10 Most Despised Men In Wrestling History

2. Vince McMahon

JBL Snarl
WWE.com

Vince McMahon, like Hogan, has made many men major money - but he is vilified for morphing pro wrestling into sports entertainment and crushing the livelihoods of countless promotors in doing so.

There's much to hate about McMahon, but his national expansion was almost inevitable. The cable television revolution rendered the antiquated territory model a relic. It was unsustainable. His strategy was as ingenious as it was transgressive; it was the methods with which McMahon retained his stronghold over the industry which drew the ire of fans, promotors and talent.

He feigned ignorance over steroid and recreational drug use in his company as it took over North America and the world. Ultimately, everybody is responsible for their own decisions - but McMahon fostered an environment in which impossibly herculean physiques were the norm. Those who weren't big had to artificially inflate themselves to stand a chance of earning decent money in an industry they had sacrificed their time and wellbeing for.

He pressured widows into absolving his company of wrongdoing in just one of the countless, subsequent deaths accrued under his watch. When more of those wrestlers died, he thought nothing of parading their corpses in loathsome exploitation angles. He tortured loyal employees, like Jim Ross, for being different. His portrayal of non-white acts is a litany of offensive stereotypes.

McMahon made many men major money - but he is incredibly selective about who makes that money. As recent years confirm, in particular, he is loathed by fans for failing to select the stars they want to see.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!