Despite being 72 years of age and well deserving of retirement, Vince McMahon remains the top executive of WWE. While we can certainly give credit where credit's due, the simple fact remains Vince is widely known to be a bit of a 'control freak' when it comes to the day-to-day operations of WWE, and the responsibilities McMahon refuses to give up vary from booking shows to yelling in the commentators ears exactly what to say during matches. As many of you are bound to know, Vince undoubtedly has tons of rules (some rather bizarre) that he makes sure all of his talent follow every day, and he's certainly not opposed to suspending, releasing or firing Superstars who fail to comply with his extensive number of rules and regulations. However at the end of the day, WWE's a publicly traded company, and every decision or action affects Vince's empire in one way or another.
So with that said, it does make sense to some degree that McMahon would want things to be running smoothly without any controversy causing backlash from the media, their television partners or sponsored brands. Whether it's breaking the WWE's unwritten rule of going off script to getting in trouble with the boys in blue and everything in between, there have been many talent who've ended up getting in serious hot water backstage and sometimes even fired for their actions on or off-screen. That being said, while there are tons of things wrestlers are not allowed to do while working for WWE, there are actually many controversial things Vince let's slide as well that should really be banned or forbidden. Today, we're going to be looking at 12 things WWE stars absolutely can't do while working for Vince, and 12 things he surprisingly let's slide.
24 Can't Do: Relationships Between Officials And Wrestlers
Often times we joke about talent dating important WWE employees so that they receive pushes or favourable positions on the card, but the fact of the matter this isn't even allowed. Vince McMahon has implemented a policy as of 2015 summarizing that talent (wrestlers, announcers et cetera) are not permitted to date or have intimate relationships with other WWE staff (office workers or production staff) who aren't seen on television. Now this isn't the most shocking rule Vince has in place for talent, and while it does make sense to some extent that he wouldn't want a few WWE stars favoured over others simply because they're smooching with staff behind the scenes, it does seem rather bizarre and controlling doesn't it?
WWE Superstars spend much of their daily lives on the road, so the people they're surrounded with day in and day out are fellow wrestlers and other WWE staff. With that said, stars like Dean Ambrose are certainly lucky that this relatively new rule doesn't include announcers or interviewers, otherwise his relationship with the gorgeous Renee Young wouldn't be tolerated by Vinnie Mac. For many, this rule will likely come across as a form of dictatorship, but Vince clearly has his fair share of reasons behind the rule whether they're justifiable or not.
23 Lets Slide: Relationships Between Male And Female Wrestlers
Unlike wrestler and backstage employee relationships which are strictly prohibited, Vince has no problem letting his talent date whoever they desire amongst their on-screen co-workers. Now if Vince made dating other talent a forbidden rule, that would undoubtedly cause a ton of friction backstage and I'm sure many WWE stars would end up leaving, so McMahon's wise not to have taken the word 'controlling' to the utter extreme. However, while Vinnie Mac has seemingly embraced the idea of his stars dating each other, that certainly doesn't mean he's always on board with the newest and latest WWE couple.
For instance, when news broke out Lana and Rusev were getting engaged a few years back, this apparently angered Vince to an extreme.
He was said to have been very disapproving of their relationship to begin with - pointing out to the fact that he didn't feel as though Rusev was 'worthy' of dating the likes of Lana. Vince even went as far as breaking Rusev and Lana up on-screen to facilitate a real-life breakup. Crazy right? So, whether or not Vince permits talent dating other talent, that doesn't always mean the Bossman will approve of all couples, and if not, Vince may potentially punish those involved for annoying him.
22 Can't Do: Go Off Script During Promos Or Matches
One of the biggest mistakes a WWE Superstar could possibly make while working for Vince is going off script during a promo or match - sometimes referred as 'going into business for themselves'. Going off script is something wrestlers absolutely cannot do in WWE, and there are severe repercussions and penalties backstage for doing such a thing. One of the most recent examples of a WWE star going off script would be SmackDown's Big Cass during his segment with the 'mini' Daniel Bryan. Apparently, Cass was supposed to give mini Daniel a big boot and then leave the ring, but instead, Big Cass went against Vince's orders and proceeded to give a flurry of punches to the impersonating little Bryan.
These punches were left out of the WWE's YouTube video for the segment, and rumours suggest Big Cass is in some serious hot water backstage with officials and Vince alike. It wouldn't be surprising in the slightest if Cass' quick tapping to Daniel Bryan at Backlash and not appearing on SD Live the following week were a result of his actions, and this definitely demonstrates the fact that Vince doesn't take wrestlers going off script lightly. Who knows if Big Cass will ever be presented the same way again, and he may very well be punished indefinitely for his behaviour.
