Jump to content

Vince McMahon

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ThaIceman73 (talk | contribs) at 01:27, 26 June 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about Vincent Kennedy McMahon, current WWE Chairman. For his father, see Vincent J. McMahon.
United States Vince McMahon
Born (1945-08-24) August 24, 1945 (age 78)
North CarolinaPinehurst, North Carolina
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon
Mr. McMahon

Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 24, 1945), better known as Vince McMahon or Mr. McMahon, is an American wrestling promoter, wrestler, and film producer. He is the Chairman of the WWE Board of Directors and majority shareholder of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). Considering the recent demise of WWE Superstar Chris Benoit and his family, and the live showing of McMahon in the empty arena of the canceled June 25th, 2007 edition of RAW, it is unknown if this storyline will be maintained.

Pre-wrestling life and career

Vince spent the majority of his childhood in rural North Carolina living with his mother and a string of stepfathers.[citation needed] He also grew up in Canton, Ohio. He did not meet his father (Vincent J. McMahon) until his teen years, and at that point became interested in following his father's footsteps in the wrestling business.

Following his graduation from East Carolina State University and a nondescript career as a traveling salesman, Vince went to work for his father in the then World Wide Wrestling Federation.

Professional career

World Wide Wrestling Federation (1971-1979)

Early in his wrestling career, Vince was the in-ring announcer. He later became the play-by-play announcer for television matches after he replaced Ray Morgan in 1971, a role he regularly maintained until November 1997.

Throughout the 1970s, McMahon became the prominent force in his father's company and pushed for the renaming of the company to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The young McMahon was also behind the famous Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki match of 1976, the year that his daughter Stephanie McMahon was born.

1980s wrestling boom

Main article: 1980s wrestling boom

In 1982, Vince bought out his father's Capitol Sports company, renaming it Titan Sports. He expanded the company nationally by promoting in areas outside of the company's Northeast U.S. stomping grounds and by signing talent from other companies.

The pinnacle of this national expansion experiment came in 1985 with the very first WrestleMania in Madison Square Garden, which aired on closed circuit TV throughout the U.S. This led to what has been considered a "Golden Age of Wrestling" with WWF seeing increased mainstream exposure, TV ratings, and house show gates all throughout the rest of the decade.

File:Vincemcmahontrial.jpg
Vince, Linda, and Shane McMahon outside the courthouse in July 1994.

In 1989, McMahon tested the movie producing waters by co-producing the Hulk Hogan vehicle No Holds Barred. In 1990, McMahon again ventured outside of wrestling by founding a bodybuilding company called the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF).

However, around 1992, things began to change. The WBF went out of business as alleged steroid abuse among both McMahon's wrestlers and bodybuilders came under scrutiny. By 1994, things were slowly turning in WCW's favor, especially when they signed Hulk Hogan.

McMahon was put on trial in 1994, accused of distributing steroids to his wrestlers. As a legal move, his wife Linda was made CEO of the WWF during the trial. He was acquitted of all charges though he admitted to taking steroids himself in the 1980s. The prosecution made Hulk Hogan its star witness, and his testimony in the trial severely damaged the two's friendship, even though Hogan's testimony defended McMahon. After Hogan's testimony, McMahon went before the media declaring that he wished that Hogan had not lied about him on the witness stand.

Other business

In 2000, McMahon again ventured outside the world of professional wrestling by launching the XFL. The league eventually began in February 2001 with McMahon making an appearance at the first game. The league, however, fared worse than the WBF and quickly folded. Also in 2001, McMahon acquired World Championship Wrestling and later Extreme Championship Wrestling in bankruptcy court, leaving McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation as the only major wrestling promotion left in North America.

In 2003, after being forced to rename the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002, McMahon again ventured outside the wrestling ring and launched WWE Films.

Mr. McMahon

The Undertaker, McMahon, Brock Lesnar, and Sable on SmackDown!

Mr. McMahon is the on-screen character of Vince McMahon, with the gimmick of an often egotistical heel boss. The character spawned from the real-life hatred many wrestling fans had for McMahon following the Montreal screwjob, the 1997 Survivor Series incident with Bret Hart.

Although Mr. McMahon was loathed for his actions as the evil owner of the WWF, the character proved to be one of the most memorable heels in professional wrestling history. Despite Mr. McMahon's evil intentions, many fans continue to respect the character for the history it's had, particularly with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who was Mr. McMahon's nemesis at the character's apex. Much to Mr. McMahon's horror, "Stone Cold" was announced to return and was the special guest referee at the "Battle of the Billionaires" match at WrestleMania 23.

