10 Most Poisonous Backstage Influences In WWE History

5. Vince McMahon

Some wrestling fans may be surprised to see Vince McMahon on this list. The owner of the WWF/WWE surely doesn't engage in petty backstage politics, does he? In reality, it seems he does. There are numerous examples of Vince playing his wrestlers against one another for his own gain, just look at the situation that evolved between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in the 1990's. Vince was a poisonous influence throughout all of this, because he had the power to stop it. Instead of choosing to wield that power, McMahon instead chose to play 'Devil's Advocate', at least in the mind of Bret Hart. The Canadian isn't alone in feeling this is how Vince operates, because even Triple H has claimed the boss enjoys pushing buttons on his performers to see how they react. Sometimes, this can work out positively, but it can also have a wholly negative impact. Allowing 2 of your biggest stars to grow jealous of one another is one thing, but manipulating the situation is incredible. According to Bret Hart, that's exactly what McMahon did between he and Shawn Michaels. Ill-feeling festered, being managed by the promotion's chief creator.