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On an episode of Raw back in 1997, Bret "The Hitman" Hart snapped and pushed Vince McMahon, following it up with a verbal tirade. This moment is deemed by many as the birth of the Mr. McMahon character. By this point, Vince was a babyface announcer who made it a point to keep himself away from the in-ring drama. The pure hatred on Vince's face after getting pushed by Hart was the beginning of something incredibly special.
For the next two decades, Vince played the part of a villain on WWE TV, feuding with some of the biggest babyfaces in history, most notably Stone Cold Steve Austin. McMahon's "Boss vs Employee" rivalry against Austin was a major reason why WWE managed to take out WCW from the business. There were some instances though when Vince acted as a babyface. Let's take a look at five storylines where Vince McMahon was a babyface.
Also read: Stone Cold reacts to fan telling him not to break kayfabe
#5 Vince McMahon vs Triple H
At Armageddon 1999, Triple H met Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match. The stipulation to the match stated that Triple H's wedding with Stephanie McMahon would be annulled if Vince won the match, and Vince's loss would result in The Game getting a WWE title shot.
The two men wrestled for a long while, with the brawl continuing outside the building on one occasion. Stephanie was sitting at ringside in support of Vince, who came in as a father who wanted to rid his daughter from the clutches of Triple H. The match ended when Stephanie stopped Vince from attacking Triple H with a sledgehammer, giving the latter enough time to hit Vince instead. After Triple H won, Stephanie turned heel on her father by aligning with Triple H and revealing that it was all a ploy.
#4 Eric Bischoff's firing
By the end of 2005, the WWE Universe had gotten tired of Raw GM Eric Bischoff consistently trying to dethrone John Cena from the top spot, by using any means necessary. It seemed like Vince McMahon had sensed that the fans were done with this modern-day incarnation of Stone Cold vs Vince McMahon, and thus a trial was set up for Bischoff on an episode of Raw.
Also read: 5 things current heels should learn from Vince McMahon
McMahon took the role of a judge, and the trial continued throughout the episode. In the end, Vince confronted Bischoff in the ring but was soon interrupted by John Cena. Soon after, Vince delivered the judgment, firing Bischoff in the process. Cena hit an FU on Bischoff and Vince dumped him in the back of a garbage truck, to a loud ovation.
#3 The Undertaker kidnaps Stephanie
The year 1999 is regarded by many as the peak of the Attitude Era. Possibly the biggest storyline that year was Stephanie McMahon coming in as an on-screen character and The Undertaker kidnapping her in a heelish act. This prompted Vince to seek assistance from Stone Cold Steve Austin, his arch-enemy. This was the first time in a long while that Vince McMahon was portrayed as a babyface in a storyline, garnering him tons of fan support and sympathy.
The end to the angle saw Vince McMahon revealing that he orchestrated the entire scheme, and came out as the higher power, immediately turning heel. Things didn't end well for him though, as an irate Linda McMahon gave Stone Cold the position of WWE's CEO.
#2 Feud with Legacy
In early 2009, Randy Orton and Legacy got into a feud with Triple H and the McMahon family. It all started when Orton attacked Mr. McMahon in the ring. The Viper went on to win the Royal Rumble Match and got a shot at the top title at WrestleMania 25. He soon began attacking the McMahon family and got into a rivalry with Triple H.
Also read: Renee Young reacts to Jon Moxley missing All Out
Orton attacked Stephanie and Shane McMahon on different occasions and was set to face The Game at The Show of Shows. One segment during the buildup to 'Mania saw Triple H, Vince McMahon, and Shane McMahon coming out to confront Legacy, fending off security, and unleashing a beatdown on the villains. Triple H eventually retained his WWE title at WrestleMania by defeating Orton.
#1 The Invasion
Mere days before WrestleMania 17, Vince McMahon turned the Pro Wrestling world upside down, when he announced that he had bought off his competition, WCW. It was soon revealed that Shane McMahon's name was on the papers, and he was now the owner of the defunct promotion.
Soon after, one of the biggest storylines in WWE history kicked off, with Vince McMahon's WWE going against Shane and Stephanie's Alliance. Vince played the role of a babyface boss here, who was desperately trying his best to fend off the villains and save his company. At Survivor Series, The Rock stood tall at the end of a Traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series Match by pinning Stone Cold Steve Austin, helping Vince defeat The Alliance. A short while later, Vince again embraced his heel persona.
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