21 Lets Slide: Backstage Fights
One of the most surprising and shocking things Vince let's slide is undoubtedly backstage fights or brawls among WWE talent. A recent example would be Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar, as Jericho apparently lost his temper at Brock following Lesnar's controversial match finish with Randy Orton at SummerSlam 2016. Reports suggest Chris even took a shot or two at Lesnar (a headbutt), and things got so heated Vince and Triple H had to step in and break things up. Now did Vince punish either wrestler? Absolutely not, and it went as though nothing even happened.
Aside from the Jericho/Lesnar fight, there have been many reported brawls throughout the years among WWE Superstars with two of the most infamous fights being Booker T and Batista, and The Great Khali and Big Show. While we don't know for certain, wrestlers are likely to get an earful from Vince if the fight's not justifiable, but any further punishment? It's highly unlikely which is rather surprising given how controlling Vince is in other ways. With that being said, backstage fights are one thing, but if a wrestler was to engage in a fight or brawl outside the company, you can be sure they'd either be suspended or fired from WWE right on the spot.
20 Can't Do: Procedures Without Permission
Undergoing any medical procedure without the permission of WWE is something wrestlers absolutely cannot do while working for Vince, and this rule has been mentioned a couple of times in the past, with Paige making it clear to fans when she was required to undergo neck treatment back in 2016 that WWE doctors felt as though she didn't need the surgery, and that they likely weren't going to cover the expense. Taking into account the fact WWE's most likely footing the bill for their stars surgeries, it does make sense to some extent that they'd want to make sure it's an absolute necessity, considering the money it costs plus the time the wrestler will be on the shelf out of action.
That being said, it's definitely better to be on the safe side.
Whether the doctor's advice mandatory or an option, it probably would better serve WWE stars over the long haul (later in life) to undergo whatever treatments doctors suggest as they arise. The terms 'professional wrestling' and 'procedures' seem to go hand in hand given the nature of the Sports Entertainment industry, and some of the recent WWE names who've had procedures done recently are Seth Rollins, Big Cass, Jason Jordan and Dean Ambrose.
19 Lets Slide: Top Stars Potentially Violating The Wellness Policy
Since the WWE's introduction of the Wellness Policy in 2006, there have been far less stars on the roster who are 'jacked to the gills' as some would say. However, as much of a positive change as it was to the overall Sports Entertainment industry, there are definitely some shady things related to the WWE and their Wellness Policy. While no one will ever have concrete proof unless there are sources directly from WWE, it's very possible that Vince is continuing to let some of his stars bypass the Wellness Policy tests - either blatantly by letting select talent bypass like John Cena and Jinder Mahal, or having special rules in place for part-timers like Brock Lesnar or Triple H for example.
If you look a little bit to the recent past, Brock Lesnar had been suspended by UFC for failing a performance enhancer test, but were there any repercussions in WWE or a failed test? Absolutely not, and it's undoubtedly fishy to many fans. Perhaps Brock's part-time status allows him to refrain from testing like the rest of the locker room, but with full-time talent such as Jinder Mahal among others looking a bit too bulked up, the question begs, is Vince looking the other way when it comes to some WWE stars violating their 'set in stone' Wellness Policy?
18 Can't Do: Getting In Trouble With The Boys In Blue
Undoubtedly one of the more obvious things WWE stars absolutely cannot do while working for Vince is getting arrested. While the talent of WWE sometimes portray outlandish or politically incorrect characters on television, the fact remains WWE Superstars are required to uphold the law and quite simply be law-abiding citizens off camera. As most of you are bound to know, Vince McMahon is a bit of a 'neat freak' when it comes to keeping the WWE away from any form of controversy no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, but for wrestlers being incarcerated? That's something that Vince has absolutely zero tolerance for, and more often than not, an immediate release or firing follows.
The 'Wild Wild West' days of WWE are long over, and breaking the law and getting oneself in trouble are nowhere near as easily dismissed as they used to be with the media, and we've seen this recently with the likes of Rich Swann being fired without hesitation following his arrest over domestic violence. Although Vince tolerates no form of these situations, the cases involved violence and are unquestionably unforgivable. Although Roman Reigns is Vince's golden boy, I doubt even Reigns would be let off the hook if he were to be arrested - that's just how seriously Vince views this rule or regulation.
