5 WWE Superstars and their first time meeting Vince McMahon

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is one of the most important figures in the history of the wrestling business. After purchasing the promotion from his late father Vince Sr., he turned WWE into the biggest and most profitable wrestling company in the world.

A genius in his own right, Vince McMahon is also directly responsible for the success of many larger-than-life superstars such as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, who paved the way for the stars of today and entertained fans on a daily basis.

While his role on WWE TV as the evil boss is fictitous, Vince McMahon is still often described as an intimidating individual and he has an aura that leaves everyone in awe. Meeting him for the first time can be unforgettable but nerve-racking for anyone. For some stars, it can be a career-changing moment either for the better or for the worse.

Let's find out what happened when these five WWE Superstars met Vince McMahon for the first time.

---

#5 JBL thought of Vince McMahon as a charismatic person

JBL and Vince McMahon

When John Bradshaw Layfield had his first meeting with Vince McMahon to discuss what character he would portray, he instantly regretted his decision to join WWE. Vince McMahon apparently told JBL they were going to make him a 'bad guy ballerina,' which, thankfully for the WWE Hall of Famer, turned out to be just a rib.

Speaking to WWE.com, JBL recalled how his first meeting with Vince McMahon went:

“I had to go up to Stamford to meet Vince for the first time. I walked in the room and it was JJ Dillon, [Human Resources executive] Lisa Wolfe and Vince. He sat me down, and with a complete straight face he said, ‘We’re going to make you a bad guy ballerina.’ I’d always been a cowboy and I’d already told WCW I wasn’t coming. I looked at him and thought, ‘Oh god, I’ve made the worst decision of my life.’ I said to him, ‘Really?’"

"And he said, ‘Yeah, it’ll be great," he added. "You’re going to be a ballerina that’s a real bad guy.’ Then he started laughing and said, ‘No, I like the cowboy. We’ll do that. That sounds good.’ He threw this contract out there for virtually no guaranteed money and said to me, ‘That contract’s not worth the paper it’s written on. All I can guarantee you is the handshake behind it.’ And that’s all I needed. I could live with that. He’s charismatic. No doubt about it. I don’t think anybody’s that ever met him will say any different.”

JBL went on to attain success in WWE as a top heel, capturing the WWE Championship and holding it for 280 days. His reign included victories over former champions such as The Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle.

#4 Alexa Bliss had an amusing chat with Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon and Alexa Bliss

Vince McMahon is usually depicted as a villain in WWE programming as Mr. McMahon. But outside the ring, he has a lighthearted side to his personality that he has shared with numerous people backstage.

During an interview, current WWE RAW Superstar Alexa Bliss revealed that The Chairman asked her if pink hair dye would suit him during their first encounter:

“I had my hair extensions and was painting them pink with hair dye," stated Alexa. "I’m sitting there in makeup, painting my hair extensions and Vince walks by and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, hi’. And he was like, ‘Hello’ and looks at my hair and asks me what I’m doing and I said, ‘I’m painting my hair extensions’ and he was really funny about it and said, ‘You think I need pink in my hair?’. I was like, ‘Yeah, that would be awesome.”

Vince McMahon dyeing his hair pink would certainly be a strange visual. Alexa Bliss has accomplished a lot throughout her career in WWE, but her initial meeting with The Chairman is undoubtedly a moment she will never forget.

#3 Drew McIntyre was amazed at Vince McMahon's size

Drew McIntyre Vince McMahon

Drew McIntyre was given the moniker 'The Chosen One' by Vince McMahon during his initial tenure with WWE. Vince McMahon was high on the Scottish wrestler, declaring him a future world champion.

Over a decade later, Drew McIntyre finally fulfilled his destiny when he captured the WWE Title in the main event of WrestleMania 36. Writing in his book A Chosen Destiny, the two-time WWE Champion shared what happened in his first encounter with Vince McMahon:

“I remember he came over to my table and asked me how I was doing," said McIntyre. "He probably didn’t understand a word I said in my thick Scottish accent, but I thanked him for having me as part of the team and told him I was excited, all the stuff I felt I should say, I guess. All the time I was thinking he was freaking huge. Oh my God, I am a wrestler and the company boss is so much bigger than me.”

Drew McIntyre is a major star in WWE right now, and The Chairman was already aware of his potential over ten years ago. A genius indeed.

#2 Daniel Bryan felt uncomfortable in his first meeting with Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon and Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan was brought to Vince McMahon's attention by WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, with whom he trained. Bryan told WWE.com that when Vince McMahon phoned him to set up a meeting, he thought it was a joke at first.

After realizing it was legit, he purchased an expensive suit to look the part, but he revealed that the meeting didn't go off as expected:

“It was very awkward and very uncomfortable," stated Bryan. "Vince takes these very long pauses after he asks you a question and you answer him. He’ll just look at you. Some will start talking, which I think he likes because it shows they’re uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable, but I just looked at him. I was waiting for him to talk and he was waiting for me to talk. It was surreal. I was very nervous and even in my $500 suit — which I thought was the most expensive suit in the world — I knew I was inadequately dressed. This guy has the power to control your destiny.”

Despite his size, Daniel Bryan lived his dream of main eventing WrestleMania and holding the WWE Championship.

#1 John Cena revealed Vince McMahon was disgusted to look at him

John Cena and Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon hails John Cena as the Babe Ruth of WWE, and it's not hard to fathom why. After Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out of the company, Brock Lesnar left for the NFL and The Rock went to Hollywood, Vince McMahon needed someone to be the new face of the company. He picked John Cena to fill that position.

Cena did not disappoint as he went on to attain enormous success in WWE, becoming one of the biggest stars in company history. When The Cenation Leader met with Vince McMahon for the first time, however, Vince wasn't very satisfied. John Cena revealed that the Chairman was disgusted to look at him because of his 'ugly' hairstyle:

“I didn’t have time to be nervous," stated Cena. "It was in Chicago, Ill., on the day I had my debut match against Kurt Angle. I wasn’t supposed to have a match that night, but in the final moments, it was decided that I would debut on television against an Olympic Gold Medalist. Higher-ups said, ‘If we’re going to put the kid on TV, he’s gotta meet Vince!"'

“They literally dragged me by the arm to Vince’s office, threw me in and asked him, ‘What do you think?’ I had ridiculously ugly, long, super-dyed blond hair that was shaved bald on the sides," he added. "He turned around and with a disgusted look on his face, he said, ‘Cut his hair,’ and I was whisked away from Vince like an assembly line."

“That was the first time I met Vince McMahon and he was disgusted to look at me," Cena continued. "They shipped me out and I immediately got a haircut, which was not dyed blond, but equally as horrible."

John Cena made his WWE debut on SmackDown in 2002 by confronting Kurt Angle and challenging him to a match. In 2017, Cena inducted The Olympic Gold Medalist into the WWE Hall of Fame.

To stay updated with the latest news, rumors, and controversies in WWE every day, subscribe to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s YouTube channel.