10 Most Controversial Wrestling Referees Ever

2. Vince McMahon

Much has been written about the fabled feud between the evil Mr. McMahon character and the representative of the everyman, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. In many ways, it was the perfect rivalry, one every single wrestling fan could identify with - everyone has experienced an authoritative figure who abuses power, whether that be a boss, teacher or parent, so it was easy to rally behind Austin in his quest to stick it to the man. At Over The Edge '98, Austin faced Dude Love, looking to defend his WWF Title. The Dude had been chosen as a makeweight for McMahon, who could then supplant him with his own handpicked champion who better fit his corporate image. Like many of the best stories in wrestling, the tale was simple but effective. The match itself was a fairly standard brawl, but the sheer amount of mayhem going on makes it an under-rated gem of an encounter. McMahon, in the role of Special Referee, flat out refused to count for Austin, and it wasn't until he was knocked out by a chair shot that the champion used the hand of his boss to count the pinfall. Fans were livid when Vince wouldn't drop to the mat and count Dude Love's shoulders down, and McMahon was able to fire right back at them with some of his trademark facial expressions.