10 WWE Superstars Who Turned Heat Into Magic

The Montreal Screwjob is about the most famous incident in wrestling. Bret Hart had his title snatched from him in his home nation and left the company under a dark shadow. It was a trying time for many - but no one benefited from it more than Vincent K. McMahon.

This was the birth of Mr McMahon the character - prior to this he was a commentator, barely acknowledged as the company’s owner. But from his unapologetic interview with Jim Ross onwards, he was the greatest heel in the history of wrestling. Vince used the heat and the hatred to great effect. He was a one man star maker - anyone who went up against him would be given a massive popularity boost. No one benefited from this more than Stone Cold Steve Austin, whose rivalry with his hated boss defined the Attitude Era.

Like many with great power, McMahon eventually let his status go to his head, and booked himself in increasingly prominent angles (including a highly odd though entertaining Wrestlemania bout with Hulk Hogan). The novelty may have worn off in due course, but when the Mr McMahon character first came on the scene, there can have been few more effective baddies in any form of entertainment.