Do You Know WWE's Crazy Brilliant Mastermind Vince McMahon?

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In the world of professional wrestling, or should we say sports entertainment, one name was reigned supreme over all the others for as long most living fans can remember: McMahon. Specifically, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, the family patriarch and owner of the WWE Universe, a company he took from a reasonably successful local promotion into a genuinely global enterprise. Over the past two decades, McMahon has also been a major focus of his own programming, making him one of the highest profile sports entertainers around.

For all the fame and success McMahon has achieved, though, there are very few fans out there who can genuinely claim to understand him. No matter how many articles, interviews, or Wikipedia pages one reads, they’ll never get to the bottom of the McMahon mystery. If anything, compiling a large list of facts about him merely adds to the confusion, as little of it adds up or makes any sense. And yet, it all works, and it works so well, it made a certified billionaire.

While it’s virtually impossible for anyone to completely comprehend what makes Vince McMahon tick, study hard enough and it is possible to get a little knowledge on who he presents himself to be and where he comes from. It’s hardly a requirement to be a wrestling fan, but some people watching McMahon’s product might be a little interested in the man they’re giving all their money to. If that’s you, keep reading to take our quiz on how much you know about WWE’s crazy mastermind, Vince McMahon.

Question 1

True or False: Vince McMahon is the founder of WWE.

Every single person watching WWE is fully aware that Vince McMahon is running the show. On episodes of Raw or SmackDown where Vince himself doesn’t appear, his children Shane and Stephanie are there to remind fans which family has all the power. Even when the kids aren’t there, either an announcer or wrestler is bound to mention Vince in some way, and given his power in the industry, all of this makes perfect sense. However, merely having all the power doesn’t mean he singlehandedly built the company from ground up…does it?

Question 2

What was Vince’s original job in WWE?

Though they soon became extremely close, Vince McMahon, Jr. never met his real father until he was 12 years old. As soon as they came into contact, the younger McMahon immediately fell in love with both his old man and wrestling, soon deciding he wanted to be a wrestler himself. Unfortunately for little Vinnie, his dad refused to let him wrestle, but he acquiesced a little bit by letting him get on camera and in the ring to do something else. What was it?

Question 3

What year did Vince take control of WWE from his father?

No, Vince McMahon did not found the company he turned into a worldwide empire. That doesn’t mean he had no connection to his organization’s creation whatsoever, though, as it was his father, Vincent J. McMahon, who first used the WWWF banner to promote wrestling matches. Over time, Vince, Jr. took away one W and turned the F into an E, but his WWE Universe has always been the same company his father built at its core. Of course, the name wasn’t all that changed, as Vince would soon warp the whole wrestling world into his image. What year did he start doing so?

Question 4

Who partnered with Vince McMahon’s father to create the WWF?

While the official story implies that Vince McMahon, Sr. created and founded the WWE Universe all on his own, the reality is a little bit more complicated than that. The truth is, WWE has a small handful of founders, who were breaking away from the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, an associate of the NWA, in creating the company. Vince, Sr. was indeed the key player in all this, but he also had a whole lot of help from a former wrestler who in many respects was the true innovator of “sports entertainment.” Who was it?

Question 5

Which wrestler was Vince’s arch rival?

Approximately 14 years after his father’s death, Vince McMahon finally took matters into his own hands and stepped inside one of his rings to wrestle for the first time. In many respects, the event was long overdue, as Vince had already spent the past five months feuding with the man who ultimately turned into his longest lasting and great opponent. Vince eventually wrestled other employees in subsequent years, but his first opponent is the one fans will never forget, the ultimate rebel who had the tenacity to cross the boss. Who was it?

Question 6

Who did Vince screw out of the WWE Championship at Survivor Series 1997?

Before fans hated Vince McMahon so much that watching Steve Austin beat him up made them both stars, the WWE CEO had to do something truly dastardly to earn the fans disproval. Up to the 1997 Survivor Series, Vince was simply a mild-mannered announce who happened to own the company, a fact some, but not all, of his audience was aware of. On that fateful night in Montreal, Vince turned into a vicious, ruthless villain by involving himself in the main event and costing one of his wrestlers the WWE Championship. Who did Vince screw out of the gold?

Question 7

True or False: Vince McMahon has been the WWE Champion.

It should already be clear that Vince McMahon has held all the power in WWE and wrestling in general since taking control of the company from his father. We’ve also established that he’s spent a little bit of time in the ring himself, so it’s not out of the question that he could challenge or even win the WWE Championship. On the other hand, his first match didn’t happen until he was over 50 years old, and even in the fake world of sports entertainment, there are certain limits on what fans would buy as believable.

Question 8

Who did Vince defeat for the WWE Championship?

