Vince McMahon Solidifying Himself as Greatest Heel in WWE WrestleMania History

There is no greater heel in the long history of WWE WrestleMania than Vincent Kennedy McMahon—a fact supported by his involvement in the build to son Shane's upcoming match with The Undertaker inside Hell in a Cell.

Throughout the 32-year history of the extravaganza, few villains have left the indelible mark on the show that McMahon has. Not only was he its architect, he was the heel that helped carry it through its most financially successful years.

In 1999, McMahon was the lead villain in WWE's Attitude Era, the corrupt authority figure opposing Steve Austin. He was unsuccessful, naturally, and fans got the happy ending of Stone Cold vanquishing The Rock and standing tall with the WWE Championship.

A year later, McMahon betrayed The Rock and helped son-in-law Triple H become the first heel to ever leave the WrestleMania main event with the company's top prize. One year later, he stunned fans by aligning with longtime rival Austin and establishing himself as the smartest man in the industry. Just hours earlier, he had lost a Street Fight to Shane in, at that point, the latest and greatest chapter in the McMahon family drama.

Later on, he battled Hulk Hogan in the real main event of WrestleMania XIX for bragging rights in regard to the creation of The Showcase of the Immortals. The image of a bloody McMahon slowly peeking up over the ring apron at his opponent, with the camera catching a devilish grin, remains one of the greatest images in the illustrious history of WWE.

2006 saw McMahon battle Shawn Michaels in an emotionally charged brawl before wagering his hair in a Battle of the Billionaires with Donald Trump. Bound to a chair, he screamed in horror as his hair was shaved in front of 80,000 fans in Detroit.

And finally, the 13-year hostility that existed between him and Bret "Hitman" Hart was settled in dramatic fashion in the most one-sided beating ever witnessed in a high-profile situation.

Why the history lesson?

As McMahon prepares to be a central figure in yet another major WrestleMania main event, the significance of his involvement to the event's success post-1998 becomes even more evident. A heel in the truest sense, he understands how to build a story and then, most importantly, pay it off.

Fans want to see the villain of any story get their comeuppance, and few have been as phenomenal at taking their proverbial medicine as McMahon. He has been the detestable heel for years, building animosity for himself, then never shying away from the humiliation and pummeling he must endure to allow the story to culminate in satisfying fashion.

Whether he was taking low blows from wife Linda after months of lecherous activities and a torrid affair with Trish Stratus, or bleeding like a stuck pig as Hulk Hogan dropped a big leg across his chest, McMahon has mastered the art of the heel, and WrestleMania is his canvas.

As fans saw recently, he is the one performer capable of working with Roman Reigns to generate the response from fans that he and the rest of WWE Creative desire. He was as responsible for the huge ovation that greeted Reigns' championship win in Philly as anyone, and come April 3 in Dallas, he will be heel at the heart of the Shane-Undertaker bout.

Both of those Superstars are babyfaces, so Vince's involvement will generate the heel heat necessary to tell the story of the match effectively. He will get involved, attempt to screw his firstborn out of a victory and may even succeed. Even if he does not, what the Chairman of the Board does will be of the utmost importance to the narrative.

Should Vince McMahon be on television at this point in his life?

No. This is not an article singing the praises of a promoter whose inability to create credible heels has led to a situation in which he must step back into the television spotlight at age 70 to try to rescue what has been an underwhelming build to the year's marquee feuds.

He deserves considerable blame for the shape the roster is in on the heel side of things. 

Instead, this is meant to honor a character that has emerged over the last decade as the greatest villain in a grand morality play between good and evil, a box office draw rare to today's industry.

Vince McMahon's contributions to WrestleMania are well-documented. He is the architect of grandeur and the brains behind the brawn. His greatest achievement, however, has been in sustaining the event as one of its most recognizable stars and detestable heels.