WWE: Vince McMahon and the 25 Smartest Figures in Wrestling History

This might be one of the hardest lists there is to go about making.

First, I want to clarify that this is a list of smart pro-wrestling figures in history—which means people who had the right mind about how to run the business and people who came up with the right ideas.

There are some here who knew how long to stay and made the right decisions for themselves. 

This list is going to be some wrestlers and a lot of wrestling personnel. 

I want to point out that the list is going to be missing some people, so it would be awesome to get some more suggestions that may be beyond my time. 

Here's my Top 25 smartest figures in wrestling history.

But first here's a list of some superstars who didn't make the list but deserve some credit:

Booby Heenan

Randy Orton

Shawn Michaels

Chris Jericho

25. Jim Cornette

Jim Cornette really changed the pro wrestling world. He is on of those people that started off small but worked his way up.

Jim Cornette worked in many different promotions and scouted for WWE for a few years in the mid 90's. After working with WWE for a few years he moved onto NWA/TNA. Cornette had previously worked in NWA before his tenure with WWE.

Cornette cut a lot of memorable promos in his time. Some could even be compared to the rant that CM Punk did a few weeks ago. He knew what made a good professional wrestling promotion and tried to do as much as he could to get his idea out there. 

Cornette currently works for Ring of Honor, which many believe to be the top "Wrestler" producing company.

24. Christian

Christian is not by any means the smartest superstar out there. But he did something that made him more than a mid card wrestler.

He decided to go to TNA.

Now people might be wondering why that is a smart choice. But it was. Christian was a tag team wrestler during his first tenure in the WWE. He went over to TNA and became the NWA/TNA heavyweight champion and proved that he could be on the top of a company, even if it was TNA(before the big TV deals, if you even consider Spike a big TV deal).

He came back to WWE and soon after he became the ECW Champion, his first major title in WWE.

Christian built an opportunity for himself. This slide is not just for him, but he is the best example. Many others will do the same and go somewhere else to prove that they can be at the top.

23. CM Punk

CM Punk is the sole reason why WWE has begun to go in the direction that it is going in now. 

We still do not know whether or not WWE could keep it up but the fact is without CM Punk, none of it would have happened.

CM Punk was smart enough to say everything that was wrong with WWE. And it was the smartest thing he could've ever done. Not only was he smart enough to figure out exactly what was wrong with the WWE, he had the guts to say it. 

CM Punk is the gutiest guy on this list taking one of the biggest risks ever, even if it was a worked shoot. 

He made it known that WWE was not the only promotion around, which brought a lot of new attention to the wrestling world. Believe it or not, a lot of people think the WWE is the only thing out there.

22. The Rock

This is one of those instances on this list where the superstar was smart enough to know when it was time to leave.

The Rock is one of the most successful people to come out of WWE, ever.

He knew how to work the mic and he knew how to draw a crowd. He was pro wrestling smart. But he also knew that when he had a chance to get out and do something even greater with his life, he needed to go.

His movie career has been pretty decent for the most part and still making the occasional appearance in the WWE, he has the perfect situation. 

Wrestling fans might hate him for leaving, but it was the smart decision.

21. John Laurinaitis

This guy gets criticized a lot. But we have to give him some credit.

He took over after Jim Ross was removed from Talent Relations. And some may say he's done a terrible job.

But the fact is, he's been with WWE since 2004. Now we can't give him all the credit for the superstars WWE has, but over the years WWE has produced some nice superstars like Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio and the Miz. Oh and John Cena. 

He has an eye for stars.

20. Linda McMahon

Linda McMahon is one of the smartest women is professional wrestling history.

She may not have had much to do with what happens on screen, but she had a lot to do with the business aspect of WWE and used to it her advantage.

She is a former candidate for State Senate.

The WWE would not be where it is without Linda McMahon.

And she was open to be on screen when it was needed. Linda is probably one of the most influential women the wrestling community will ever see.

19. Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan doesn't really have to be argued about. He has made some of the best decisions any superstar could make.

He was a top guy in WWE for a lot of years. He went on to WCW and formed the nWo, one of the greatest factions ever. He made his big return to WWE for a few years and added a couple of title reigns under his belt.