So, Vince McMahon has indeed won the WWE Championship after all. Granted, he only held it for less than a week, instantly vacating the title and putting it up for grabs in a six pack challenge. Even so, his short stint as the top wrestler in the world left some fans feeling a little miffed, thinking he didn’t deserve the honor in the slightest. That said, it’s not like Vince won the title on his brute strength alone, nor his technical wrestling acumen. Surprisingly, his arch enemy Steve Austin decided to help him win, an act meant to annoy another shared rival of both men.

Question 9

Which of the following female wrestlers NEVER kissed Vince on screen?

In addition to his success in business and inside the wrestling ring, Vince McMahon has another area to brag about in his many dalliances with much younger female employees. Well, “brag” might not be the right word for anyone who thinks its kinda gross for a senior citizen employer to force his female employees to kiss him on camera, but that’s a different argument. Regardless of how one feels about it, the fact remains Vince has locked lips with a whole lot of divas in his day. Who has been free of his affections?

Question 10

In what kind of match did Vince wrestle Steve Austin at St. Valentine’s Day Massacre?

Considered perhaps the greatest rivalry in WWE history to many fans, the saga of Austin versus McMahon lasted far more than a single match on an episode of Raw. That said, the two only squared off in the ring a small number of times, both to keep the idea special and because Austin was usually busy wrestling actual wrestlers for the WWE Championship. In fact, Austin and McMahon only wrestled against each other in one single Pay-Per-View match. What stipulation did it have?

Question 11

Who was the first wrestler to join the Kiss My Ass Club?

Forget about all the good stuff for a second. While Vince McMahon is responsible for literally countless hours of fantastic wrestling programming in one way or another, he’s also been the source of some truly terrible television. Sometimes, he’s standing right in the spotlight when that awful TV unfolds, like when he invented the disgustingly literal Kiss My Ass Club. No less than five times, Vince dropped trou on national television and demanded an employee literally pucker up and kiss his rear end, always to the disgust of wrestling fans everywhere. Which wrestler suffered this awful fate first?

Question 12

Which of the following wrestlers has Vince McMahon NEVER faced at WrestleMania?

Just because Vince McMahon occasionally does some really dumb stuff in the ring doesn’t mean he’s incapable of greatness once in a while, as well. Appropriately, the main brain child behind sports entertainment typically brings out his A-game whenever involved in a match at the Grandest Stage of Them All, WrestleMania. Vince had his first WrestleMania moment in 2001, followed by several others in the subsequent years, all against extremely high profile opponents. Who hasn’t Vince squared off with at the Showcase of Immortals?

Question 13

Who is Vince McMahon’s son-in-law?

For many years, WWE fans assumed Vince McMahon would inevitably hand down the company to his son, Shane, in the same way his father had done to him. That still hasn’t happened as Vince enters his early 70s, and at this point, it looks like Shane’s chances of WWE Universal domination are highly unlikely. This is because Vince’s daughter, Stephanie, married on of his top employees, who turned out to be extremely ambitious in the board room. Now, Vince’s son-in-law is considered his heir apparent. Who is he?

Question 14

What did Vince McMahon call his stable during the Attitude Era?

Not even Vince McMahon could achieve all that he has entirely on his own. Most of his empire has been built on the backs of countless hard working sports entertainers wrestling incredible matches at his beck and call. As far as McMahon’s storyline dominance over his own company is concerned, he also has a large number of loyal followers willing to defend him at all costs. During the Attitude Era, this translated to a giant stable of wrestlers always standing by his side. What were they called?

Question 15

Who did Vince defeat for the ECW Championship?

Despite a reasonable amount of controversy arising when Vince McMahon won the WWE Championship, the move ultimately made perfect sense. Vince was one of the biggest stars in his own company, he had the physique of a top level athlete, and let’s not forget, he needed Steve Austin’s help to defeat Triple H and win the gold. All that said, when he decided to make himself ECW Champion some eight years later, the defenses were a lot fewer and further between. Well, except for the fact it was a three on one match, with McMahon, his son Shane, and Umaga all defeating which opponent?

Question 16

Which WrestleMania 2000 main event participant had Vince in their corner?

Bizarrely, although the year 2000 is generally considered one of the best years in WWE history, WrestleMania 2000 was one of the weaker efforts the company has produced. This is largely due to a severe lack of plain old wrestling matches, with almost every contest on the card including at least three or more competitors, plus a wacky gimmick of some kind. The main event in particular saw four men challenging for the WWE Championship, each with their very own McMahon standing in their corner. Who was Vince backing?

Question 17

When did Vince defeat Stephanie in the only ever Father-Daughter I Quit match?

