10 Most Shocking Vince McMahon Controversies

Vincent Kennedy McMahon has always been one of the most intriguing and perplexing individuals in professional wrestling. Whether it’s his hatred for people sneezing in his presence, or his predeliction for getting away with things on air as the Mr. McMahon character that no-one would dream of attempting in real life, the man has been a riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a very expensive suit. 

Beyond the curiosities however, lies a darker side of Vince McMahon, and over his tenure as the head of the largest wrestling promotion in the world, he’s seen his fair share of controversies. Whether it’s repeated claims of sexual harrassment that cover several decades, clashes with the federal government, or even allegedly covering up for a murderer, Vince has a lot of skeletons in his closet.

It's already been a crazy year that has seen WWE cut ties with multiple Hall of Fame legends over scandals that occurred decades prior, and it's worth remembering that Vince himself is no angel and could one day be on the receiving end of a public witch hunt. Here are just ten of the biggest controversies in Vince McMahon’s storied career, some of which could one day come back and haunt The Genetic Jackhammer in a major way.

In the mid-eighties, Vince McMahon was close to his dream of running a nationally broadcast wrestling promotion, but there was one final piece of the puzzle required. If he could get a show on Ted Turner’s TBS he would have his wrestling everywhere, but Turner refused so McMahon instead bought shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling from the Brisco Brothers and Jim Barnett.

This made McMahon the majority shareholder of GCW and, as such, he was responsible for the television content, so on June 14th, 1984, Vince McMahon appeared on TBS in front of a banner that read “World Championship Wrestling” to inform fans of this change.

He promised they’d enjoy his show just as much as their old one, but fans of the southern NWA style of wrestling were furious that their show had been replaced by cartoon wrestling from New York. While fans turned away from WWF of TBS in droves, it spurred other promotions such as the AWA and WCCW to seek national broadcasting.