Vince McMahon and Donald Trump's Battle of the Billionaires
Vince McMahon and Donald Trump's Battle of the Billionaires
Early life
McMahon was born on August 24, 1945 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. McMahon's father, Vincent James McMahon, had left the family while McMahon was still a baby, taking his elder son, Rod, with him. McMahon did not meet his father until age 12. Vince spent the majority of his childhood living with his mother and a string of stepfathers.[5] According to an interview with Playboy, he attended and graduated, in 1964, from Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia. McMahon claimed one of his stepfathers, Leo Lupton, used to beat his mother and attacked him when he tried to protect her.[6] He said, "It is unfortunate that he died before I could kill him. I would have enjoyed that."[6] In his early life, McMahon also overcame dyslexia.[7][8]Business career
World Wide Wrestling Federation: 1969–79
McMahon first met the promoter for Capitol Wrestling Corporation, his father Vincent J. McMahon, at the age of 12. At that point, McMahon became interested in following his father's professional wrestling footsteps and often accompanied him on trips to Madison Square Garden. McMahon wanted to be a wrestler, but his father would not let him, explaining that promoters did not appear on the show and should stay apart from their wrestlers.[9]In 1968, McMahon graduated from East Carolina University[10] with a business degree and after a nondescript career as a traveling salesman, he was eager to assume a managerial role in his father’s World Wide Wrestling Federation promotion (although the elder McMahon was not thrilled with the idea of his son entering the business).[citation needed] In 1969, McMahon made his debut as an in-ring announcer for the WWWF's All-Star Wrestling.[11] In 1971, he was assigned to a small territory in Maine, where he promoted his first card. 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 over the next decade, Vince assisted his father in tripling TV syndication.[citation needed] He pushed for the renaming of the company to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The young McMahon was also behind the Muhammad Ali versus Antonio Inoki match of 1976.[citation needed] In 1979, Vince purchased the Cape Cod Coliseum, where he promoted hockey games and concerts in addition to pro wrestling, as he began to prove that he was capable of running the WWF after his father’s retirement.[citation needed] By 1980, McMahon had become chairman of the company,[12] and Titan Sports was incorporated; in 1982, a 37-year old McMahon led Titan’s acquisition of the Capitol Wrestling Co. from his ailing father (who died in May 1984), as he and his wife Linda took control of the World Wrestling Federation.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment: 1982–present
1980s wrestling boom
Main article: 1980s professional wrestling boom
At the time of his purchase of the WWF, professional wrestling was a
business run by regional offices. The various promoters shared an
understanding that they would not invade each other’s territories, as
this practice had gone on undeterred for decades.[citation needed] McMahon had a different vision of what the industry could become. In 1963, the WWF split from the National Wrestling Alliance, which was the governing body for all the regional territories across the country and as far away as Japan.He began expanding the company nationally by promoting in areas outside of the company's Northeast U.S. stomping grounds and by signing talent from other companies, such as the American Wrestling Association (AWA). In 1984, he recruited Hulk Hogan to be the WWF’s charismatic new megastar, and the two quickly drew the ire of industry peers as the promotion began traveling and broadcasting into rival territories. Nevertheless, McMahon (who still also fronted as the WWF’s squeaky clean babyface announcer) created The Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection by incorporating pop music stars into wrestling storylines. As a result, the WWF was able to expand its fanbase into a national mainstream audience as the promotion was featured heavily on MTV programming. On March 31, 1985, he promoted the first WrestleMania to be held at Madison Square Garden while airing on closed circuit TV throughout the U.S. WrestleMania was an undisputed success. As a result, the WWF thus stood head and shoulders above all its competition, and Hulk Hogan soon became a full-fledged pop-culture icon and child role model.[citation needed]
During the late 1980s, McMahon shaped the WWF into a unique sports entertainment brand that reached out to family audiences while attracting fans who had never before paid attention to pro wrestling. By directing his storylines towards highly publicized supercards, McMahon initiated a brand-new revenue stream by promoting these events live on PPV television, a concept that would completely revolutionize event programming for all sports while catapulting the WWF into a multi-million dollar empire.[citation needed] In 1987, McMahon reportedly drew 93,173 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome (which was called the "biggest crowd in Sports entertainment history") for WrestleMania III, which featured the main event of Hulk Hogan versus André the Giant.[13]
1990s Attitude Era
Main article: The Attitude Era
After several years struggling behind Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling
(WCW), McMahon cemented the WWF as the preeminent wrestling promotion
in the late 1990s, when he initiated a new brand strategy that would
eventually return the WWF to prominence. Sensing a public shift towards a
more hardened and cynical fan base, McMahon redirected storylines
towards a more adult-oriented model. The concept became known as "WWF
Attitude", and McMahon commenced the new era when he manipulated the WWF Championship away from Bret Hart at Survivor Series in what is now known as the "Montreal Screwjob."[14]
McMahon, who for years had downplayed his ownership of the company and
was mostly known as an announcer, became involved in WWF storylines as
the evil Mr. McMahon, who began a legendary feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin,
who challenged the boss’s authority. As a result, the WWF suddenly
found itself back in the midst of national pop-culture, drawing millions
of viewers for its weekly Monday Night Raw broadcasts, which ranked among the highest-rated shows on cable television.[13]Other business dealings
In the early 1980s, McMahon briefly promoted ice hockey in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. His Cape Cod Buccaneers played at the Cape Cod Coliseum and were founding members of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, an AA circuit. Historically, the ACHL is considered a forgotten link between the rough and tumble loops of the 1970s like the NAHL, lampooned in the classic movie Slap Shot, and today's more credible East Coast Hockey League.[citation needed] In October 1999, McMahon led the WWF in an initial public offering of company stock. On March 23, 2001, he purchased the fading WCW for $5 million. Three days later, his “victory speech” was simulcast on both WWF Raw and WCW Nitro.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, quickly folded after lack of publicity.[15] In the summer of 2003, McMahon acquired Extreme Championship Wrestling in bankruptcy court, leaving McMahon and the WWF as the only major wrestling promotion left in North America.
