Vince McMahon Voted Best WWE Heel Ever Despite Controversial Exit from WWE

Throughout WWE's decades-long history, the company has featured a slew of iconic villains, including Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, Triple H, Ted DiBiase, and Randy Orton. Despite the fierce competition, wrestling fans have named Vince McMahon the greatest heel in WWE history years after he left the company amid controversy.

Why Wrestling Fans Named 'Mr. McMahon' the 'Best WWE Heel Ever'

In February 2025, Ranker updated its article, which lets wrestling fans weigh in on who the "best WWE heel ever" is. According to the results of the fan vote, Mr. McMahon is the best WWE villain of all time, and the results weren't even that close. Vince McMahon's onscreen character took the top spot after getting 1,828 upvotes and 616 downvotes. Randy Orton came in second place in the ranking with 1,419 upvotes and 540 downvotes.

From an onscreen perspective, it is hard to argue against the choice to name Mr. McMahon No. 1 in the ranking. After all, the character's feud with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin has often been considered the biggest in WWE history. ESPN even stated that their rivalry created "the most entertaining television in WWE history." Additionally, their battle was at the center of the Attitude Era, which is widely regarded as the most successful time in wrestling history. As the Bleacher Report once noted, modern WWE programming attracts fewer total viewers than WWE Raw did during the Attitude Era despite having twice as much programming.

While Mr. McMahon will always be most closely associated with Steve Austin, he engaged in many more extremely memorable feuds that helped earn him No. 1 in the ranking. The character battled against the likes of CM Punk, D-Generation X, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, The Undertaker, and even Donald Trump.

The Top 25: Ranker's Best WWE Heels Ever

• No. 25: JBL
• No. 24: The nWo
• No. 23: Kane
• No. 22: Stephanie McMahon
• No. 21: The Rock
• No. 20: CM Punk
• No. 19: Jake "The Snake" Roberts
• No. 18: The Miz
• No. 17: Kurt Angle
• No. 16: The Undertaker
• No. 15: Mr. Perfect
• No. 14: The Iron Sheik
• No. 13: "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels
• No. 12: "Macho Man" Randy Savage
• No. 11: "Ravishing" Rick Rude
• No. 10: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
• No. 9: Edge
• No. 8: Chris Jericho
• No. 7: Paul Heyman
• No. 6: "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
• No. 5: Triple H
• No. 4: Ric Flair
• No. 3: Roddy Piper
• No. 2: Randy Orton
• No. 1: Mr. McMahon

Why Vince McMahon Controversially Quit WWE

Vince McMahon's character currently tops the vote more than two years after the real person left WWE after allegations of sexual assault were made against him. As CBS News reported in January 2024, the real McMahon resigned from the TKO Board of Directors and his role as TKO Executive Chairman. TKO is the parent company of WWE. Since then, McMahon has mostly retreated from the public eye. As the report from CBS News detailed, he released a statement denying any wrongdoing and explaining his decision to resign.

"Grant's lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth. I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name."

McMahon's statement continued, "However, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately."

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available 24 hours a day through RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

Next: WWE Legend Named ‘Greatest Pro Wrestler of All Time' by Wrestling Fans

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM.