Vince McMahon would get irate when things did not go according to plan.
With international fans not able to see WWE live as often as they would like, when the show does come to town the fans are generally a lot more passionate and a lot louder than the domestic audience. While the Superstars were able to soak in the atmosphere and the loud fans provided a better viewing experience for those watching on TV, McMahon was not a fan of the audience going off script and cheering loudly for whoever they wanted to.
Rejecting who the company portrayed as the top star, UK fans often found heels more entertaining and reflected that in their reactions. Annoyed that he had no control over this, McMahon was seen to be visibly annoyed backstage at the result.
Former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. spoke about seeing this firsthand on an episode of his podcast Wrestling With Freddie. Prinze Jr. noted that as the UK fans only had one chance a year to let their voices be heard, they made sure that they were as loud as possible, much to the hatred of the Chairman:
“I think London was the audience that made cheering heels acceptable and cool. I feel like they started that before AEW did, before WWE fans in America were starting to get hip to heels. In London, they were just like, ‘Look, we get these f*ckers once a year. We’re cheering for whoever we want. If we like both dudes, both dudes are getting songs. If we don’t, they’re getting booed. That’s it. We don’t care how you book it.’ I saw it firsthand when Jeff Hardy and Undertaker went at it over there when I was at the company. I was like, ‘Man, they’re just cheering for whoever they want.’ It pissed Vince off. He didn’t like that,”
In recent years the company has acknowledged that international crowds and the Raw after WrestleMania audience are not the typical fanbase and they will cheer for whoever they want to. Commentary has also recently acknowledged the duelling chants at international events instead of trying to ignore them.
Vince McMahon’s Removal Has Not Changed Plans
One top star who frequently got the opposite reaction to what McMahon wanted was Roman Reigns. Consistently booed as a babyface, the negative reactions are not what is expected following the heel turn and creation of The Tribal Chief persona. With Vince McMahon no longer a part of creative, a new report states what the plan is with Roman Reigns moving forward.
H/t to Fightful.