The news of Vince McMahon retiring may very well be the biggest news the wrestling industry has ever seen. The now former Chairman of the WWE is very much the most influential figure in the history of the WWE, and the wrestling industry as a whole. The figure that brought about the likes of the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan was at the helm of the company for more than 50 years.

RELATED: The Final 10 WWE PPVs Of The Vince McMahon Era, Ranked Worst To Best

The former Chairman has been part of multiple massive moments for the wrestling industry. He has also overseen many changes in the business over time and has had to make some huge decisions when it came down to it.

10 Vince Admits That Wrestling Is Fake

For many people, wrestling is still real. And this was an extremely prevalent view, even until the rise of the internet, where the view finally died for the audience. Keen listeners and viewers would note, however, that wrestling died way earlier than then.

On February 10, 1989, Vince admitted wrestling wasn't real, stating that it was more about "providing entertainment to spectators than conducting a bona fide contest". Killing kayfabe did not kill the business, but it showed the priorities the WWE had as a business.

9 Unveiling The WWE Network

It was a shocking announcement in 2014 when Vince McMahon unveiled the concept of the WWE Network and announced it as a service. Immediately following the disastrous TV deals that cut him a lot of losses, the WWE Network was seen as an extremely costly investment.

At present, it is very much the correct decision. With media industry behemoths like Disney and HBO now having streaming services of their own, one can see the Network as a pioneer. The further deal the WWE has made with Peacock only cements this.

8 Purchasing WCW

In 2001, after WCW was put to its death as a promotion, Vince McMahon bought the company for a mere $2 Million. In any scenario, the purchase was necessary for Vince, in a sense, and it was utter genius. McMahon gained ownership of WCW's incredible video library, which gives another reason for fans to view the Network.

RELATED: 10 Way WWE Will Change After Vince McMahon's Retirement

The very announcement was genius, with Vince announcing the purchase on the final night of WCW programming. Due to the heated nature of the Monday Night Wars, the move has symbolic relevance and will always be proof of WWE winning the Monday Night Wars.

7 Raw Gets An Extra Hour

Raw was announced to be moving from a two-hour show to a three-hour show in 2012. The move was a shock, although it was a no-brainer considering the money that the WWE was given for doing so. Despite the monetary gain, the creative aspect of the show took a hit too with the move, as too many resources and wrestlers were spread thin over three long hours.

The decision can be criticized rightfully for the lower quality of television that followed, but the move itself was an extremely profitable one. The move itself gave WWE a massive amount of money and a huge chunk of prime-television time.

6 The Shift From New Generation To Attitude

The shift from the New Generation Era, where they still clung on to Golden Era-style characters and television, to the Attitude Era was what made WWE win the Monday Night Wars. Seeing the immense success the nWo had as cool heels, the WWE shifted its Attitude to a far edgier, far more adult product.

The move launched the most successful period in the company's history and is a time when most wrestling fans were hooked on the product. The crash-style television and Mr. McMahon's evil persona made for some of the most memorable moments in wrestling history.

5 The Saudi Arabia Deal

The WWE announced a 10-year multi-platform deal with the Saudi General Sports Authority in 2018, earning the company $50 million annually for doing so. The announcement of the deal and the deal itself wouldn't have had widespread condemnation if not for the fact that the announcement was made the same week as Jamal Khashoggi's brutal assassination.

RELATED: 10 People You Didn't Know Have Had A Bad Relationship With Vince McMahon

Add to that the various LGBT issues, and women's rights issues, and the deal is a controversial deal at the least. The Saudi deal has brought bad press to the company and has had many wrestlers within it not participate in the events entirely. Ultimately, despite the immense monetary gain, the WWE has had to grapple with fans who now have a bad taste in their mouths regarding it too.

4 The Women's Revolution

The WWE, in the early 2010s, saw a shift from its Divas Era that focused on women's wrestling as a breather for fans and mainly as showcasing women as eye candy. This shifted with the Women's Revolution, making women's wrestling focus more on the athleticism and competitive spirit the women had to offer.

Despite being the man that utilized women wrestlers as eye candy from the Attitude Era to the PG Era, it was ultimately Vince McMahon who greenlit the move to bring about the Women's Revolution.

3 The WrestleMania Blueprint

The Golden Era of wrestling was launched officially with the announcement of WrestleMania. While many at the time considered it crazy, or even outlandish, the burgeoning success of wrestling at the time created a boom period that launched the 'Showcase of the Immortals'.

RELATED: 10 Wrestlers Who Will Be Pushed More Now That Vince McMahon Is Gone

The event was a massive success and has become the single largest wrestling event in the year, bar none. Launched in 1985, with Vince McMahon hedging his entire business into the event, its failure would have meant the death of the WWE. Fortunately, the event was a massive success and is an annual tradition for every wrestling fan to watch.

2 WWE Goes Public

In late 1999, Vince McMahon made his biggest decision yet as WWE Chairman when he announced that WWE was going public on the Stock Market. Listing the WWE as a public company with shares was always a risky move, but by this point taking risks was Vince's trademark.

The move saw the WWE subtly shift its product. The move also saw unprecedented financial success for the company, which went from being valued at a huge $172 million, to an unimaginable $5 billion. This move, heavily criticized at first, now stands as the undisputed leader in wrestling and quite possibly makes sure the business lasts as long as wrestling itself does.

1 The Montreal Screwjob

The most infamous moment and controversy in wrestling history, so much so that it still has heated discussions. The 1997 Survivor Series saw Bret Hart lose to Shawn Michaels in a farcical finish, with Bret signing WCW, and spitting at Vince following the controversy.

The weeks following the event saw the rise of Mr. McMahon. The Screwjob itself revealed Vince to be the Chairman of the WWE, making him leave his role as an announcer, becoming the biggest villain wrestling had ever seen. It also made Steve Austin the greatest wrestling hero of all time, living every working man's dream of getting to humiliate and beat his boss every week. The Screwjob led to the Attitude Era, and the greatest success, the WWE had ever and will ever see.