He is marketable and he knows it. 

Hulk Hogan is currently running things over at TNA. And he knows the direction he wants to go in. He knows the Hulk Hogan name will draw. He knows how things worked over at WCW and while a lot of his calls are questionable, he is pro wrestling smart and business smart.

18. Shane McMahon

Shane Mcmahon was supposed to be the heir to WWE after his father left. But Shane took it upon himself to pursue something different.

He invested in a cable company based in China. And he's profited from it nicely.

And he's on the Board of Directors for a sports agency representing top players like Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy. 

Shane is someone that made the right business choices for himself and is now in a company that makes billions of dollars a year. 

17. Dixie Carter

Dixie Carter is the second and last woman to round out my list of smart figures in pro wrestling. 

She is currently the President of TNA.

Dixie is responsible for the deal that saw Panda Energy buy TNA. That deal would change TNA and give them a chance to get on TV and gain exposure.

Not only did she do that, but she made a smart move in my opinion of staying away from live TV appearances and staying behind the scenes.

She wasn't like Vince McMahon where he was making TV appearances and being apart of storylines. She wanted to stay a businesswoman. 

16. Dean Malenko

Dean Malenko was not that big of an impact during his time wrestling for various promotions. But he has a lot of experience and currently works for WWE.

Dean established himself as a technical wrestler using his Texas Cloverleaf submission move.

He was nicknamed "The Man of 1000 holds" during his time with ECW, WCW and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

He was a member of the Four Horsemen in his WCW days.

Dean Malenko has some say backstage and has made a successful career out of being pro wrestling smart.

15. Stu Hart

Stu Hart opened up one of the greatest wrestling schools ever. He knew exactly how to teach young prospects how to be successful in professional wrestling and we as wrestling fans owe him a lot.

He founded Stampede wrestling which was a wrestling promotion based in Canada.

The Dungeon produced many great superstars that we see today like Tyson Kidd, Chris Jericho, Edge, Christian, David Hart Smith and Mark Henry.

Stu Hart will always be remembered as a pivotal figure in professional wrestling history.

14. Jeff Jarrett

TNA would not be around today had it not been for Jeff Jarrett.

We all know the story of the fishing trip that would eventually lead to the establishment of TNA.

Jarrett worked in both WWE and WCW, as well as other promotions before his time with TNA. He followed a vision that he saw and came up with the idea that TNA could be successful. It's still a work in progress but is the second biggest wrestling promotion right now behind WWE and that is exactly where he wants to be.

13. Mick Foley

Mick Foley. Yes Mick Foley. On screen, he may look stupid, but he really isn't. During his time with WWE and TNA he had some say in creative plans. 

Mick Foley is the Hardcore legend. 

There are some talks now of bringing him back into WWE for some sort of creative team position. Foley knows a good storyline. He was involved with the likes of The Rock, Stone Cold and the Undertaker.

He put his body on the line for almost twenty years. 

And now he is one of the great minds that pro wrestling has today.

Some may say TNA let him go, but that's because they wanted to use him as an on screen character and they had no place for him.

Mick Foley and WWE will work something out and he will him out this new era that WWE is going into.

12. Vince Russo

Vince Russo gets criticized non stop. But he too has a great mind for professional wrestling. 

He is in charged of creative writing in TNA currently and has had tenures in WCW and WWE.

In WWE, he created storylines that we still now see today like a superstar retiring or leaving the company only to come back.

He tried to do the same in WCW and was criticized for it when it didn't work out as well.

But he has done a good job in TNA in my opinion. TNA needed a good writer, someone who can box out what Hulk Hogan wanted to do. 

Russo is one of the most known writers in wrestling history and is one of the smartest guys you will see regardless of what people say.

11. Roderick James McMahon

Roderick James McMahon started it all.

He was originally a boxing promoter and got into professional wrestling soon after. 

This slide doesn't need to be long because its simple. He is the reason WWE exists today.

10. Brock Lesnar

When you talk about smart and professional wrestling, Brock Lesnar has to come to mind. 

