Anyone that challenges God to a wrestling match, then proceeds to defeat Him and Shawn Michaels in a tag match after making the Almighty run away in fear, is most definitely one of the greatest heat magnets of the last 14 years. That sentence may seem ludicrous but, then again, so was much of McMahon's work in the 2000s. Whether he was engaging in lecherous activity, abusing both his power and employees or inducting Superstars into his "Kiss My Ass Club," McMahon had absolutely no problem making himself look like a fool in the name of entertaining the audience. The Rock, Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan are only a few of the stars to suffer at the hands of the boss. In 2003, McMahon even feuded with his daughter Stephanie, defeating her in an I Quit match just days before her real life wedding to Triple H. Devaluing the legacy of the ECW Championship after defeating Bobby Lashley was nothing compared to driving his wife, Linda, into vegetative state and making out with Trish Stratus in front of her. Spitting holy water in an empty church like his son-in-law, labeling himself the "genetic jackhammer" and reintroducing Eric Bischoff to the wrestling world only helped strengthen the heat directed at the evil billionaire owner of WWE. What made Vince McMahon a great heat magnet, unlike some on this list, was that he never hesitated to book his own comeuppance. No matter how disgusting a bad guy he was, fans could rest assured knowing that the boss would get what was coming to him, courtesy of the great hero of the time. Always willing to show vulnerability and get beat up for his art, McMahon was a great villain whose impact on WWE programming beyond the Attitude Era will one day be looked back upon far more fondly than it is now.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