Occasionally fans criticize the McMahon’s for taking up too much time on their own programming, yet they all loved it when Vince challenged his son Shane to a Street Fight at WrestleMania X7. Less popular was a match that came not longer after that, when Vince and his daughter Stephanie squared off in an equally brutal I Quit match. Taking place mere days before Steph’s marriage to Triple H, she and her old man beat the hell out of one another with a steel pipe. In the end, Vince choked out Stephanie in a sight so severe some fans became uncomfortable.

Question 18

Who was Vince’s cohost on Tuesday Night Titans?

Way before he was beating up his kids on Pay-Per-View, let alone getting in the ring to challenge his wrestlers, he was a mild-mannered announcer who simply interviewed them between their matches. Of course, Vince was no regular wrestling announcer, as he was special enough to receive his own late night talk show parody, Tuesday Night Titans. On TNT, Vince not only spoke to the top wrestlers of the day, but also participated in ridiculous comedy segments with them, making it a truly unique piece of WWE history. What fellow announcer always sat by Vince’s side?

Question 19

In what city has Vince established WWE headquarters?

In all honesty, this question might be a little hard for some fans, as it isn’t necessarily something that comes up on WWE television from week to week. However, back during the Monday Night Wars, and well before that when wrestlers were jumping between WWE and NWA, the place where WWE business was conducted became fairly common knowledge. Some wrestlers still refer to the company by the town where Vince built their headquarters, which used to be called Titan Towers. Do you know where that was?

Question 20

Who was Vince’s rival in the Battle of the Billionaires?

Aside from his decade defining wars against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, perhaps the highest profile rivalry Vince McMahon engaged himself in was “the Battle of the Billionaires.” This war took place not against a wrestler, but rather a fellow business executive/reality TV star and real life friend of McMahon who later decided to dabble in politics. At WrestleMania 23, Vince and his foe both hired champions to fight in their stead, each putting their hairdos on the line. Do you know who Vince’s rival was during in this battle? Hopefully, the tiny hands in this picture don’t give away the person's identity.

Question 21

Which wrestler represented Vince in the Battle of the Billionaires?

When Vince McMahon was set to do battle against Donald Trump, it should probably go without saying that neither man intended to do the fighting on their own. Billionaires tend to outsource this sort of manual labor, after all, and since the whole point of their battle was that both had lots of money and liked waving it around, they naturally hired wrestlers to do the fighting for them, as already mentioned. Trump hired Bobby Lashley to do his dirty work, who did Vince have challenge him?

Question 22

Which of the following wrestlers was NOT a member of The Corporation?

To many wrestlers, the news Vince McMahon was building a Corporation of employees he could trust most must have seemed like a fantastic opportunity for career advancement. Take for instance Triple H, who went from a mere second string member of the group to the future leader of The Authority, in many ways its spiritual successor. Not everyone took the opportunity, though, feeling they’d try to find championship success the old fashioned way. Which of the following Attitude Era stars refused to be a corporate puppet?

Question 23

With which legitimate sports announcer did Vince once get into a real life heated argument?

While the vast majority of noteworthy moments in Vince McMahon’s career were in some way his own doing, there have been a few high profile events outside of his realm where he simply put lost control. For instance, there was an interview on a certain HBO sports talk show circa 2001, right before WrestleMania X7, where the host asked some hard hitting questions about the adult oriented content heavily featured on WWE programming at the time. Vince became noticeably upset, mocking the reporter and knocking his notes out of his hands. Who suffered this wrath?

Question 24

What was the name of Vince’s ill-fated attempt at competing with the NFL?

Vince McMahon is without a doubt the most successful man in professional wrestling, but the same can’t be said for his achievements in the rest of the sporting world. Much to the contrary, Vince’s few attempts at branching out of sports entertainment have gone terrible awry. From his failed venture at owning a hockey team to the gigantic failure that was the football organization he co-owned with NBC, he simply doesn’t seem to get anything right except wrestling. That said, his football company did receive a great deal of spotlight for all the wrong reasons. What was it called?

Question 25

To whom did Vince temporarily sell Monday Night Raw?

In the real world, Vince McMahon has stated several times that he would never sell his company unless under extreme circumstances. By and large, fans and critics alike have taken this statement as fact, fully believing the only way Vince will ever step down from the helm of his WWE Universe will be through his own earthly demise. Things aren’t always the same on TV as in real life, though, and for a brief time, all of one week, Vince actually sold his flagship program to a rival businessman. Who was it?

Question 26

What kind of match did Vince team up with his son in against Steve Austin at King of the Ring 1999?

Earlier in this quiz, we already mentioned Vince McMahon and Steve Austin only had a single one-on-one match broadcast through Pay-Per-View, and that statement remains correct. That said, there is a slight technicality to the fact in that the two did indeed do battle at one other PPV, namely the 1999 King of the Ring. However, this time around, Vince had a little help from his son Shane, while Austin was left on his own. Apparently, the mere fact it was a handicap match didn’t tip the odds in McMahon’s favor enough, so he added another stipulation to the bout, as well. What was it?

