Long before the sexual misconduct allegations that effectively forced his retirement from WWE in 2022, Vince McMahon was one of the most controversial figures in the history of the wrestling business.
WWE’s Executive Chairman has been involved in a number of scandals and presided over some of the most controversial storylines wrestling has ever seen. One of these storylines, or recurring spots was Vince McMahon’s “kiss my ass club.” Incredibly, the spot was exactly as the title suggests.
Shortly after losing his storyline job with WWE as part of the invasion in 2001, William Regal begged McMahon to give him his job back. This resulted in McMahon saying that he would be hired if he kissed his bare backside on live television. Remarkably this wasn’t a case of ‘one and done,’ with legends such as Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and even Shane McMahon being inducted into the club.
Perhaps the most harrowing incident in the history of the tasteless angle was the ‘induction’ of Jim Ross. The announcer was beaten down by The Undertaker before being thrust into McMahon’s posterior in his home state of Oklahoma.
On the most recent episode of his Snake Pit podcast, Jake Roberts reflected on the angle. The conversation actually began with Roberts recalling being hit by the Honky Tonk Man’s guitar. Around this time it was reported there was talk about McMahon getting into the ring at WrestleMania III. Reflecting on the story, Roberts said he felt McMahon could have been a top heel back in 1987.
“Absolutely. Why couldn’t he make himself a top heel? He’s got his hand on the business. Everybody has to do whatever he says, whether it’s kissing somebody’s ass or … nevermind,”
Co-host Marcus DeAngelo expressed his amazement that the “kiss my ass club” existed before Roberts delivered his own damning appraisal.
“That was about as low as you could get,”
Jake Roberts Hits Out At Vince McMahon
On a different episode, Roberts took aim at McMahon over how he handled his return to WWE in 1996. During this short spell with the company, Roberts lost to Steve Austin at King of the ring before he delivered THAT promo, and feuded with Jerry Lawler. Roberts’ rivalry with Lawler was particularly controversial as the announcer poured whiskey on his face, despite Roberts struggling to overcome alcoholism at the time.
Roberts stated that the storyline was Vince McMahon’s way of getting back at him for leaving the company in 1992.
H/t to Wrestling Inc