10 Crippling Times WWE Worked Themselves Into A Shoot

6. Vince McMahon's WCW Report Card

In 2001, Vince McMahon won the wrestling war. This is because ECW had folded and Nitro and Thunder were canceled, leaving his largest competitor virtually worthless. He ended up buying the brand and could do whatever he saw fit with it.

So what exactly did he see fit to do with it?

Even he didn't know, so he gloated about it on live TV and tested the waters for which direction he should take the damaged brand. This included firing Jeff Jarrett on-air ("g-double o, double n, double e. Gone.") and holding a live talent evaluation, one in which the boss didn't know how it would play out.

In front of a live audience, McMahon held the careers of dozens of wrestlers in his hands. With the exception of Jarrett, everyone else was his for the taking. He polled the live audience on what he should do with their biggest talent. While he went about it in an odd way (instead of bringing up a wrestler and listening to the reaction, he'd say "thumbs up" for someone or "thumbs down" meaning they'd have to cheer/boo twice), the results were fascinating, a bit futile in ways, and led to some people receiving contracts due to the reaction.

Buff Bagwell actually got a pretty big pop when his name was mentioned, which is rumored to have helped him land a job (note: it didn't go well). Lex Luger wasn't greeted with much enthusiasm and he never appeared in the company again. Goldberg got the biggest pop by far, but he didn't sign-on for two more years. In fact, besides Booker T and Buff, none of the wrestlers Vince asked about came in for the Invasion angle.

Still, McMahon's audience poll remains one of the strangest live stunts he's ever conducted.