Question 27

Which deceased wrestler’s wife did Vince controversially interview on an episode of Raw?

It’s a sad fact of professional wrestling that a disproportionate number of sports entertainers die young compared to just about any other industry. Unfortunately, this trend has been around for a lot longer than some fans might realize, with most fans starting to notice something was amiss around the Attitude Era. When a WWE performer died the same day he was scheduled to appear on Pay-Per-View, Vince McMahon decided a statement of some sort needed to be made, inviting said deceased performer’s wife to discuss the incident with him on Raw.

Question 28

Who was initially revealed to be Vince McMahon’s illegitimate son?

They say a man’s family is his legacy in life, and in that sense, Vince’s reputation should remain pretty strong well after he’s gone through the work of Shane and Stephanie, not to mention the latter’s husband, Triple H. However, one so-called McMahon who won’t have anything to do with Vince being remembered, at least not positively, would be the fake illegitimate son who dominated WWE storylines throughout late 2007. For several weeks, it had been hyped that McMahon secretly birthed a love child with an unknown woman, and that mystery baby grew up to be a wrestler. Who was it?

Question 29

What year did Vince create WrestleMania?

All right, enough about the bad stuff. Let’s get back to Vince at his peak, like when he first contrived the Grandest Stage of Them All. Granted, WrestleMania isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be in hindsight, as Vince wasn’t the first promoter to realize putting on one bombastic super show per year could draw a whole bunch of fans. However, he did it better than anyone else ever had, and the idea to invite celebrities and rock stars to the event was indeed an innovation that helped make it such a massive success. What year did all the pieces fall together for the Showcase of Immortals to be born?

Question 30

Who briefly “co-owned” WWE alongside Vince throughout 2002?

Technically speaking, since Monday Night Raw first hit the airwaves in 1993, Vince McMahon has been the sole head honcho running the show. However, this quiz already covered the fact McMahon briefly “sold” Raw to Donald Trump for a few days in 2009, and about seven years before that, he was also forced to co-own the show with another long term rival of his. The revelation Vince wasn’t working alone came the night after Survivor Series 2001, when this person made a bombastic WWE return to announce Shane and Stephanie sold him their shares of the company. Who was it?

Question 31

Which wrestler’s gimmick did Vince originally create for himself?

Ultimately, Vince McMahon acquiesced to his father’s demand he not become a wrestler, settling on a long career as an announcer before changing his mind. However, the mere fact Vince, Sr. prohibited Junior from ever stepping in the ring himself hardly meant the young boy couldn’t fantasize, and given Vince’s later creative genius in wrestling, it should be no surprise he came up with one hell of a character for himself. Of course, he could never actually use it, and was forced to wait until just the right wrestler came along who he believed might be able to pull off his masterpiece.

Question 32

True or False: Vince McMahon has defeated God in a wrestling match.

Okay, so Vince McMahon is all powerful when it comes to professional wrestling, but there are certain things no mere mortal has control of, such as the will of the almighty. Granted, this is sports entertainment we’re talking about, so it’s not like Vince couldn’t create a God character to play around with in some ways, but…no, that’d upset way too many people, wouldn’t it? And even if Vince did decide he wanted to beat God in a match, how would that even work? Would a referee shake down a shining beam of light? It seems a little too preposterous to be true…is it?

Question 33

What’s the name of the goofy song Vince sang at the 1987 Slammy Awards?

While he likes to present himself as brash, arrogant, and in control of all that he does, there’s a softer, goofier side of Vince McMahon that only comes out after he’s had a few cocktails. Well, that or when he attempts to create a show stopping music video filled with all the excess only 1980s pop can provide. Vince did just that for the second official Slammy Awards, hiring a bunch of scantily clad women to prance around on stage as he belted out a bizarre song.

Question 34

What is Vince’s brother’s name?

If this question leaves you feeling completely clueless, don’t feel too bad about it. Quite frankly, this is without a doubt the hardest question on our quiz, as Vince McMahon’s brother is such a rarely discussed subject many fans probably don’t even know the guy exists. This is in part because Vince and his brother don’t have all that much contact with one another, the latter never showing any particular interest in wrestling or getting involved with Vince’s show. Real die hard fans have nonetheless been able to dig a little bit about the guy up, like for starters, the guy’s name.

Question 35

What college is Vince's alma mater?

Given the niche form of entertainment Vince McMahon has turned pro wrestling into, it could easily be argued that his particular set of talents could never be taught in school. Of course, there are certain aspects of business he needed to understand before making himself a certified billionaire, and to learn those tricks of the trade, he nonetheless needed to go to college like anyone else. Taking the typical path, Vince earned a business degree at a respected institution, preparing him to take on and eventually take over his father’s world.

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