10 WWE Wrestlers Vince McMahon Couldn't Control
Even wrestling's biggest control freak couldn't keep these backstage rebels in line.
WWE is one of the most restrictive entertainment companies in the world. Performers are given little scope to flex their own creative muscles, and are instead bound to management's idea of how they should perform. The company control everything from the macro (storylines and characters) to the micro (individually scripted promos), and for the most part, nothing that goes down on Raw or SmackDown does so without Vince McMahon's approval.
The Chairman loves to be in control. He is WWE's ultimate authority, and despite the fact that he's about to turn 72 years old, Vince is as hands-on today as ever before. The company is his ship to steer, and he'll take it wherever he pleases.
Employees are expected to fall in line and do as they're told if they want to reach the top. This is generally what happens, but there are some wrestlers that, try as he may, Vince McMahon just can't keep compliant. The past few decades have seen numerous egoists, schemers, and politicians turn the backstage area into their personal playground, defy McMahon's authority, and try to take control of their own careers without the Chairman's influence...
10. Jeff Jarrett
Vince McMahon absolutely loathes Jeff Jarrett. The Global Force Wrestling founder hasn't done business with WWE's Chairman since the '90s, but their mutual disdain is such that McMahon went out of his way to fire Jeff in the most public way imaginable following WWE's 2001 purchase of WCW.
In an open mockery of the former WCW Champion, McMahon stated that 'Double J' would now be known as "Capital G, Double-O, Double-N, Double-E - GOONNEE!", showcasing not only his less-than-impeccable spelling skills, but a staggering level of hatred for a former employee.
The ill will comes from issues that arose during Jarrett's two WWE runs. His first spell ended in a contract dispute in 1996, but Vince brought him back from a short stint in WCW the following year. Unfortunately for Vince, this run ended in even sourer circumstances as Jarrett successfully extorted the WWE Chairman for $300,000 to prevent him from leaving the company with the Intercontinental Championship belt.
It's often said that Jarrett thought he was a far bigger star than he actually was, which helps explain these acts of rebellion. Regardless of his supposedly inflated self-opinion, it's clear McMahon couldn't handle him for extended periods.