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In the world of professional wrestling, there have been instances when personal distastes took over the professional relationships, resulting in superstars falling out with their promoters/bookers.
Starting from the NWA to the WWF to WCW, superstars, when having an alternative, didn’t think twice about getting the best out of the promoters.
WWF, for example, has seen its fair share of backstage politics, brawls and personal rivalries. With Vince McMahon being the chairman of the then WWF, one needn’t be surprised that he fell out with quite a few superstars.
Talking about Vince McMahon having problems with his superstars is as common as talking about home runs in baseball. With Vince’s ego and his intention of being “the boss” in the past three decades, he fell out with a lot of superstars in the WWE.
With Vince being a businessman, he brought them back when he found an opportunity to make money, but who were these superstars?
In this article, I name the top 5 WWE performers who had a legitimate “heat” with Vince McMahon.
5. Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
When you name some of the greatest WWE champions in the history of the company, there is one name that stands apart from the rest.
Bruno Sammartino isn’t just a legend in the business, he also holds the record for holding the WWE championship for the longest duration.
Bruno was the headliner of the company for years, but with Vince McMahon Jr. taking over the reins from his father, things started to change in the then WWF. Bruno retired from professional wrestling, but Vince McMahon used Bruno’s son to lure Sammartino into performing.
Not only that, Bruno held a grudge against Vince McMahon for turning professional wrestling into an “act”.
With Sammartino holding a grudge against Vince McMahon, many thought the greatest WWE champion would never be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
All of that changed when Vince and Bruno put their differences aside last year, and Bruno was finally inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
4. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Randy “Macho Man” Savage
Randy Savage is arguably the most charismatic professional wrestler in the history of the industry.
Savage, with his flashy attires and his theme music, brought a much needed change in the then WWF. Randy Savage was a popular figure in the wrestling world, and still is to this day.
As a former WWF Intercontinental champion and WWF champion, Savage at one point was as famous as Hulk Hogan in the WWF!
All of that changed however as Savage, for some odd reason, left the WWF and went to WCW. There have been many rumours since then as to what happened between Vince McMahon and Randy Savage.
While some people claimed that Savage’s departure left Vince McMahon furious, there were other reports about Savage allegedly having a “fling” with a young Stephanie McMahon.
Although only Vince McMahon knows what happened, it is sad that Savage never returned to the WWE before passing away in an accident. Vince McMahon has since praised Savage, and wrote a tribute to the Macho King after his passing.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Vince McMahon and Steve Austin revolutionized professional wrestling, and together, they turned the industry on its head. With the Austin-McMahon feud and the Attitude Era, WWF reached unprecedented heights, as Austin and Vince shook things up in the industry.
With Austin and Vince having the same vision, the duo became the most successful pair in the history of the business.
But that said, Austin and Vince had a rift when Austin was asked to put over Brock Lesnar (as per the rumours). Austin then left the WWF for a few months before returning back to the company, and has since stated that if he could change anything in his career, it would be walking out of the WWF.
It was also reported that Vince McMahon blew a gasket, and was upset about Steve walking out on him. In the end, both parties resolved the issue and moved on.
2. The Ultimate Warrior
The Ultimate Warrior
Once regarded as the future face of the company, the story of the Ultimate Warrior is pretty fascinating.
Ultimate Warrior was supposed to be the next generation’s Hulk Hogan, and his rise to fame involved beating Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania, which was considered to be a “passing of the torch” match, and the Ultimate Warrior was well and truly the face of the WWF.
That was until he threatened Vince McMahon that he wouldn’t show up at SummerSlam if he wasn’t paid the same amount as Hogan.
Although Vince agreed, he proceeded to fire Warrior during the SummerSlam main event! Warrior’s career nose dived into the ground, and he never truly recovered.
Warrior became a joke in the wrestling industry, and is one of the most unfortunate stories to this day in the business.
1. Bret Hart
Bret Hart
At number one, to no one’s surprise, is Bret Hart. Bret looked up to Vince McMahon as a father figure, and Vince saw Bret as his own son.
Bret Hart dedicated his life and career to the business, and embodied and epitomized everything good about professional wrestling.
He broke the shackles and became the face of the company at a time when the company was in crisis, and he was Vince McMahon’s “go to guy” whenever there was a problem.
All of that crumbled down during the now infamous Survivor Series match in ’97, when Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels double crossed Bret Hart in Montreal.
Although Bret has since forgiven Vince and Shawn and even made a comeback to the WWE, the incident and the aftermath truly changed professional wrestling forever.
