10 Times Vince McMahon Had To Swallow His Pride

1. Daniel Bryan

Despite the image above being one of the most iconic ever captured in a WWE ring, it was never a moment that was never supposed to happen. Had Vince McMahon had his way, that would be either Randy Orton or Batista holding those belts aloft, and not an undersized "indie darling" previously regarded as a B+ player.

However, at the end of that year's Royal Rumble, something was desperately wrong with the booking. Batista, billed as a returning hero, was booed out of the arena, and his proposed main-event feud with former stablemate Randy Orton was forcing the audience away in droves. It was, indisputably, Daniel Bryan's year but the men at the top didn't seem to realise.

A story goes that, baffled by the rejection of Batista and the popularity of Bryan, Vince called a meeting where he demanded answers. After having Bryan's ability, personality, charisma, history, charm, and relatability all explained to him, the chairman paused before simply muttering "but just look at Batista...". He didn't get it, and he arguably still doesn't, but determined not to have his biggest show hijacked, he swallowed his pride and relented. The rest, as they say, is history.