Vince McMahon's 10 Biggest Failures

A quarter century before Jeff Hardy’s death-defying leaps off ladders, McMahon showcased another daredevil: Evel “by Gawd” Knievel.

During an interview, the motorcycle stuntman mentioned his dream of jumping over the Grand Canyon. A young Vinnie Mac heard that interview and reached out to the superstar, convincing him they’d make a fortune by broadcasting the jump live via closed circuit. McMahon partnered with promoter Bob Arum as a silent investor to organize the viewing in theaters across the country.

On September 8, 1974, Knievel was about to jump over Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls, Idaho, already a sign that this deal wasn’t meant to be. As soon as the steam-powered rocket’s thrusters started firing, Knievel deployed the parachute and fell into the rocks, luckily only breaking his nose. It was a failure not seen by many, as not nearly the amount of theaters McMahon promised actually showed the event. Knievel was payed $250,000, roughly the amount McMahon lost when he couldn’t recoup the deposits, according to Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham’s “Sex, Lies, and Headlocks.”