10) Daniel Bryan On His Uncomfortable Experience Meeting Vince McMahon
In an interview with WWE.com, Daniel Bryan shared the story of when he met Vince for the first time. He recalls the meeting being very awkward.
Here is what he said:
“Vince called me in 2008 when I was at a Ring of Honor show. It was a blocked number, but I answered it and he said, ‘Hi, this is Vince McMahon.’ I thought, ‘What? Come on. This is a joke.’ But I didn’t say that. Instead I said, ‘Oh, hello, sir.’ He said, ‘I talked to Shawn Michaels. He speaks very highly of you and I’d like to bring you in to have a meeting with you.’ I specifically remember being in Hartford at this Ring of Honor show, so I told him I could come to Stamford. But he said to come to Oakland where they were filming Raw.
I’d heard from William Regal and other people that Vince is impressed by the way people dress, so I flew home, spent big money on a suit and went to the building the next day. I waited and waited and waited and waited and was finally told that I might not have a chance to meet with Vince. But I wrestled Lance Cade in an untelevised match and got a tremendous reaction from the Ring of Honor fans in Oakland. The match went really well, then I had the meeting with Vince”
So How Awkward Was The Meeting?
“I didn’t even know how to sit in a suit. He asked me things like, ‘What would you like to see happen?’ I told him that I’d like to come in and be a top guy, but I had concerns about not being very big. I have a very self-deprecating sense of humor and think of myself as a humble person, so it’s hard for me to say that I’m good at something. Vince said, ‘Shawn tells me you’re very good.’ And I just said, ‘Well, I’m okay.’ And I could tell instantly he disliked that. It was very awkward and very uncomfortable.
Vince takes these very long pauses after he asks you a question and you answer him. He’ll just look at you. Some will start talking, which I think he likes because it shows they’re uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable, but I just looked at him. I was waiting for him to talk and he was waiting for me to talk. It was surreal. I was very nervous and even in my $500 suit — which I thought was the most expensive suit in the world — I knew I was inadequately dressed. This guy has the power to control your destiny.”
11) Sheamus On His First Handshake With Vince
Sheamus shared the story of the first time he met Vince McMahon during an interview with the 42. He says that he gave Vince a lame handshake which he was called out for.
Here is what he said:
“The first time I met him I actually went to shake his hand and I kind of gave him a lame handshake and he pulled his hand away, and he goes, ‘That’s not a handshake! Give me a proper handshake!’ … He’s just a very intimidating man, especially now I know him, but it’s great; he’s given me a great opportunity to have a lot of fun.”
12) Goldust Meets Vince
In an interview with WWE.com, Goldust shared his first real meeting with Vince McMahon. He speaks of the emotions that he was feeling when he was first meeting Vince and being intimidated by him at first:
“I did some stuff in WWE in 1990 and ’91, but I didn’t talk to Vince all that much. The first time I actually met him was after WCW. I had been sitting at home for six or seven months, and he just called out of the blue. Him and Bruce Prichard were on the phone. He said, ‘Dustin! It’s McMahon!’ I said, ‘Oh, hey, Vince!’ He said, ‘Are you sitting down? We have this idea we want to run by you.’ When Caesar talks, everybody listens, so I sat down. I knew it was my chance to step out of my dad’s shoes and do something on my own.
“I met with Vince in Stamford. It was a great big meeting. I remember sitting outside waiting for the king to arrive. It was very nerve-racking. I was still very young. There were secretaries everywhere, ushering me here and there, showing me the gym and then I was sitting there for Vince. I sat down, I was nervous as hell and then we just started talking about Goldust”
Goldust Continued:
“There were more meetings. I had to fly up a few more times until I was in the office in full makeup and full gear. I remember walking into the boardroom with everybody at the table, and I was standing there looking like Goldust — in the suit, flamboyant as hell. They were loving it, but I was thinking, ‘This is so weird for me. I’m a redneck from Texas. A country boy.’ They stood behind it, so I guess it was a pretty good meeting.
“Vince has an aura about him. He’s very intimidating. He reminds me a lot of my father. They have that stature. That’s why he’s the king of the world and The Boss. What he wants, he gets. And we try to put on the best show we can for the fans and for him. We always want that fatherly figure to be pleased with our work. I want Vince’s approval. I don’t necessarily want anybody else in the company’s approval, but I do want Vince’s.”
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