5 WWE Superstars who have reportedly impressed Vince McMahon in 2019 

WWE Superstars are often given feedback from producers, co-workers and fans after their matches and segments, but there is one person whose opinion matters more than others, and that’s Vince McMahon.

The WWE Chairman and CEO ultimately has the final say on the big decisions that his company makes, from television deals and sponsors to how much television time his Superstars are given.

Regular followers of behind-the-scenes WWE rumours will know that talents will occasionally receive “backstage heat” – a term that is used when referring to somebody who has done something to upset other Superstars and/or officials.

On the flip side, reports also emerge every so often claiming that certain performers have done something to impress WWE’s higher-ups, particularly McMahon, and that they are in line for a “push”.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five Superstars who have reportedly stood out to McMahon in 2019.

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#5 Elias

Elias was dubbed “the biggest acquisition in SmackDown Live history” when Vince McMahon’s villainous Mr. McMahon character revealed him as a new member of the blue brand’s roster on the second night of the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up.

It should come as no surprise that McMahon has been a behind-the-scenes fan of WWE’s resident guitarist for a long time. After all, he has been involved regularly in matches and singing segments on weekly television and PPVs since his main-roster debut in April 2017.

One of Elias’ best WWE matches to date came on the September 3 episode of SmackDown when he defeated Ali to progress to the semi-finals of the King of the Ring tournament.

According to Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, McMahon was very impressed with both Superstars’ performances, while SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff and Executive Vice President Kevin Dunn were also said to be happy with the match.

Sapp added that everybody seems to enjoy working with Elias, which explains why WWE’s decision-makers often use him in storylines on both Raw and SmackDown.

#4 Chad Gable

Chad Gable has long been considered one of the most underappreciated Superstars on the WWE roster.

After his successful run with Jason Jordan came to an end in July 2017, the former NXT Tag Team Champion continued to prove his credentials as a tag team performer by joining forces with Shelton Benjamin (August 2017-April 2018) and Bobby Roode (August 2018-April 2019).

Once again, just like after his split from Benjamin in 2018, the 2012 Olympian found himself without any storylines or television time in 2019 after he was separated from Roode in the Superstar Shake-Up.

Gable revealed in a September 2019 interview with PW Insider’s Mike Johnson that he “begged and pleaded” with Vince McMahon to be given an opportunity on television, and he has since become one of the most popular babyfaces on SmackDown following his exploits in the King of the Ring tournament.

Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that McMahon is a fan of Gable and is behind his recent push, which saw the former American Alpha member defeat Benjamin, Andrade and Shane McMahon before losing in the King of the Ring final to Baron Corbin.

"Even though Gable is doing this gimmick that screams undercard babyface, we’re told Vince really likes and appreciates him and considers this a push."

#3 Baron Corbin

The majority of reports about Baron Corbin’s status with WWE’s higher-ups have come via the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, who said in 2018 that Vince McMahon considered “The Lone Wolf” to be his biggest non-main event talent after WrestleMania 34.

A lot has changed since then, of course, especially for Corbin’s villainous character, as he went on to become an unpopular authority figure on Raw before defeating Kurt Angle in the WWE Hall of Famer’s final match at WrestleMania 35.

Two months after that famous triumph, Meltzer reported during Corbin’s Universal Championship rivalry with Seth Rollins that the former football player continued to receive a push because, in McMahon’s eyes, women “swoon over” guys like him.

The former United States Champion cemented his status as one of WWE’s top heels throughout his run as the Constable and Acting General Manager of Raw in 2018, but it is worth noting that some fans have started to appreciate his work of late by chanting “Let’s go, Corbin!” during his matches.

It remains to be seen what WWE has in store next for the newly crowned 2019 King of the Ring winner, but it is safe to assume that McMahon & Co. will continue to use him in meaningful storylines moving forward.

#2 Ali

The aforementioned King of the Ring quarter-final between Elias and Ali did not just result in a lot of praise for Elias. According to Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, Vince McMahon was so impressed with Ali that he, along with Eric Bischoff, walked up to the former 205 Live Superstar backstage and congratulated him on his performance.

Ali has not competed in another televised WWE match since his encounter with Elias took place on the September 3 episode of SmackDown Live, but he is almost certain to make more in-ring appearances as we get closer to the next WWE draft on October 11 and October 14.

Sapp also mentioned that Bischoff, the Executive Director of SmackDown, is keen to push Ali on the blue brand, while the high-flying Superstar has previously commented on how McMahon has given him the freedom to write and produce his own promos without the WWE production team.

Incorrect, my friend. Although everything is ultimately approved for broadcast, these are not produced or written by WWE. https://t.co/ACbVvG4L0E

— ALI / Adeel Alam (@AliWWE) July 13, 2019

Although many Superstars have spoken out in 2019 about how they receive an element of creative control when it comes to their promo segments, it is rare that somebody is consistently allowed to produce their own content in the way that Ali has done over the last year.

#1 Drew McIntyre

Baron Corbin defeated Chad Gable on the September 16 episode of Raw to become the 2019 King of the Ring winner, but did you know that WWE originally had somebody else in mind to win the tournament?

Drew McIntyre, once dubbed “The Chosen One” by Vince McMahon, had been pencilled in to win this year’s King of the Ring before going on to feud with Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship.

However, as Sportskeeda’s Tom Colohue recently reported, the Scot suffered an unfortunate bout of sickness and required surgery shortly after the tournament was announced, meaning WWE altered their plans and booked him to lose against Ricochet in the first round instead.

"Plans were changed late in the day due to McIntyre’s illness. This necessitated a quick write out of his commitments and a replacement feud which sped the ascension of The Fiend Bray Wyatt into the mix."

Although McMahon’s plan to put McIntyre in the title picture did not come to fruition, it is clear from the former Intercontinental Champion’s previous work in 2019 – including a WrestleMania 35 match against WWE’s top full-time star, Roman Reigns, and various interactions with The Undertaker – that it will not be long before he gets his next big opportunity.

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