The idea that Vince McMahon pitched some wild things in his time at the top of WWE will come as a surprise to nobody.
The former WWE Owner, Chairman and de facto creator steered the ship at the helm of the business for decades before his controversial departure in 2024.
Following accusations of sexual assault from his time with the grappling entity, he stepped down from the Board of TKO, WWE’s parent company, under a cloud.
He’s always denied the accusations, but it appears his time there is done and dusted as the company moves in a new direction with son-in-law Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque at the creative helm.
For many he leaves behind a complicated legacy, not least the at times questionable storyline choices he played out on air during his tenure in the hot seat.
But while WWE screened tails of extra-marital affairs, kidnapping, sibling rivalries and so much more on its programming over the years, plenty of McMahon’s other ideas were too extreme to make it that far.
Around two decades ago, one such pitch called for McMahon to father a child to his own daughter, Stephanie, until she herself put a stop to the absurdity.
Former WWE exec Stephanie said years later: “My dad did approach me about wanting to be the father of my baby in the storyline for TV which was actually only the second time I’ve said ‘no’ to him for something he wanted to do.
“That one was just a little too gross, actually. It was completely disgusting, and I don’t find the entertainment value in it at all.”
The elder McMahon, seemingly undeterred, went further, with Stephanie adding: “Then he came up with the idea of Shane to be the father of my baby – my brother.
“Again, I [just said] ‘no’. I know that happens in this world, but it’s not going to happen with us. I can’t do that. It’s too much.”
Having come up with such an outrageous storyline idea, it’s perhaps little wonder that those aren’t solitary examples of WWE figures being left tearing their hair out at McMahon’s antics.
Another prime example involved Ronda Rousey in 2022, a suggestion tabled by McMahon thought to be so baffling that it resulted in a top official walking away from WWE.
Former three-time tag team champion TJ Wilson wrestled under the name Tyson Kidd in WWE before transitioning into a backstage role that saw him establish himself as one of WWE’s top producers.
He was set to piece together that year’s women’s Royal Rumble match, which was won by Ronda Rousey, making her WWE comeback.
UFC legend Rousey ended a two-and-a-half year break from wrestling with the triumphant return and, if McMahon had got his way, it would’ve ended up being far more dominant and emphatic.
A report from noted US outlet Fightful revealed: “TJ Wilson aka Tyson Kidd walked away for a period of time ahead of that Royal Rumble. One of the reasons we were given was that the vision Vince McMahon had was so off the wall, that there was trouble coexisting with it.
“At one point early in the planning stages of the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble, Vince McMahon had pitched to have Ronda Rousey eliminate the entire field of the Royal Rumble in what would be her first match in over two and a half years.
The Diary Of A CEO – YouTubeRousey has been fiercely critical of WWE since her departure[/caption]
“We’re told that early on, Vince was very steadfast in wanting to do something like this because they had Rousey on a full-time, advanced schedule for all of 2022.”
If Wilson did throw up his hands in dismay before his temporary exit, it’s not known if that’s the reason such an outlandish finish never made it to air but, in the end, Rousey won in far more routine fashion as one of the final entrants in the whole match.
She tangled with Charlotte Flair at the bout’s finale before dumping her over the top rope as one of just four eliminations – rather than the potential 29.
McMahon’s dealings with the women’s division at the time created frustrations beyond his plans for Rousey, with Fightful added that many former WWE stars turned down the chance to appear altogether at the event as one of the famed Royal Rumble cameos.
The report added: “[The] vast majority of the cameos had no real plan, and McMahon had instructed them to “get in and get out.” Summer Rae, Sarah Logan, Cameron, Kelly Kelly, Melina, Molly Holly and Ivory all spent a minute or less in the match.
“At least four cameos WWE had planned for that year rejected WWE’s overtures to be in the Royal Rumble. This included Peyton Royce, Billie Kay and Nia Jax. At least one cited TJ Wilson’s lack of involvement as a reason.”
Despite Rousey’s grand Rumble return, she was gone from WWE by the following year – and for good, having vowed never to return and been stinging in her criticism of McMahon and the company in general.
