The world has seen president-elect Donald Trump battle political opponents like Joe Biden on the debate stage. But to this day, one of Trump’s most shocking on-screen adversaries is WWE founder Vince McMahon, who he went toe-to-toe with in 2007 in a scripted feud. Their rivalry reached an epic conclusion that culminated at that year’s biggest pro-wrestling event, “WrestleMania 23,” where Trump also got his hands dirty.
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But despite the pair appearing to be very convincing enemies back then, Trump most likely wouldn’t have done the special event if it wasn’t for his real-life friendship with the controversial business mogul. The two were so close that he’s even appointed McMahon’s ex-wife, Linda McMahon, to his cabinet twice now. Similarly, McMahon also included Trump in a very exclusive club when he and his company inducted Trump into the WWE Hall of Fame. Trump broke character when discussing his Hall of Fame induction in an interview with WWE, singing McMahon’s praises. Additionally, he spoke highly of McMahon’s creation, with Trump’s passion for WWE going beyond his bond with the self-made billionaire. “There’s a great energy that WWE has always had, and I think it’s really just, it all comes to fruition because of Vince, because he’s a very unusual guy. He’s an amazing guy,” he added. But at the same time, Trump’s trust and respect for McMahon led the reality star to do things on live television that no one thought he would do. And that some thought he shouldn’t do.
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Donald Trump crashed Vince McMahon’s WWE appreciation night
You might not know that Donald Trump has been a huge supporter of the WWE since the 1980s. Trump signed a deal that allowed “The Apprentice” star to sponsor and host “WrestleMania IV” at the Atlantic City Conventional Hall back in 1988. Trump enjoyed the experience so much that he hosted the event again in 1989, and has been a WWE fan ever since.
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Years later, Trump actively participated in another “WrestleMania.” Instead of hosting an event behind the scenes, Trump became a part of the show. The two billionaires rang in the new year in January 2007, by starting what would later become an iconic piece of television. On that year’s WWE episode of “Monday Night Raw,” an in-character McMahon would subject the show’s audience and viewers to a fan appreciation night. As the title suggests, this was a scripted ceremony where McMahon would stand in the middle of the ring and selfishly rub his accomplishments in fans’ faces.
Fortunately, audiences didn’t have to listen to McMahon tooting his own horn for long. Trump would make a cameo appearance in that episode on the arena’s Titan Tron. He crashed McMahon’s celebration much to fan relief everywhere, then turned the event into a Trump appreciation night when he rained down money for the fans in attendance. The segment ended with McMahon storming off stage, screaming and cursing at Trump.
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He challenged Vince McMahon to a battle of the billionaires wrestling match with a peculiar stipulation
Donald Trump would return months later to confront Vince McMahon in the ring, this time in person, and Trump wasn’t through trying to humiliate his competition. With “WrestleMania 23” on the horizon, Trump wanted to embarrass McMahon on the grandest stage of them all by beating him in a wrestling match. “I’m taller than you, I’m better looking than you, I think I’m stronger than you. And I’m here to challenge you to a match in ‘WrestleMania,'” Trump told McMahon during the famous WWE scene.
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McMahon came up with a list of excuses as to why he wasn’t physically capable of competing in the match, so he declined Trump’s invitation. Instead, McMahon offered Trump a different way to settle their differences. McMahon and Trump would each choose a wrestler as a representative. The representatives would duke it out at “WrestleMania” on behalf of the two billionaires to determine the winner. Trump reluctantly agreed. Later, Trump would choose former WWE star Bobby Lashley to represent him during the match. Meanwhile, McMahon picked the late WWE star Umaga as his soldier against Trump. The match still wasn’t enough for Trump without any stakes involved, and he felt they should put something on the line during the bout: their full head of hair. Whoever lost their “WrestleMania 23” match had to be shaved bald.
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He shoved Vince McMahon in the ring
Since it’s sports entertainment, Donald Trump couldn’t play out this feud without putting his hands on Vince McMahon somehow. That moment came during a WWE segment where the two friends-turned-enemies signed a contract officializing their “WrestleMania” match. Wrestlers Bobby Lashley and Umaga stood in the corners of their respective supporters. During the contract signing, Trump and McMahon couldn’t help but throw verbal jabs at each other.
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This was also the first time Trump would cross paths with WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin, who gave Trump no special treatment. Austin was assigned as a special guest referee for the “WrestleMania 23” fight, and treated Trump with the same level of intensity he treated everyone else in the WWE. He simply warned Trump to avoid crossing him. “I think it’s only fair that you give a man fair warning, so I’m gonna break it to you like this. Donald, in this ring, don’t get under my skin. Don’t rub me the wrong way,” Austin told Trump during the WWE segment.
The segment ended with Trump and McMahon getting into a confrontation. McMahon kept provoking his adversary by constantly poking him. Eventually, Trump had enough of McMahon almost literally pressing his buttons, and shoved McMahon so hard that McMahon fell onto the ring mat. McMahon looked more shocked than hurt at Trump’s impressive show of physical aggression, as it was the first time the world saw that side of Trump.
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He slapped Vince McMahon at a press conference
That wasn’t the only time Donald Trump got physical with Vince McMahon. However, on the next occasion, Trump would attack McMahon outside of a wrestling arena. As is customary with special WWE events, there was a press conference held regarding Trump and McMahon’s “WrestleMania” match. With fans and members of the press in attendance, Trump and McMahon came face to face with each other again, and McMahon still couldn’t keep his hands to himself after their last altercation. McMahon would tease Trump a second time, fussing with the mogul’s suit and tie. Trump responded by landing a loud and vicious slap on McMahon’s face before Steve Austin and other WWE officials broke up their fight.
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But Trump’s most satisfying moment came at the actual “WrestleMania 23” event, where he finally got his hands on McMahon without any interference. Trump’s and McMahon’s ring warriors clashed the way they agreed they would. Even though Bobby Lashley and Umaga fought a tough and entertaining match-up, fans got more than their money’s worth when Trump tackled his adversary onto the floor at ringside. Trump finished McMahon off by delivering several punches onto his enemy’s head, and the crowd roared in applause as Trump came out on top of the exchange.
He shaved Vince McMahon bald at WrestleMania 23
At “WrestleMania 23,” Bobby Lashley would beat Umaga in the event. Later, Trump shaved Vince McMahon bald, with Lashley and Steve Austin helping hold down the former WWE CEO in the middle of the ring. Although Trump didn’t attend “Monday Night Raw” after that year’s “WrestleMania,” he did watch McMahon debut his new hairdo that night. “He was amazing. He had a hat on, he had a little bit of a black eye. He was a little bit embarrassed,” Trump told WWE. “And I love embarrassing Vince McMahon.”
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While Trump, Lashley, and Austin were in the ring celebrating McMahon’s loss, Austin unexpectedly delivered his signature move, the Stone Cold Stunner, to Trump and knocked Trump out cold. Austin admitted that he was stunned himself that Trump agreed to the move. Although a scripted profession, moves can and have gone awry, causing serious injuries that have even paralyzed performers in the past. So the risk may have been minimal, but Trump was still putting his physical health in jeopardy. Austin explained that the sequence was McMahon’s idea. “I was right there when [Vince] asked him,” Austin told Men’s Journal. “He goes, ‘Hey, Donald, I was wondering if in the end, do you mind taking Steve’s finisher?'”
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It was noted that his team at the time advised Trump to reject the request. Still, Trump ignored their advice, and like the entertainer he’s been known to be, ended up providing one of WrestleMania’s most memorable moments.