17 Lets Slide: Real-Life Backstage Rivalries
Quite ironically, as much as Vince McMahon likes to keep a 'professional work environment' backstage in WWE, the simple fact remains Vinnie Mac let's behind the scenes real-life rivalries slide without any form of repercussion. One of the most infamous (and current) real-life rivalries in WWE would undoubtedly be Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss, and their hatred for one another has been well documented. However, the two former Women's Champions certainly aren't the only pair of WWE stars who're real-life rivals backstage, as Randy Orton and Kevin Owens have also made their feelings known towards each other on social media, more specifically through Twitter.
In a perfect world, Vince or Triple H would definitely make sure their talent are all on the same page with one another backstage.
But looking at it from Vince's point of view, I guess rivalries do promote a form of competition amongst the Superstars, and if it produces better matches? I suppose it's a win win for McMahon. That being said, when friendly competition crosses over the line to where it becomes physical (Chris Jericho headbutting Brock Lesnar backstage or Sin Cara beating up Simon Gotch for example), that's when the WWE talent should be put in line.
16 Can't Do: Tarnish The Brand With Misconduct
As we had touched upon in a previous entry, one thing WWE stars certainly cannot be involved with while working for Vince McMahon is any form of conduct scandals that have been spread across the media and news networks. Although these sorts of things don't occur all too frequently, they still do from time to time, and two of the most recent examples just so happen to be former members of the WWE's Cruiserweight Division, Rich Swann and Enzo Amore.
Both cases being severe in their own special way, Enzo and Swann were immediately fired for their actions, and this undoubtedly showcases Vince's zero tolerance for such scandals. While Enzo and Rich are two of the latest examples, there have been a few in the recent past including Adam Rose who was also fired over domestic disputes. Perhaps all three ex-WWE stars were relatively low on the pecking order, but it's highly doubtful any exceptions would be made even for the top tier stars such as Roman, Brock, Cena or Orton. Vince may be able to look the other way when it comes to discrepancies with their Wellness Policy, but these sorts of things? No can do.
15 Lets Slide: Blading With Permission
We may still be amidst the 'PG Era' in WWE, but one thing Vince surprisingly let's slide is wrestlers blading during matches, most notably, during Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton's SummerSlam match back in 2016. Vinnie Mac may love controlling every single thing his performers and commentators say during promos and matches, but a little bit of blood to enhance the atmosphere and draw in fans? McMahon has no problem with it. While blading was a relatively common way of wrestlers bleeding back in The Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Eras, it's definitely been phased out quite significantly the past decade or so given the WWE's stricter PG guidelines, but shockingly, Vince still isn't opposed to the controversial act during big money matches.
Most recently, fans and the media alike believed Roman Reigns bladed during his match-up with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34 this past month, and though some reports speculated Reigns agreed to take some hard elbows to the head from Lesnar to draw blood, it's doubtful that there was no form of blading in this scenario given how much Roman bled. However, Vince McMahon's definitely a wise man not to use this tactic very often, otherwise it would undoubtedly stir controversy and cause backlash from their television partners, brand deals et cetera.
14 Can't Do: Wrestling Without Getting Cleared By WWE Doctors
Now this rule Vince strictly enforces is far from being the most shocking or surprising, but for those of you who aren't aware, all WWE Superstars are required to be cleared by the company's medical staff before competing in the ring, and without the doctor's approval, a wrestler is not allowed to perform between the ropes no matter how critical or important they may be to Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live. Daniel Bryan may have been on top of the world in Sports Entertainment when the terrible news broke out that he was required to retire immediately, and while Vince is all for making as much money as possible, McMahon still has his morals when it comes to his talent being healthy.
Daniel unfortunately sat on the shelf for a number of years following his sudden retirement seeing the WWE's medical staff refused to clear Bryan to compete, but recently, it was proved to fans that the WWE didn't actually have evil intentions when it came to refusing to clear Daniel. Bryan's since been cleared by doctors to wrestle again on SmackDown, and this proves that Vince wasn't actually intentionally holding Bryan back in favor of 'The Big Dog' and other stars.
13 Lets Slide: Stiff Or Shoot Moves
Although Vince McMahon has the best interests at heart when it comes to making sure his talent are healthy and ready to compete, somewhat contradicting, one thing Vince surprisingly let's slide is the usage of stiff or 'shoot' moves during matches. While Vince is strongly against WWE stars going into business for themselves, stiff moves that could potentially injure opponents has never really phased the Bossman. One of the most infamous stiff shots in recent memory would be during Braun Strowman's match-up with Kane and Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble this year, and the stiff move just so happened to be a hard punch from Brock to the side of Braun's head following Strowman's stiff shot of his own to Brock which unquestionably angered 'The Beast Incarnate' - a lovely stiff knee to the face of Lesnar.
