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This year has been a turbulent one for WWE and Vince McMahon, in particular. The COVID-19 pandemic ended one of his biggest projects, XFL. Meanwhile, he has had to make some difficult decisions as WWE's Chairman. However, it has not been all bad.
2020 has brought out some excellent matches and moments for WWE fans, despite the restrictions in their events. It has been a creative roller-coaster, with the uncertainty of the situation catching up to Vince McMahon at times. There were some weird booking decisions made in the past eight months, as well as some excellent ones.
There is plenty to like about WWE's current product, especially since RAW and SmackDown have moved from the Performance Center to the Amway Center. WWE ThunderDome has added a layer of life to the product.
Whether it is a storyline, a match, or simply the booking of a certain WWE Superstar, there are several things Vince McMahon has got right this year. Here are five of his best booking decisions in 2020 so far.
#5 The Men's Royal Rumble Match: WWE's best match of 2020
Possibly the best WWE match of 2020 so far, the men's Royal Rumble Match was booked to perfection. The decision to add Brock Lesnar to the match, despite him being the WWE Champion, was a genius move. It made the Rumble feel more intriguing while allowing the Beast to interact with a variety of Superstars.
Lesnar entered at number 1 and dominated the entire first half of the Royal Rumble. He had a few memorable moments opposite some old rivals, like Kofi Kingston, and potential opponents down the line, like Keith Lee. This was an all-time great performance from Brock Lesnar, who eliminated a record-tying 13 Superstars from the Rumble.
The WWE Champion's elimination at the hands of Drew McIntyre was also perfect, with the Scotsman taking over the match. One of the biggest pops of the match came when Edge made his surprise return to the ring. He looked incredible and lasted over 20 minutes in the match. He was part of the final three, alongside McIntyre and Roman Reigns.
The entire final sequence was expertly laid out, from Seth Rollins entering at number 30 with his disciples to the final two of Reigns and McIntyre. Vince McMahon made the right decision by having the former 3MB member win the Royal Rumble Match, as it resulted in a mammoth reaction. This catapulted Drew McIntyre to superstardom in WWE.
#4 Drew McIntyre as WWE Champion
Speaking of Drew McIntyre, he has had an amazing year so far. His babyface turn was seamless and the Royal Rumble victory was the perfect ending to a near-perfect match. McIntyre's road to the WWE Championship WrestleMania was straightforward, at least until the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
His big WWE title victory over Brock Lesnar ended up taking place in front of zero fans, but it did not hamper his booking. McIntyre was made to look like the number one star in WWE since day one. He is as strong as ever, having won a multitude of solid matches.
The Scottish Terminator has a great list of pay-per-view WWE title defenses so far. Matches against Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Dolph Ziggler, and Randy Orton have all been among the best of their respective shows. The incredible consistency in the quality of his matches shows how well McIntyre has done as the WWE Champion.
During an era where WWE could very easily mess up a babyface world title reign, they have done an excellent job of maintaining Drew McIntyre's edge and popularity so far. This also would have vindicated Vince McMahon, who had predicted him to be a future WWE World Champion over a decade earlier.
#3 The Summer of Sasha and Bayley: WWE's best act of 2020
The best WWE angle of the year might be the Sasha Banks and Bayley saga. After years of underwhelming booking, the fans had cause for concern when the two of them were partnered up as heels on SmackDown. Vince McMahon never pulled the trigger on a feud between Banks and Bayley.
It seemed like the turn would come around WrestleMania season, but it never did. The Legit Boss remained alongside the reigning SmackDown Women's Champion. And with all of WWE's shows happening at the Performance Center for a while, the company went all-in on the alliance between Bayley and Sasha Banks, instead of the much-awaited feud.
Vince McMahon's recent creative track record may have suggested that he would mess up the story between the two, but that has not been the case. The Golden Role Models quickly became the best act in WWE over the summer, winning the Women's Tag Team Championship. Banks even became the RAW Women's Champion for a while.
And now, with two of the three titles gone from their grasp and WWE's move to the ThunderDome, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to break the duo up. That is what happened, with Bayley brutally assaulting an injured Sasha Banks. The eventual match between them will be excellent, whenever it may be. Over time, WWE has earned the trust of the fans with this storyline.
#2 WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman
When Roman Reigns was set to challenge Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania, it seemed like much of the same for him. Another babyface world title victory that is booed by the WWE fans. However, as things turned out, the Big Dog eventually withdrew from performing at 'Mania.
Reigns would return at SummerSlam with a vengeance, attacking 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman after their Universal title main event match. Over the next week, he aligned himself with Paul Heyman and won the Universal title in an opportunistic fashion, turning heel in the process.
This was a much-needed change for Roman Reigns' character and a very brave decision from WWE. It is one that is likely to pay off. The early weeks of his run with Heyman as his 'Special Counsel' have brought new life to the Big Dog as the top star of WWE. He looks set to finally have that one long defining world title run.
WWE is entering a very exciting period, with many exciting stories across RAW and SmackDown. Vince McMahon has stepped his game up since the move to the ThunderDome. His decision to turn Roman Reigns heel may have come a few years late, but at least it's finally here. FOX is getting their money's worth from WWE right now.
#1 Most of the changes made to WWE WrestleMania 36
While many Superstars, angles, and matches have been expertly booked this year, Vince McMahon and WWE's biggest creative triumph in 2020 has to be WrestleMania 36. Fourteen months of planning went down the drain due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March, as WWE was unable to hold their biggest show of the year at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
The Showcase of the Immortals went from happening in an 80,000-seat stadium to the WWE Performance Center with nobody in attendance. It was a harrowing change, but one that was done quickly. WWE taped WrestleMania a couple of weeks in advance and spread the 16 matches across two nights.
This was an excellent decision, as five hours of the empty setting would have gotten incredibly tiresome for the fans very quickly. The cinematic elements also added some extra flavor to 'Mania, as the Boneyard and Firefly Fun House matches stole the show on their respective nights.
Various other matches, like Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley, Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins, and John Morrison vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jimmy Uso, impressed at WrestleMania. Overall, the two-night extravaganza was a rousing success, given the circumstances.
Vince McMahon did a fantastic job with the cards he was dealt with, making the best of a bad situation. The show may not have been creatively perfect, but the effort must be commended. With their backs against the wall, WWE gave the fans a WrestleMania that will never be forgotten.
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