McMahon's (hair) loss is Trump's win

April 2007

Rarely has a wrestling match captivated fans as much as this one, for not only were two of the entertainment industry's biggest egos on the line, but so was their hair.

In a match billed as "The Battle of the Billionaires", real estate mogul and The Apprentice star Donald Trump, 60, got to keep his wispy blonde locks, after … well … coming up trumps on Sunday over 61-year-old World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) owner Vince McMahon.

The unique stipulation was: The loser would have his head shaved.

The two tycoons did not actually battle each other in the ring. Instead, each handpicked a wrestler to represent them on wrestling's grandest stage — the annual Wrestlemania extravaganza, which was held this year in Detroit.

Trump's warrior —138kg Bobby Lashley — pinned McMahon's choice, the intimidating "Samoan Bulldozer" Umaga, in a brutal 13-minute back-and-forth brawl.

And as expected, Trump could not contain himself throughout the contest and picked his moment to pummel McMahon to the ground with some wild punches, much to the delight of the 80,000-strong capacity crowd at the sold-out Ford Field stadium.

Towards the end of the titanic tussle, it was Lashley who delivered a rugby-like tackle on a shell-shocked Umaga and knocked him out for the three-count.

Things got interesting as a wounded McMahon tried to escape to the dressing room but special guest referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin caught up with him and strapped him to a barber's chair.

Lashley, Austin and Trump each took turns shaving the beleaguered McMahon's greying hair and tossing it into the air. But despite emerging as the victor, Trump did not get off scot-free.

As he was celebrating in the ring with a cold beer, the billionaire fell victim to Austin's signature finishing manoeuvre — the "Stone Cold Stunner" — a punishing, jawbreaker-like move that has knocked out countless opponents.

The fans roared in approval as Austin brought the match to a close and jogged back up the aisle.

The biggest winner of the night, however, was charity, as both McMahon and Trump will donate their Wrestlemania cheques, believed to total about US$5 million ($7.6 million), to a worthy cause. -