Though the match proceeded to run smoothly following those two 'shoot' moves, Braun (or Brock for that matter) could've easily been knocked out cold, and this would've undoubtedly caused a ton of controversy and backlash. Brock and Braun aren't the only WWE stars who've utilized stiff moves recently, as it wasn't too long ago that Jinder Mahal nearly KO'd Finn Balor during a match on Raw. Was Mahal punished for potentially giving Finn a concussion? No, and ironically, Mahal was vying for the WWE Championship not long after that incident which certainly upset many of Balor's fans.
12 Can't Do: Talking Critically About WWE
If there's one thing Vince McMahon hates, it would unquestionably be wrestlers talking negatively or in a critical way about WWE. McMahon is all about his employees being 'team players' or company men and women, and the last thing a WWE star would ever want to find themselves doing is discussing the company in a negative light via interviews. While many interviews may not seem like a huge deal to the ears of fans, to Vince and the top executives of WWE, any controversial behaviour sets them off. One recent example of a former WWE star talking in a critical way towards Vince McMahon's empire (and paying the price) is Ryback.
During the final few months of Ryback's contract in WWE, The Big Guy made his feelings about WWE known through various interviews.
He openly discussed the fact that he was unhappy with his position, and while this may seem like a good way to vent frustration, there's undoubtedly a price to pay for this. While employed by WWE, no stars are permitted to talk critically about the company, and if they do, it's highly likely they'd receive some form of punishment whether it's being demoted down the card, or perhaps even being let go in the most severe cases.
11 Lets Slide: Wandering Eyes
The WWE may offer a relatively professional work environment for its employees, but that certainly doesn't mean everything that occurs backstage or behind the scenes is positive. One of the most shocking things Vince let's slide when it comes to his talent would definitely be straying from the path, because it cannot be argued that these sorts of scandals draw a ton of backlash from the media. As most of you are well aware, Bray Wyatt and JoJo are the latest example of a WWE couple forming behind the scenes, and while this controversial scandal was spread through the media like wildfire, neither talent were punished in any way by Vince.
I suppose it makes sense to some extent given it's their own personal business, but when it brings on a negative light towards WWE, you'd expect McMahon to take these sorts of things far more seriously. Although nowhere near as severe as getting in trouble with the boys in blue, which results in immediate termination, such situations are certainly worthy of some form of repercussion backstage. In Bray and JoJo's case, Wyatt's estranged wife ended up blasting the media for Bray's controversial behaviour (Wyatt not paying some of his child support payments in favour of gifts for JoJo), but this ceased to impact Bray or JoJo in WWE.
10 Can't Do: Touching Or Putting Hands On Vince
Probably the biggest mistake any WWE star could possibly make is putting their hands on Vinnie Mac without permission. While rumours have continued to swirl around that Vince is very physical with his talent backstage (getting stars into headlocks' et cetera), that definitely doesn't mean McMahon wants any of his talent touching him on television without consent. Showcased above is the scene following Titus O'Neil's huge mistake after he'd grabbed Vince McMahon during the Daniel Bryan retirement ceremony a couple of years back, and while it was done in a playful way (the same way Vince interacts with his wrestlers behind the scenes), Titus was immediately suspended for 90 days for unprofessional conduct.
This undoubtedly send a rather strange message to the WWE locker room, because O'Neil's suspension wasn't really justifiable, given the fact he had no ill intentions with playfully touching Vince. I suppose it's not a 'two way street' in this regard, and it's probable that Vince suspended Titus more out of embarrassment than anything else. That being said, the fact Titus was suspended longer than many stars were in the past over Wellness Policy violations is rather ridiculous, and the whole situation drew a ton of heat from fans and news sources alike. Regardless, Titus definitely made this unwritten rule known to the rest of the WWE roster.
9 Lets Slide: Backstage Bullying
Quite controversially, Vince continues to let backstage (or on-screen) bullying slide without any form of repercussion, despite the fact it's highly hypocritical given the WWE's stance on bullying with their rather shady anti-bullying campaigns. Now we all know about the WWE's 'Be A Star' campaign, and while it does sound good on paper, the simple fact remains Vince has no issue with some of his talent being bullies behind the scenes. One of the highest profile bullying scandals in the recent past related to WWE would undoubtedly be John Layfield and Mauro Ranallo, and it was revealed that Vince had no problem with the way things went down between the two, and that he even likely approved of JBL criticizing Mauro via a WWE Network show.
