13) The Big Show Shares His First Few Meetings With Vince
The Big Show has become a staple of WWE programming for the past few decades.
In an interview with WWE.com, he shared the story of his first few meetings with Vince. Here is what he said:
“The first time I met Vince McMahon was in 1997 at the Consumer Electronics Show in New Orleans. I went by the WWE booth and he was standing out in front with a suit on, shaking hands I was The Giant in WCW and I walked by and introduced myself, but Vince knew who I was already. I said, ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’ I remember he had a firm handshake, a big smile on his face and looked me in the eye.
A little more than a year later, I met with him at his house in Boca [Raton, Fla.], and worked out a deal to come to WWE. The meeting was awesome. He had great energy and welcomed me into his home. We sat down, ate and talked about some plans of what I could do in WWE. If it’s Vince, I’m pretty sure we ate steak and some kind of starch. It’s man food. I’m okay with that”
He continued:
“Vince is one of those types of people that inspire you. As intimidating of a reputation he has, Vince wouldn’t be as successful as he is if he wasn’t able to inspire people and find the little things that motivate people to be the best they can be. Whether it’s [ticking] people off or making them feel special, it motivates them either way and everybody wins. That [first] meeting in Boca was all about maximizing my potential as an athletic giant who could talk on the microphone and as an all-around asset to WWE and having a long-term career here. Seventeen years later, he’s true to his word.”
14) Cody Rhodes On Regretting His First Meeting With Vince
Cody Rhodes has crossed paths with Vince on numerous occasions, growing up as the son of the legendary: Dusty Rhodes.
In an interview with WWE.com, Rhodes shared the story of his first real meeting with Vince. Cody and his brother Dustin (Goldust) inducted their dad into the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame. After the ceremony, he formally met Vince for the first time:
“It was at the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony the night before WrestleMania 23 in Detroit. I had seen Vince and shook Vince’s hand before, but I had never met Vince. At the Hall of Fame, after we inducted my dad, Bruce Prichard told me, ‘Hey, Vince wants to see you. I went into Vince’s office and that’s when I knew I had a place here.
He said, ‘For your age, the amount of composure you had was just wonderful and I enjoyed watching it. I hope to enjoy watching it more in the future.’ I was uncomfortable, so I ended the conversation even though it was his job to end the conversation. Instead, I shook his hand, slapped him on the shoulder really hard and said, ‘You sure will!’ and walked out of the room”
He continued, regretting his actions:
“I instantly thought, ‘What the hell was I thinking?’ because I didn’t mean it. I just wanted out of the conversation. I treated it like he was one of my friends. I’m sure after I walked away, he must’ve said something like, ‘Arrogant [jerk].’ It was funny, because I was so young. I was 20. When I think about it, I almost get emotional. So much pressure was put on me. Not just by Vince, but by the Rhodes name and having so many opportunities
Sources:
- – Wrestling INC interview with Justin Roberts.
- – 2014 article from WWE.com
- – Sports Illustrated Interview With Finn Balor
- – Talk Is Jericho interview with Shinsuke Nakamura
- – Reddit AMA with James Ellsworth
- – Dirt Fork Interview with Alexa Bliss
- – Talk Is Jericho interview with Luke Harper
- – The 42 interview with Sheamus
Thank you for reading! What are your favorite WWE stories about wrestler’s meeting Vince McMahon? We want to hear from you!