10 Moments Vince McMahon Admitted Defeat With The Fans

2. Making Himself A Heel Character

Post-Survivor Series 1997 (the "Montreal Screwjob" that will never, ever be forgotten), Vince McMahon believed fans would be on his side, not Bret Hart's. According to Bruce Prichard on his Something To Wrestle With podcast, Vince thought he could continue playing a straight-up announcer that fans wouldn't necessarily care about either way.

Of course, he was wrong. People did care, and they were p*ssed at McMahon, but Vince's thoughts explain why he didn't immediately become an on screen character when Steve Austin blasted him with that first Stunner in the summer of '97.

It wasn't until 1998 that Vince finally relented and turned himself into the villainous Mr. McMahon character. Prichard said Vince didn't want to put himself in the firing line, and it took a lot of egging on from Bruce (and others on the creative team) before he gave in.

Fans wanted to boo McMahon, and that was true whether he fancied encouraging it or not. Though it made sense to fan the flames, Vince only truly realised the potential his character had when Austin needed a stuffy, suited antagonist.