In 2010, McMahon announced plans to launch a brand new cable network by summer 2011.[16][17][18] The concept was eventually modified from a conventional cable channel into an over-the-top streaming service known as WWE Network, which launched in February 2014.
Professional wrestling
Mr. McMahon is the on-screen character of Vince McMahon, with the gimmick of being an often egotistical and conniving boss. The character was spawned from the real-life hatred many wrestling fans had for McMahon following the Montreal Screwjob, at the 1997 Survivor Series.[14]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 exaggerated strut toward the ring, swinging his arms and bobbing his head from side to side in a cocky manner. According to Jim Cornette, the power walk was inspired by one of McMahon's favorite wrestlers as a child, Dr. Jerry Graham. The Fabulous Moolah, however, claims in her autobiography that "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers was the inspiration for the walk.[19] McMahon has occasionally dropped his character performance upon real-life events affecting WWE, such as the death of Owen Hart at Over the Edge in 1999, the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the death of Chris Benoit.
Announcer (1971–1997)
McMahon made his announcing debut in 1971 when he replaced Ray Morgan after Morgan had a pay dispute with McMahon's father, Vince McMahon, Sr., shortly before a scheduled TV taping. The elder McMahon let Morgan walk instead of giving into his demands and needed a replacement on the spot, offering it to his son. For the younger McMahon, it was also somewhat as a compromise, as it allowed him to appear on television. McMahon wanted to be a wrestler but his father would not let him, explaining that promoters did not appear on the show and should stay apart from their wrestlers.[9]
McMahon eventually became the regular play-by-play announcer and maintained that role until November 1997, portraying himself as easily-excited and over-the-top. In addition to matches, McMahon also hosted other WWF shows, and introduced WWF programming to TBS on Black Saturday, upon the WWF's acquisition of Georgia Championship Wrestling and its lucrative Saturday night timeslot. (McMahon sold the timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions after the move backfired on him; he eventually acquired JCP's successor company. World Championship Wrestling, from AOL Time Warner in 2001.) At the 1987 Slammy Awards, McMahon performed in a musical number and sang the song "Stand Back".[20] The campy "Stand Back" video has since resurfaced several times over the years as a running gag between McMahon and any face wrestler he is feuding with at that particular time, and was included on the 2006 McMahon DVD.[9]
As with most play-by-play announcers, McMahon was a babyface "voice of the fans", in contrast to the heel color commentator, usually Jesse Ventura, Bobby Heenan or Jerry Lawler. While most of McMahon's on-screen physicality took place during his "Mr. McMahon" character later in his career, he was twice involved in physical altercations on WWF television as a commentator; once on the September 28, 1991 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling, when Roddy Piper mistakenly hit him with a folding chair aimed at Ric Flair (requiring McMahon to be taken out of the arena on a stretcher), and again on the November 8, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw, when Randy Savage hurled him to the floor in an attempt to attack Crush after McMahon attempted to restrain him.