While everything related to WWE is heavily scripted, there's no doubt there was real-life tension between John and Ranallo.
McMahon refrained from punishing JBL in any way aside from Layfield stepping down from being a weekly commentator on SmackDown for his bullying scandal which brought on a ton of negative PR to the company. However, JBL's certainly not the only 'backstage bully', as there's been many stories over the years of certain individuals acting in a bullyish way behind the scenes with other talent.
8 Can't Do: Leaving WWE Shows Early
Now this is most likely an unwritten rule about WWE you had no idea about. For those of you who weren't aware, no WWE stars are allowed to leave any shows early, and they are all expected to remain in the building until the end of the show, no matter how insignificant or short their segment or match was on the show. While this rule isn't 'set in stone' in a wrestlers contract with WWE, it's definitely become a widely known rule to follow backstage, and failing to comply with Vince's rule or regulation would unquestionably result in punishment - most likely being demoted down the card.
Although this rule does make sense to a certain extent given the fact it demonstrates respect for ones co-workers, the schedule of a WWE Superstar is beyond tough as it is, and if talent were permitted to leave shortly following their segment or match, they'd definitely be able to get more rest and rejuvenate themselves before heading to the next show. This is certainly that control we've been discussing about when it comes to Vince McMahon, and former WWE stars such as Ryback, Tyler Reks and Alberto Del Rio have complained about this unwritten (yet strictly enforced) rule.
7 Lets Slide: Insensitive Or Stereotypical Promos
In this day and age when many people are rather touchy and most things are taken too seriously, it's quite surprising that Vince continues to let controversial and politically incorrect promos or segments slide which are broadcasted for their global audience. Considering the WWE's a publicly traded company and has many partnerships and brand deals with other companies, you'd expect Vince to be 'with the times' so to speak when it comes to these social issues and downright distasteful television, because these sorts of things undoubtedly affect (and strain) relationships with their partners as well as bring on bad press to the WWE.
As I'm sure many of you still remember, one of the most recent demonstrations of Vince letting these kinds of promos slide would be in regards to Jinder Mahal. While Jinder was amidst his 'out of the blue' push on SmackDown Live, one of 'The Modern Day Maharaja's' feuds was with Shinsuke Nakamura, and one particular promo from Jinder which aired back in September caused a ton of backlash and outrage from fans. In the promo, Mahal basically summarized that fans would call Shinsuke 'Mr. Miyagi' behind his back, and that Nakamura's hair was cut by a dog groomer. Fans proceeded to chant 'that's too far' at Mahal, and without question, it definitely was.
6 Can't Do: Use Of Many Terms
Vince unquestionably has his fair share of 'quirks' as the top executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, and one particular quirk of McMahon is banning the usage of many 'wrasslin' terms for his commentators and wrestlers alike. WWE stars are not allowed or permitted to use many wrestling words including professional wrestling, belt, strap, title shot, feud, backstage, fans, wrestler, talent and the list goes on and on. While Vinnie Mac is entitled to run things how he desires in WWE, these particular words being banned is rather bizarre, and this is yet another example of Vince McMahon wanting to control things past the point of it being normal.
In the recent past, performers like Braun Strowman were reported to have landed in some serious hot water behind the scenes over the usage of some of these words, in Braun's case, the phrase 'title shot'. McMahon was rumoured to have been extremely angry and proceeded to yell at Strowman for his huge mistake following this particular segment. The Raw GM at the time Mick Foley went on to mention that the whole situation was ridiculous, and to think that the usage of one word could potentially be enough to derail a wrestlers momentum is incomprehensible.
5 Lets Slide: Cussing With Permission
As we've stated earlier, while we may still be amidst 'The PG Era' in WWE, that certainly doesn't mean Vince is opposed to letting certain 'Not So PG' things slide. Although the days of wrestlers saying whatever the desire during promos are long, long over, the fact remains Vince quite often lets some of his talent use curse words during their promos to make them more impactful and well received by fans. That being said, when the usage of swear words is enough to make fans gasp, then you know we've come an incredibly long way since The Attitude Era.
Regardless, performers such as Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Roman Reigns have been given the green light in the recent past to utilize 'Not So PG' terms during promos, and while it does add some feeling and emotion to these segments, in some cases, it comes across as overly forced - especially in Roman Reigns' case. Cussing is all fine and dandy, but given the WWE's stricter PG guidelines now a days, swearing definitely shouldn't be used as much as it is. If there's one thing for certain about Roman, it's the fact that cussing won't be enough to get 'The Big Dog' over. What he needs is some substance and creative control over his overly scripted promos.