Brock Lesnar might have made one of the smartest decisions ever by leaving WWE to pursue a career in MMA. People might say that doesn't make him smart just lucky. 

He tried out for the Minnesota Vikings but that didn't work out.

Now Brock Lesnar is one of the most feared fighters in the UFC today. 

And he always has the chance to go back to WWE when he wants to. He is similar to The Rock when I say that he is in one of the best situations a wrestler could be in.

9. Edge

Some might think this is a little high for Edge, but let's face it, he made the smartest choice any superstar has ever made.

He left WWE in order to make sure he could live a normal life.

It's something not many professional wrestlers want to do. The risk of having permanent damage to his neck was too much.

Edge needed to get out of WWE. He wrestled at Wrestlemania in his final televised match, and called it quits. He left as the World Heavyweight champion. What a way to go. 

Edge may have added many years to his life by making the decision he has made.

8. John Bradshaw Layfield

JBL wasn't the greatest superstar ever. But he sure was one of the smartest.

He was the longest reigning WWE champion ever.

And his character was based on his success in real life.

He really is a top stock market investor. And now he owns Layfield Energy which is a sponser of Ohio Valley Wrestling.

JBL is one of the smartest superstars outside of the ring we will ever see.

7. Triple H

Wanna know why Triple H is smart? Because he married Stephanie McMahon.

Haha all jokes aside, Triple H has one of the best wrestling minds in WWE today. He will be the heir to WWE as it seems. And there's a reason why.

Triple H knows the wrestling business. He knows how it feels to be on top, what it takes to get to that level, and the amount of work that goes into running the WWE. 

Triple H will bring us into a new era in WWE and one day he will be the man in WWE.

6. Jim Ross

We all love Good Ole' JR. 

And we all know he is one of the greatest WWE executives ever.

He has worked for WWE for many years in talent scouting and development. He has an eye for superstars. And he is the greatest commentator we have ever had.

John Laurinaitis has had some struggles so its proven that the job Jim Ross had was not an easy one.

5. Ted Turner

This guy was a genius. He invested in WCW and allowed their programming on his channels. And it worked out for the best. 

WCW became the top wrestling promotion and battled with WWE for many years.

And to this day, no one can ever do what WCW did.

And without Ted Turner, none of it would have ever happened. 

4. Eric Bischoff

Eric Bischoff is the mind behind WCW.

He came up with a lot of the storylines and made it successful while still being an on screen character, even being apart of the famed nWo faction.

He is now currently working with TNA. He works on screen and behind the scenes working with creative to put out the best programs.

His arrival at TNA made the company a contender again.

He worked with WWE for a few years working with creative as well. 

WWE has only had one real competitor in WCW and Eric Bischoff has a lot do with that.

3. Vincent James McMahon

Vince McMahon Sr. is the reason WWE is no longer apart of the NWA. He made the decision to separate and build the WWF. 

He started out the company as Capital Wrestling Corporation and eventually sold the company to his son Vince McMahon Jr.

That would turn out to be one of the greatest moves ever as WWE eventually blew up into a global corporation bringing in millions of dollars a year. 

2. Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman created ECW. He knew what the people wanted.

Many companies saw his potential and understood that he knew how to make a company work. ECW eventually fell because of financial issues, but Heyman continued on and worked with WWE for many years with creative. 

He recently showed up on a wrestling talk show to explain why TNA is not working out.

And everything he said made sense.

He currently manages Brock Lesnar. 

CM Punk pointed out that he was a Paul Heyman guy.

Paul Heyman is the most respected wrestling promoter in history.

1. Vincent Kennedy McMahon

Vince McMahon Jr. is the reason why WWE is everywhere. He turned his father's wrestling promotion into a multi billion dollar corporation. 

He started off as a commentator but eventually became an on screen character and made it work.

Vince is responsible for the Attitude Era and had to make some tough decisions including what happened in Montreal with Bret Hart.

He knows exactly what he wants and WWE would not be the giant powerhouse that it is today without him and his vision.

WWE and professional wrestling appreciate everything he has done and once he actually gives up his CEO position in WWE, it will be the end of a spectacular career.