10 Best Stories Of First Time Wrestlers Met Vince McMahon
Mega money offers, "disgusting" haircuts, villainous ballerina gimmicks, and awkward silences.
Love him or hate him, there's no disputing Vince McMahon's spot as the most powerful and influential person in modern-day professional wrestling history.
Since taking over the now-WWE from his father back in 1982, McMahon, by hook or by crook, took the regional promotion and spun it into an international powerhouse that helped make Vince a billionaire. To get to that point, VKM had to be extremely cutthroat, particularly when it came to literally driving his competition out of business as he cherry picked their top stars.
With that success only further backing up McMahon's iron will and cocksure arrogance, that's made the fella quite the imposing proposition for many a wrestler. Over the decades, we've all heard those stories of talent walking on eggshells, scared to dare let out a sneeze when around this hair-triggered maniac - especially when first getting to know Vince and his ways.
Those early meetings with Vinny Mac have been known to go spectacularly bad, although that's not to say every first impression made on McMahon has been a bad one.
When looking at wrestlers first time finding themselves in front of the WWE Chairman, there are so many great stories to be heard - and here are ten of the best of 'em!
10. Kurt Angle Turned Down A $5 Million Deal
It's not everyday that a first meeting with somebody sees them immediately offer you $5 million, but that was indeed the case when Kurt Angle first met Vince McMahon.
Taking place in 1996, fresh off Angle winning gold at the Olympics that summer, McMahon was so keen to bring the Pittsburgh native into the fold that he put a ten-year, $500,000 per year deal on the table.
Kurt has recently discussed this whole situation on The Kurt Angle Show Podcast, explaining how he walked away from that meeting extremely interested in joining the then-World Wrestling Federation.
That wouldn't come to pass, though, for Angle would actually turn down this mammoth offer - with his agent and advisors chastising him for even considering taking up the offer to enter this "fake" profession, while Kurt himself wanted a deal that meant he could never, ever lose a match.
Two years later, with that $5 million offer long since rescinded, Angle would sign with McMahon's company on a five-year deal worth 'just' $50,000 per year. Instantly sent to train under Dory Funk Jr. at the Funkin' Dojo, the Wrestling Machine would make his televised WWE debut 18 months later at the 1999 Survivor Series.