10 Wrestling Bookers Who Made Themselves World Champion

7. Vince McMahon

It's common knowledge that Vince McMahon 'saved' his own company by casting himself as WWE's top villain in the wake of the Montreal Screwjob, then feuding with everyman champion Steve Austin. Unfortunately, the McMahon character was never quite as resonant when facing off with anybody besides Austin, and so when the WWE Chairman turned babyface in late 1999, decision-makers started trying to come up with a new role for him.

The result was a feud between McMahon and new WWE Champion Triple H, and getting one over on 'The Game' meant that McMahon defeated him for the title on an episode of SmackDown (with, in a baffling development, a bit of help from Austin).

Vince as WWE Champion was a brief curiosity - he relinquished the belt the following week, and it was put up for grabs in a "Six-Pack Challenge" match, which HHH won. All in all, McMahon's reign did little except devalue a still-relevant championship.