10 Wrestlers Who Risked Absolutely Everything
4. Vince McMahon
It's slightly over-romanticised but not completely without truth. Vince McMahon wouldn't have been ruined without WrestleMania's overwhelming success, but the ramifications still could have been dire had it failed.
McMahon did plough a fortune into his mega event, but a loss on the thing would have at worst reduced him to simply going back to basics as a local promoter in the North East rather than continuing on his path of total territorial domination.
The risk - as we all know and haven't stopped hearing about since - paid off in astronomical fashion. The eyes of the world both in and out of wrestling looked on as his Madison Square Garden supercard paired the stars of the entertainment world with those of his travelling circus. The iconic New York venue looks pitch black in most shots of the venue on the show and in photographs, as was the production style and quality at the time. But there was no doubting where the lights of the industry were suddenly shining brightest.