Several other gimmicks have become integral parts of McMahon's on-camera persona, such as his throaty exclamation of "You're fired!", and his "power walk" - an over-exaggerated strut towards the ring, swinging his arms and bobbing his head from side to side in a cocky manner. This is usually accompanied by a comment from Jim Ross, such as "There's only one man I know that walks like that." The power walk is used to get a reaction out of the audience (especially when he's a heel), but it also provides comic relief as well. WWE Superstar John Cena had joked on the RAW Exposed special that aired before WWE Homecoming, that Vince "somehow walks like he's got a broomstick shoved up in his ass". According to Jim Cornette, the power walk was inspired by one of Vince McMahon's favorite wrestlers as a child, Dr. Jerry Graham. However, The Fabulous Moolah claims in her autobiography that the original Nature Boy, Buddy Rogers, was the inspiration.

WWE Champion

After winning the 1999 Royal Rumble (by staying outside the ring for most of the match and then tossing Stone Cold over the top rope), Vince defeated Triple H for the WWF Championship on September 14 1999. This was later named the 5th most memorable moment in SmackDown! history. On September 20 1999, Vince vacated the title and put it on the line in a Six-Pack Challenge match at Unforgiven 1999, where Triple H regained it.

ECW World Champion

Due to Bobby Lashley's role in the feud between Vince and Donald Trump at WrestleMania 23, Vince forced Lashley to defend the ECW World Championship at Backlash 2007 in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match against Vince, Shane McMahon, and Umaga. Vince scored the winning pinfall against Lashley after Shane and Umaga softened him up. At Judgment Day 2007, Lashley defeated Shane after a dominator, but Vince later announced that he was still ECW World Champion because he was not pinned by Lashley. He lost the championship one month later at One Night Stand to Lashley.

Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club

Creation

Following the collapse of the WCW/ECW Alliance at Survivor Series 2001, Mr. McMahon created the Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club, which consisted of various WWE superstars and officials being ordered to kiss his buttocks in the middle of the ring.


Members

The First member:William Regal- who did it as a condition of being re-hired by the WWF, as he had served as the commissioner of The Alliance.

The Second Member:Jim Ross- The next candidate was Stone Cold Steve Austin, who assaulted McMahon rather than going through with the indignity. Jim Ross, who was laughing from ringside, was forced to take Austin's place.

The Third Member:Trish Stratus- For betraying him at WrestleMania X-Seven, Mr. McMahon ordered Trish Stratus to also go through with it.

The Fourth Member:Mr.McMahon- The club was proclaimed closed by The Rock after he forced Mr. McMahon to kiss Rikishi's buttocks on an episode of SmackDown!. Despite the "official" retirement of the gimmick, it has reappeared on various occasions.

The Fifth And Sixth Member:Zach Gowen and Marty Jannetty- Mr. McMahon has ordered various others to undergo the indignity over the years, including Zach Gowen and Marty Jannetty.

The Seventh Member: Shawn Michaels- Following Jannetty's failure to go through with it, Shawn Michaels became a member of the club after Stephanie McMahon drugged his water bottle and Shane McMahon forced him into it.

The Eight Member:Shane McMahon- The McMahons attempted a repeat performance, but Shawn avoided the drugging and forced Shane into the club instead. Triple H also assaulted McMahon rather than joining the club, prompting him and Shawn Michaels to re-form D-Generation X and feud with McMahon.

The Ninth Member:Mick Foley- Mick Foley has the dubious distinction of being only the second person (after Regal) to join the club voluntarily, on the grounds that it would save Melina's job. She promptly betrayed him, and Foley was fired instead (Foley has since returned).

The Tenth Member:Mr.McMahon- Mr. McMahon has been on the receiving end of the indignity on several occasions, as he's kissed the buttocks of the aforementioned Rikishi, as well as The Big Show when D-Generation X shoved his face into it at Unforgiven 2006.


The gimmick has also spawned its own Internet based cartoon entitled "Mr. McMahon's Kiss My Ass Club - The WWE's Most Valuable Asset." The cartoon series produced by Animax Entertainment debuted on WWE.com on November 22 2006.

Firings

In numerous wrestling storylines, Mr. McMahon uses his ability to terminate whomever he feels from either a position or the company. The termination is usually preceded by the aforementioned throaty exclamation of "You're fired!" This is believed by many people to be a McMahon originated catchphrase, as opposed to his WrestleMania 23 opponent Donald Trump. McMahon once stated this on TV by saying that the catchphrase originated on Monday Night RAW and not Trump's NBC show The Apprentice

This is a list of those whom he has fired on-screen:

  • Jim Ross - was scapegoated after friend, Steve Austin, assaulted the McMahon family at WWE Homecoming in 2005. Ross was later brought back at "Saturday Night's Main Event" and again at WrestleMania 22, until finally returning full time.
  • Kane - Kane was quickly re-hired the same night.
  • Shawn Michaels - was fired as WWF commissioner, although Shawn notified McMahon that he couldn't be fired as per his contract.
  • Earl Hebner - was actually fired by Triple H for fast-counting him and costing him the Federation championship, although the decision was supported by McMahon.
  • Mick Foley - numerous times; once as Dude Love, once as WWF commissioner, and most recently, following a segment of the aforementioned "Kiss My Ass Club."
  • Paul Heyman - as an announcer for RAW. and General Manager of Smackdown
  • Hulk Hogan - after it was proven that Hogan was indeed "Mr. America."
  • Kurt Angle - as General Manager of SmackDown!
  • Eric Bischoff - twice, once in 2003, although he was quickly rehired and permanently in December 2005.
  • Steve Austin - after he failed to declare a victor in an Undertaker/Kane match in October 1998.
  • Marty Jannetty - for failing to join the aforementioned "Kiss My Ass Club" and for failing to break Chris Masters' Master Lock.
  • Rob Conway - for losing to Jeff Hardy on the January 1, 2007 edition of RAW.
  • Every WWE fan - prior to firing Jim Ross, McMahon vented his rage by "hiring" everyone who was watching him for the sole purpose of "firing" them seconds later.
  • A pyro technician - who caused a freak explosion of one of the fireworks, leading McMahon to initially believe that it was God who caused the explosion.
  • Limo driver - who nearly crashed into "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's truck. McMahon promptly dragged the driver from the car, beat him unconscious, and fired him on the spot.

Feuds with non-wrestlers

McMahon vs. Bischoff

Vince McMahon began a feud with Eric Bischoff in late 2005, when he decided that Bischoff wasn't doing a good job as General Manager of RAW. He started "The Trial of Eric Bischoff" where McMahon served as the judge. Bischoff ended up losing the trial, and Vince "fired" him, and put him in a garbage truck and it drove away. Bischoff stayed gone for months. Almost a year later on RAW in late 2006, Bischoff was brought out by Vince McMahon's executive assistant Jonathan Coachman so that he could announce the completion of his book "Controversy Creates Ca$h." Bischoff began blasting remarks at McMahon, saying that he was fired "unceremoniously" as the RAW General Manager, that there would be no Mr. McMahon if it wasn't for Bischoff's over-the-top rebellious ideas, and that D-Generation X was nothing but a rip off of the nWo. Bischoff returned again in March 2007 to tell Vince his thoughts on Vince's WrestleMania 23 match, telling Vince he can't wait to see him get his head shaved bald.

McMahon vs. Trump

In January 2007, McMahon started a feud with Donald J. Trump, which was featured on major media outlets. Originally Trump wanted to fight McMahon himself but they came to a deal: Trump would pick a representative, and McMahon would pick a representative who would both fight at WrestleMania 23 in a Hair vs. Hair match. The man whose representative lost the match would have his head shaved bald. After the contract signing on RAW, Donald Trump pushed McMahon over the table in the ring onto his head after McMahon provoked Trump with several finger pokes to the shoulders. Later at a press conference, McMahon, during a photo opportunity, offered a shake of hands with Trump but retracted his hand as Trump put out his. McMahon went on to fiddle with Trump's tie and flick Trump's nose. This angered Trump as he then slapped McMahon across the face. McMahon was then restrained from retaliating by Trump's bodyguards and Bobby Lashley, Trump's representative. At WrestleMania 23, McMahon's representative (Umaga) lost the match, and as a result, McMahon's hair was shaved bald by Trump and Lashley with the help of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was the special guest referee of the "Battle of the Billionaires" match.

Controversy

Rita Chatterton

Rita Chatterton (In ring name: "Rita Marie") was a former referee who is noted for her stint in World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s. She is known for being the first ever female referee in WWE, maybe in pro wrestling history.[1] However, her times there were shrouded in controversy, due to sexual harassment charges against WWE owner Vince McMahon.

On April 3 1992, Chatterton made an appearance on Geraldo Rivera's television show Now It Can Be Told alleging that on July 16 1986 McMahon tried to force her to perform oral sex on him in his limousine and, after her rebuttal, subjected her to rape.[2] McMahon was not charged with any offense relating to the alleged incident, the criminal statute of limitations having passed.

Boca Raton

On February 1 2006, McMahon was accused of sexual harassment by a worker at a Boca Raton, Florida tanning bar.[3] The worker said that he "groped her and harassed her." At first, the charge appeared to be discredited because McMahon was in Miami for the Royal Rumble 2006 at the time. However, it was soon clarified that the alleged incident was reported to police on the day of the Rumble, but actually took place the day before.[4] On March 27, a Florida television station reported that no charges would be filed against McMahon as a result of the investigation.

Involvement in storylines

McMahon has also come under fire for constantly placing himself into sexual angles with many WWE Divas, including Sable, Trish Stratus, Stacy Keibler, Dawn Marie, Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson, and Jackie Gayda.

McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment as a whole has been the center of controversy in the past, especially in the "Attitude Era" of what was the World Wrestling Federation - including D-Generation X for their sexual references, and Stone Cold Steve Austin for his trademark drinking of beer and flipping the middle finger.

On the McMahon DVD, Stephanie comments that she had to nix a potential incest angle. According to her, Vince was to reveal himself as the father of her baby; when she said no, he pushed for Shane to be the father, but she turned that idea down as well. She also nixed Vince's idea that her wedding to Triple H be aired live on PPV and said that the only reason Vince ever hired Eric Bischoff was to be able to say that his longtime nemesis once worked for him.

"Death" of Mr. McMahon

On June 11, 2007, WWE aired a segment at the end of RAW that featured McMahon entering a limousine moments before it exploded. The show went off-air shortly after, and WWE.com reported the angle within minutes as though it were a legitimate occurrence, proclaiming that McMahon was "presumed dead."[5] Although this was the fate of the fictional "Mr. McMahon" character, no harm came to the actual person (that is, his death was part of a storyline).[6][7] The WWE has acknowledged to CNBC that he is not truly dead.[8]


On June 25th, 2007 edition of RAW, which was canceled in tribute to Chris Benoit, Vince McMahon appeared in the empty arena, and acknowledged that his reported death was only of his character as part of a storyline.

Other media

File:McMahonDVD.jpg
The McMahon DVD cover featuring a split personality of Vince and Mr. McMahon

In 2001, Vince McMahon was interviewed by Playboy and performed an interview with his son Shane McMahon for the second issue of Playboy Magazine in the year.

In March 2006 (at age sixty) McMahon was featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine. In the months after its publication, it could be seen in McMahon's office during backstage segments. A large version of the cover was used as a weapon during McMahon's match with Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 22 and was defaced by D-Generation X upon their reunification during an episode of RAW.

On August 22 2006, a two-disc DVD set showcasing McMahon's career was released. The DVD is simply titled McMahon. The box art symbolizes the blurred reality between Vince McMahon the person and Mr. McMahon the character.

Personal life

Vince married Linda McMahon on August 26 1966 in New Bern, North Carolina. The two met in church when Linda was 13 and Vince was 16. They were introduced by Vince's mother, Vicky Askew. They have two children: Shane and Stephanie, both of whom work for WWE.

Vince McMahon admitted in an interview with Playboy magazine he had affairs on his wife. He has a $12 million penthouse in New York City, a $40 million mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, a $20 million vacation home in Boca Raton, Florida (mentioned in the McMahon DVD), and owns the $30 million WWE Challenger 604 private jet that is sometimes seen on television. However, in 2007 it was reported that WWE cannot back up its claim that McMahon is a billionaire.[9][10] Vince wanted to be a wrestler when he was young but his father wouldn't let him (he was told that promoters do not appear on the show and should stay apart from his wrestlers).

Vince has two grandsons : Shane and wife Marissa's sons, Declan James & Kenyon Jesse. He also has one granddaughter Aurora Rose Levesque, daughter to Stephanie and Paul "Triple H" Levesque. McMahon has undergone several severe injuries in recent years, including neck surgery in 1994, a motorcycle accident in 1999, and severe quadriceps tears in both legs while sliding into the ring at the 2005 Royal Rumble. Vince sat on the mat after arriving in the ring and, remarkably, did not appear to be in any pain when the camera closed in on him. On May 13, 2007, Vince McMahon served as the commencement speaker at Sacred Heart University, receiving the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.[11][12]

It was recently announced that Vince McMahon would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.[13]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

McMahon as the ECW Champion

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Shaun Assael & Mike Mooneyham. Sex, Lies and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation (p.116)
  2. ^ Shaun Assael & Mike Mooneyham. Sex, Lies and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation (p.115-117)
  3. ^ WWE chief accused of groping Boca tanning salon worker
  4. ^ McMahon situation to get more publicity
  5. ^ http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/mcmahonexplosionupdate
  6. ^ http://www.wcsh6.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=63256
  7. ^ http://www.timesleader.com/news/breakingnews/20070612_12wwe_breaking.html
  8. ^ http://www.cnbc.com/id/19330600
  9. ^ Scoff If You Wish, But The WWF Is A Real Business
  10. ^ "Informer". Forbes.com. 2007-04. Retrieved 2007-04-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Jamie DeLoma (May 14, 2007). "WWE chief pumps up graduates". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ a b Anrdrew Rote (May 13, 2007). "Mr. McMahon becomes Dr. McMahon". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/icons/walk_fame.asp. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

References

  • Shaun Assael & Mike Mooneyham (2002). Sex, Lies and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation. Crown Publishers. p. 255. ISBN 0609606905.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Vince McMahon.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vince_McMahon&oldid=140647083"