10 Wrestlers Who Achieved The Impossible

4. Brock Lesnar: Making Vince McMahon His B*ch

Cody Competed With WWE
WWE.com

Everybody becomes Vince McMahon's b*tch in the end.

Steve Austin took his ball and went home in 2002. He returned in less than a year. Vince screwed Bret in 1997, but returned in 2010. Eric Bischoff shook Vince's hand and figuratively kissed the ring. Several others literally kissed the ring as members of the 'Kiss My Ass' club Vince inducted people into every now and then, just to wield his immense power. Hulk Hogan is probably waiting by the phone, brother, as you read this. Jim Ross, sadly, meets the definition more literally than most, having relinquished not merely his ego but his very integrity at the doors of Titan Towers.

Vince McMahon, however, is Brock Lesnar's b*tch.

The Beast had tired of the torturous WWE schedule by 2004. His request to work a diminished schedule balked at, he left in the most acrimonious and, eventually, litigious of circumstances. In the ensuing years, he came to boast two bargaining powers of which Vince is utterly enamoured: a backbone, and mainstream credibility. Having Conquered the Octagon and offered with a shrug to work an incredibly limited schedule for more money than anybody else, Lesnar returned in 2012. Six years later, Vince is his b*tch, Roman is his b*tch, and the Universal Title is his b*tch.

Bret Hart opined some time ago that, in suffering real pain in the pursuit of a pop, the wrestlers had become the marks.

And now, the ultimate promoter meets that description.

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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!