extremely entertaining, save for the fact that she isn't a very good actress and isn't trained to be a performer in the ring. So Mrs. McMahon, while being a sport about things every now and then, never really got into the whole WWE act with both guns blazing.
Once she became involved in federal politics, she distanced herself almost completely from the company and its content. So, we will grade her out at a D+
#4 - Hornswoggle
Okay... we threw you a bit of a curveball on this one, but you have to admit that it was hilarious when Vince thought the little leprechaun was his illegitimate offspring.
Hornswoggle embraced his role emphatically, and The Chairman is always good for a stunned expression or a ghastly pause. With the little man's larger-than-life antics, McMahon had the chance to show off his comedy chops even more than usual.
The angle was a ton of fun, even though it was 'revealed' later that Fit Finlay was Hornswoggle's true father. Several fans and critics hated the storyline while others saw the humor in it. So, we will give 'kayfabe family member' Hornswoggle a C+
#3 - Even The Game has been no match for Vince McMahon in the past
It all started with Triple H and DX mocking McMahon and flouting the rules in the late 90's. Eventually, The Game would marry Stephanie (in storyline and in real life) and enjoy dominant title reigns. The Cerebral Assassin, while often at the aid of Vince, was equally worthy as an adversary.
Obviously, off camera, the two have a great relationship in their real lives. But on television, they've been at each other's throats plenty of times in the past.
An intriguing aspect of their clashes has been that the audience already knows that Triple H is Vince's son-in-law. That aspect of things only adds to the scripted drama. The creative team has used that on many occasions to blur the line between fantasy and reality in an effective manner. Sometimes, you legitimately thought Vince truly hated the man his daughter married.
Add in the fact that of everyone on this list, Triple H is the only decorated and accomplished wrestler. Others have held championships, but The Game was one of the most dominant WWE performers ever. That alone gave him the stroke to go one-on-one with The Boss.
Whether heel or face, Trips always seemed to cross the boss, and it usually led to everything from laughter to pain. They could both dish it out on the microphone and in the ring. The only downfall of this dynamic is that it went on for way too long. Triple H is a great performer and gave McMahon a more than solid run for his money, so we will give him a B+
#2 - Always the prodigal son, Shane McMahon has ventured away and come back to WWE a couple of times
Shane McMahon shares a lot in common with Vince in that neither man has heard of a chance they won't take. Whether it's in business, behind the microphone or in the ring, the two McMahon men are absolutely fearless.
Perhaps that's why Shane has done so many death-defying stunts in his matches with the likes of Kurt Angle and The Undertaker. Subconsciously, he's trying to prove something to his old man.
This has come to a head several times, with the precocious Shane always managing to hang with his father. They butted heads during the WCW and ECW Invasion, and in more recent years, Vince forced his son into a dangerous Hell in a Cell match with The Deadman.
But perhaps their greatest battle was a street fight between the two at WWE WrestleMania 17. It was a night where Shane became a man in the business of battle, and he grabbed the victory.
While Shane may have many of Vince's attributes, he seems like a 'lighter' version of his father. Less abrasive and much more laid-back. That's why even when he comes out on top against the elder McMahon, it's never a truly convincing victory.
Still, seeing the two of them nose to nose and about to square off is always great viewing. We will give Shane O'Mac an A-
#1 - Stephanie may be the only member of the McMahon family who can hold their own against Vince
What more can you say about the Billion Dollar Princess? Stephanie has literally grown up in WWE, from her days as an intern to being a TV character to eventually upper management. Not only does she share her dad's classic chin, she also inherited his business acumen as well.
She may be back running things in Stamford while her father tends to other affairs (no pun intended), but for years she was the Wicked Witch of WWE. She ruled over both RAW and Smackdown with an iron fist at times, earning her scorn as a heel.
It also earned her some very real-life heat, as fans began to bore of seeing her on WWE TV all the time, delivering 20 minutes of diatribes and slapping babyfaces with no comeuppance.
But that's why she mixed so well with Vince. She understands his mentality better than almost anyone, and she's often cited as the one most like The Chairman of WWE. Moreso than Shane, the two have almost everything in common.
That's why they make both great rivals and great allies onscreen. Stephanie is the one family member who brings out the best in Vince McMahon, so she rounds out this report card at the top of the class with an A+
