Vince McMahon, after taking over WWE from his father, turned the company into the wrestling juggernaut we know today.
McMahon has had to run a tight ship to ensure that the company is as successful as it can be, and to his credit, it's worked.
But because of that, the WWE Chairman has had to have a set of 'unwritten rules' that talent have got to obey, and The Sun broke them down for an article this year.
10. No sneezing
Vince McMahon WWE
It's long been rumoured that Vince McMahon absolutely hates sneezing, viewing it as a sign of weakness.
Speaking to The MMA Hour in 2010, Paul Heyman said that Vince hates sneezing, getting annoyed that he "cannot control the sneeze":
"If you're in the room with Vince McMahon and he sneezes, go on your Blackberry for the next 20 minutes because nothing you say to him is going to get through, because he gets really p****d off cause he can't control the sneeze."
Stephanie McMahon, Vince's daughter, confirmed the urban myth in 2020, saying:
"The fact he can't control the sneeze makes him upset."
The moral of the story is, if you ever get into a meeting with Vince McMahon, try your absolute hardest to control your sneezing.
9. Contract signing madness
AJ Styles WWE
When was the last time you saw a WWE contract signing end without things getting physical?
The answer is probably never, and there's a reason for that.
McMahon supposedly has a rule where, barring any exceptions, contract signings on WWE TV have to end with some sort of physicality.
8. Referees selling injuries
Triple H WWE
It's a common joke amongst wrestling fans that referees can't take a great deal of punishment, and when they do, they really sell the moves.
There's a reason for that too, and to be honest, it makes a lot of sense.
The rule is that when referees to take bumps in WWE, they have to really sell the moves, which is the refs are often dazes for several minutes after being hurt.
The reason is to make the Superstars in the ring feel even more impressive, given that they can often get up straight away from the same moves that the referees are down for several minutes from.
7. Referee names
Charles Robinson WWE
Staying on referees now, and this one concerns how WWE commentary speaks about the officials.
Vince McMahon flip flops on this rule from time to time, but the rule as of now is that the commentary team should not call refs by their names.
The referees are referred to as the "officials" if the commentary team does need to speak about them during a show, but they're not referenced directly by name.
6. Don't say title shot
Braun Strowman WWE
If you ever find yourself as a WWE Superstar, make sure that you don't go asking for a 'title shot'.
Braun Strowman once got a lecture from Vince McMahon in 2017 for demanding a "title shot" from Kevin Owens on WWE Raw.
Mick Foley spoke about Vince's rule while on Lillian Garcia's podcast in 2017, saying that Strowman was told off for asking for a "title shot":
I was about to go out there a couple weeks ago, and I heard Braun Strowman say, 'I want a title shot'. Mr. McMahon's behind the curtain, at the board watching the monitor, and he goes, 'Oh god, it's not a title shot'.
McMahon apparently, in the words of Foley, wants his wrestlers to call them "title matches", and let Strowman know of that:
"He's like, 'it's a title match. It's a match!' So if you ever wonder what it's like to see a six-foot-eight, three hundred pound behemoth get chewed out, you should've been there."
5. Don't say title belt
Cody Rhodes WWE
The next Vince McMahon rule was referenced on WWE TV last month in a segment between The Miz and Cody Rhodes.
Cody spoke about wanting to win the WWE title belt, when The Miz corrected him and said that a "belt is what holds your pants up".
There was a reason for this, with it being explained by many at the time that Vince McMahon doesn't want his titles to be called belts.
Speaking on his Talk is Jericho podcast, Chris Jericho confirmed the myth, recalling a conversation he had with the WWE Chairman:
'Hey Vince, I don't know if I should lose the belt.'[Imitating McMahon] The what?' 'Sorry, the title'. You couldn't say 'belt' because a belt is what you use to hold up your pants."
4. Respect the fans
WWE fans
Another of Vince McMahon's rules was again explained by Chris Jericho on his podcast.
Wrestling has its fair share of "fans", but Vince McMahon doesn't want them referred to as such.
Speaking on his podcast, Jericho stated that WWE fans have got to be collectively referred to as the 'WWE Universe', saying:
"You couldn't say 'fans' because it's the 'WWE Universe'".
Fans are also referred to as "marks", but Vince McMahon doesn't like that term, due to its derogatory nature, according to Jericho.
"And never say 'marks' because [imitating McMahon] 'they're not marks - they're our fans!'
3. Pose before a move
Hulk Hogan WWE
Another Vince McMahon rule, according to talent, is to pose before hitting a move.
Whether you're Hulk Hogan, John Cena or The Rock, all WWE Superstars have a signature pose/taunt before hitting their big moves.
The reason for this is simple, the move is going to feel more impactful and significant if it comes after a taunt.
It also signals to the crowd that something big is about to happen, often generating a loud pop and crowd reaction as a result.
2. Don't talk into the camera
Drew McIntyre WWE
After winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36, Drew McIntyre broke one of Vince McMahon's key rules.
McIntyre, while filming the April 2020 show, looked down the camera and spoke directly to the WWE fans watching at home.
The show took place right at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, so Drew wanted to speak to the fans, given that no one was able to be in the building for his big title win.
However, despite that, Drew has revealed that he broke one of WWE's rules, saying:
“One of our rules in WWE is that you don’t look down the camera and break the fourth wall, like you wouldn’t do in a movie, but I couldn’t help myself.
Explaining why he made that call, McIntyre said he wanted to speak to the WWE fans who had chosen to watch the product despite the difficult circumstances:
In that moment, I just wanted to thank everybody for supporting me, for supporting WWE during this time and chosing WWE to take your mind off these difficult times. I wanted to let everyone know how I felt, and I’m so glad we kept that in the show. I wasn’t sure if it would be edited, because I really meant it.”
1. They aren't wrestlers
WWE roster
Professional wrestlers aren't known as such in the world of WWE.
The people who perform in the ring are known as WWE Superstars, and that comes as a directive from Vince McMahon.
The WWE Chairman explained during his appearance on Pat McAfee's podcast in March that anyone can be a wrestler, but it takes a certain type of person to be a WWE Superstar.
This one does make sense, and there's no denying that WWE calling its wrestlers 'Superstars' does give them a more prestigious feel.