As much as it's absolutely true that at the end of the day all major final decisions in World Wrestling Entertainment aren't made without the knowledge of Chairman Vince McMahon, the idea that he's ultimately completely responsible for the company's success is absurd. Over his nearly 40 years of running the shop in Stamford, there have been some very talented employees who have, on various levels, aided McMahon's cause. There are some men and women who have been employed by WWE who have assisted in making Vince McMahon very, very rich. From having terrific matches, cutting groundbreaking promos, or just being iconoclastic people who pushed the professional wrestling industry ahead, there are at least 20 people without whom WWE would be stalled, underwhelming or even potentially out of business. There are people who Vince McMahon literally owes everything to, and this list intends to celebrate them. From the musclebound monsters of the steroid era, to those who carried the banner for technical wrestling during the New Generation, Attitude Era ne'er do wells, performers with "Ruthless Agression," and those who have succeeded in the "Reality Era," they're all important. In describing what WWE would be without them and their exploits, this list will hopefully raise both eyes and conversation.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
