5 WWE Superstars who convinced Vince McMahon to change his decisions

When one talks about some of the most ruthless and no-nonsense entities in all of pro wrestling, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon's names is bound to come on top. Vince McMahon has worked hard for decades on end to turn WWE into the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, and a global media giant.

Vince McMahon made a string of incredibly controversial decisions on his way to the top. The Montreal incident involving Bret Hart suddenly comes to mind. Over the years, only a handful of WWE Superstars have managed to get close to Vince McMahon and influence his decisions. These Superstars paid their dues for a long time and were finally deemed worthy enough by Vince to advise him on the decisions that he took. In this list, we will take a look at five WWE Superstars who made Vince McMahon change his decisions.

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#5 Brock Lesnar convinces Vince McMahon to let Goldberg beat him

Brock Lesnar

At Survivor Series 2016, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg faced off in one of the biggest matches of the year. This was a bout that was 12 years in the making. To the absolute surprise of the WWE Universe, Goldberg ended Lesnar in mere minutes. In reality, it was Brock Lesnar himself who managed to convince Vince McMahon to let Goldberg beat him.

The original plan for the match was to let Brock avenge his WrestleMania 20 loss to Goldberg, as this was only going to be a one-match deal for the WWE Hall of Famer. The Beast somehow managed to change Vince McMahon's decision. The rivalry continued beyond Survivor Series, and saw Lesnar being eliminated by Goldberg in the Royal Rumble match. The feud finally came to an end at WrestleMania 33, where the two behemoths competed for Goldberg's Universal title. Lesnar finished off Goldberg in a matter of minutes to win the belt.

#4 Randy Orton talks how he brought back the Punt

Randy Orton

Randy Orton's Punt is dubbed one of the most vicious moves in all of pro wrestling. The Viper has used the move effectively on a string of occasions, and it has helped him win some of the biggest matches of his career. Fans might remember that Orton hit the Punt on Vince McMahon himself, back in 2009. The kick had given Vince McMahon a concussion, and the boss had later banned it. Somehow, Randy Orton was able to change Vince's mind in regards to bringing back the move, and the WWE Chairman eventually said yes.

And given the fact that it was banned because it was so dangerous, I think I'm able to do it again because Vince McMahon trusts that I've figured out how to make it safe. And I'm glad he said yes.

Orton embraced his Legend Killer persona earlier this year and targeted WWE Hall of Famer Edge. He has used the Punt on various occasions since then. The Punt is a devastating move that fits Orton's character. Its return has helped Orton's gimmick get more over with the WWE Universe.

#3 Stephanie McMahon saves the career of John Cena

Stephanie McMahon

Today, John Cena is regarded as one of the greatest Superstars to ever step foot in a WWE ring. Back in 2002, when Cena was a rookie on SmackDown, the future megastar was on the verge of getting released from the company. It would've happened as well if it hadn't been for Stephanie McMahon, who convinced Vince McMahon to let Cena stay. Dave Meltzer opened up on how Cena was very close to getting fired.

If it wasn’t for Stephanie McMahon taking a liking to him after they’d just about decided to let him go, he could’ve been gone. Imagine that. Imagine this business in the last 11 years with John Cena as the top guy and John being out of the picture.

Thankfully, Vince McMahon changed his mind and Cena wasn't let go. In a matter of months, he had become one of the most popular acts in WWE, thanks to his rapper gimmick. Cena went on to become the biggest Superstar of the era and won a total of 16 World titles under the WWE umbrella. Vince McMahon's perception of Cena has certainly changed a lot over the years as well.

#2 Triple H manages to convince Vince McMahon to let Dustin Rhodes go

Triple H

Dustin Rhodes is currently doing well for himself in AEW. Back in 2019, Dustin requested Vince McMahon for a release. In a surprising turn of events, Vince McMahon refused to let him leave. Triple H, WWE's EVP, was the one who convinced Vince McMahon to let Dustin go. Rhodes eventually announced that he was granted his release by WWE.

Soon after, Rhodes made his way to AEW and was announced for the promotion's first show, Double Or Nothing. At the event, Dustin Rhodes took on Cody in one of the best matches of the night. The brothers embraced following the brawl, to loud applause. Ever since then, Dustin is being heavily featured on AEW TV. He has feuded with the likes of Jake Hager and Shawn Spears. Letting Dustin go was the right decision, as he wasn't doing much of note in Vince McMahon's company. Triple H received praise from fans for convincing Vince McMahon to let Dustin go and shine somewhere else.

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin convinces Vince McMahon to stop editing his character

Stone Cold

Stone Cold and Vince McMahon's friendship isn't exactly a secret. The two have been close for a long time and it's safe to say that Austin played a huge part in helping Vince McMahon beat WCW. While speaking with Lilia Garcia, Stone Cold revealed that Vince McMahon was heavily editing his character, and it was holding him back. He talked to Vince about the same and convinced him to stop editing him on-screen.

Like I told him, my response to him was, ‘Vince, you got guys here 6’10, 7 feet tall, 300 to 330 pounds,’ I said, ‘I’m 6’2, 250, black trunks, black boots. If you take my personality, from me, I can’t compete. If you give me my personality, I can compete with anyone you got.’ And he says, ‘Okay Steve.’

Steve Austin managed to convince Vince McMahon during the talk, and the rest, as they say, is history. He went on to become a cultural icon and was the face of WWE during the Attitude Era. His popularity reached such great heights that WWE kept bringing him back for special appearances regularly, after his retirement in 2003. Unlike many others, Austin's special returns used to end with The Rattlesnake standing tall after delivering a Stunner on the current Superstars.