United States Wrestling Association (1993)
While the Mr. McMahon character marked the first time that McMahon had been portrayed as a villain in WWF, in 1993, McMahon was engaged in a feud with Jerry Lawler as part of a cross-promotion between the WWF and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). As part of the angle, McMahon sent various WWF wrestlers to Memphis in order to dethrone Lawler as the "king of professional wrestling". This angle marked the first time that McMahon physically interjected himself into a match, as he occasionally tripped and punched at Lawler while seated ringside. During the angle, McMahon was not acknowledged as the owner of the WWF, and the feud was not acknowledged on WWF television, as the two continued to provide commentary together (along with Randy Savage) for the television show Superstars. The feud also helped build toward Lawler's match with Bret Hart at SummerSlam.[21] The peak of the angle came with Tatanka defeating Lawler to win the Unified World Championship with McMahon gloating at Lawler while wearing the championship belt.[22] This storyline came to an abrupt end when Lawler was accused of raping a young girl in Memphis, and he was dropped from the WWF. He returned shortly afterward, however, as the girl later stated that the rape accusations were lies.[23]Mr. McMahon (1997)
See also: Montreal Screwjob
Throughout late 1996 and into 1997, McMahon slowly began to be
referred to as the owner on WWF television while remaining as the
company's lead play-by-play announcer. On the September 23, 1996 Monday Night Raw, Jim Ross delivered a worked shoot promo during which he ran down McMahon, outing him as chairman and not just a commentator for the first time in WWF storylines. This was followed up on the October 23 Raw with Steve Austin
referring to then-WWF President Gorilla Monsoon as "just a puppet" and
that it was actually McMahon "pulling all the strings." The March 17,
1997 WWF Raw is War is cited by some as the beginning of the Mr. McMahon character, as after Bret Hart lost to Sycho Sid in a steel cage match for the WWF Championship, Hart engaged in an expletive-laden
rant against McMahon and WWF management. This rant followed Hart
shoving McMahon to the ground when he attempted to conduct a post-match
interview. McMahon, himself, returned to the commentary position and
nearly cursed out Hart before being calmed down by Ross and Lawler.[9]McMahon largely remained an announcer after the Bret Hart incident on Raw. On September 22, 1997, on the first-ever Raw to be broadcast from Madison Square Garden, Bret's brother Owen Hart was giving a speech to the fans in attendance. During his speech, Steve Austin entered the ring with five NYPD officers following, and assaulted Hart. When it appeared Austin would fight the officers, McMahon ran into the ring to lecture him that he couldn't "physically" compete. (At the time, Austin was recovering from a legitimate broken neck after Owen Hart botched a piledriver in his match against Austin at SummerSlam. After telling McMahon that he respects the fact that he and the WWF cared, Austin attacked McMahon with a Stone Cold Stunner, leaving McMahon in shock. Austin was then arrested on charges of trespassing, assault, and assaulting a police officer. This marked the beginning of the Austin-McMahon rivalry.
At Survivor Series in 1997, Bret Hart defended his WWF Championship against long-time rival Shawn Michaels in the main event. In the months heading into Survivor Series, McMahon had entered into a rivalry with Hart. During the match, Michaels applied Hart's own signature submission maneuver The Sharpshooter on Hart. Hart refused to submit. McMahon, however, got up and ordered the referee to ring the bell thus screwing Hart out of the title and making Michaels the champion and making McMahon turn heel for the first time on WWF television. This incident was subsequently dubbed the "Montreal Screwjob".[14] Following the incident, McMahon left the announcing table for good (Jim Ross replaced McMahon as lead announcer) and the Mr. McMahon character began.
Feud with Steve Austin (1997–1999)
Main article: The Corporation
In December 1997 on Raw is War, the night after D-Generation X: In Your House, McMahon talked about the behavior and attitude of Steve Austin,
such as Austin having assaulted WWF Official Commissioner Slaughter,
and how he has attacked WWF announcers such as Jim Ross and McMahon
himself. Mr. McMahon demanded that Austin defend his Intercontinental
championship against The Rock in a rematch. As in the previous match,
Austin used his pickup truck as a weapon against The Rock and the Nation
of Domination gang. Austin decided to forfeit the title to The Rock
but, instead, Austin gave The Rock a Stone Cold Stunner and knocked
McMahon off the ring ropes.On the March 30 Raw is War, the night after Austin won the WWF Title at WrestleMania XIV, McMahon presented him with a new title belt and warned Austin that he did not approve of his rebellious nature. In April 1998, it appeared Austin and McMahon were going to battle out their differences in an actual match, but the match was declared a no contest when Dude Love made an appearance; off-screen, this marked the first time since June 10, 1996 that Raw beat WCW Monday Nitro in the ratings. This led to a title match between Love and Austin at Unforgiven, for which McMahon sat ringside. Love won the match by disqualification when Austin hit McMahon with a chair. In a title rematch at In Your House: Over The Edge, Austin retained, despite McMahon being the referee and his "Corporate Stooges", Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson, as timekeeper and ring announcer, respectively.
McMahon ordered the WWF Championship to be defended in a 14-man tournament named Deadly Games at Survivor Series in 1998. McMahon made sure that Mankind reached the finals because Mankind had visited McMahon in hospital after McMahon was sent to the hospital by the Undertaker and Kane.[24] He also awarded Mankind the WWF Hardcore Championship due to his status as a hardcore wrestling legend. Originally, McMahon was acting as he if he was helping out Mankind during the match. At one point, The Rock turned his attention to McMahon. McMahon turned on Mankind after a screwjob, however, as The Rock had caught Mankind in the Sharpshooter. Mankind had not submitted but McMahon ordered the referee to ring the bell, thus giving The Rock the WWF Championship. This was an homage to the "Montreal Screwjob" that occurred one year earlier.[24] McMahon referred to The Rock as the "Corporate Champion" thus forming the Corporation with his son Shane and The Rock.[25] At Rock Bottom: In Your House, Mankind defeated The Rock to win the WWF Championship after The Rock passed out to the Mandible Claw. McMahon, however, screwed Mankind once again by reversing the decision and returning the belt to his chosen champion, The Rock.[26] McMahon participated in a "Corporate Rumble" on the January 11, 1999 Raw as an unscheduled participant, but was eliminated by Chyna.
McMahon restarted a long-running feud with Steve Austin when, in December 1998, he made Austin face the Undertaker in a Buried Alive match with the Royal Rumble qualification on the line. Austin defeated the Undertaker with help from Kane. McMahon had put up $100,000 to anyone who could eliminate Austin from the Royal Rumble match.[27] At Royal Rumble, thanks to help from the Corporation's attack on Austin in the women's bathroom during the match (Austin and McMahon went under the ropes, not over them as the Royal Rumble rules require for an elimination to occur along with the 'Shawn Michaels Rule', in which both feet must touch the floor after going over the top rope) and The Rock distracting Austin, McMahon lifted Austin over the top rope from behind, thus winning the match and earning a title shot at WrestleMania XV against the WWF Champion The Rock. He turned down his spot, however, and WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels awarded it to Austin, which infuriated McMahon.[28] Austin decided to put his title shot on the line against McMahon so he could get a chance to fight Vince at In Your House: St. Valentine's Day Massacre in a steel cage match. During the match, The Big Show—a future member of the Corporation—interrupted, making his WWF debut. He threw Austin through the side of the cage thus giving him the victory.[25][29]
The Corporation started a feud with The Undertaker's new faction the "Ministry of Darkness," which led to a storyline introducing McMahon's daughter Stephanie. Stephanie played an "innocent sweet girl" who was kidnapped by The Ministry twice. The first time she was kidnapped, she was found by Ken Shamrock on behalf of McMahon in a basement of the stadium. The second time she was kidnapped, The Undertaker attempted to marry her whilst she was forcefully tied to the Ministry's crucifix, but she was saved by Steve Austin. This angle saw a brief friendship develop between McMahon and Austin, cooling their long running feud. A previously unknown character was developed as a result called the "Higher Power", invented by Shane McMahon and The Undertaker. McMahon, however, was later revealed as the "Higher Power" on the June 7 Raw, reigniting his feud with WWF Champion Austin. McMahon's son Shane merged the Corporation with Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness to form the Corporate Ministry. McMahon became a member of the short-lived stable The Union, during May 1999. As a result of McMahon being the "Higher Power", Austin was given 50% shares of the WWF by Linda and Stephanie McMahon out of their kayfabe disgust at him.
At King of the Ring, Vince and Shane defeated Austin in a handicap ladder match to regain control of the WWF.[30] While CEO, Austin had scheduled a WWF Title match, to be shown on Raw after King Of The Ring. During the match, Austin defeated the Undertaker once again to become the WWF Champion. At Fully Loaded, Austin was again scheduled for a match against The Undertaker. If Austin lost, he would be banned from wrestling for the WWF Championship again; if he won, Vince McMahon would be banned from appearing on WWF TV. Austin defeated The Undertaker, and McMahon was banned from WWF TV.[31]
McMahon returned as a face in the fall of 1999 and won the WWF Championship in a match against Triple H, thanks to outside interference from Austin on the September 16 SmackDown!. However he had decided to vacate the title during the following Monday's Raw is War because he was not allowed on WWF TV because of the stipulations of the Fully Loaded 1999 contract he signed. However, Steve Austin reinstated him in return for a WWF title shot. Over the next few months McManhon and Triple H feuded, with the linchpin of the feud being Triple H's storyline marriage to Stephanie McMahon. The feud culminated at Armageddon in 1999; McMahon faced Triple H in a No Holds Barred match which McMahon lost. Afterward, Stephanie turned on him, revealing her true colors.[32]
McMahon-Helmsley Era (2000–2001)
Main article: McMahon-Helmsley Faction
McMahon returned to WWF television on the March 13, 2000 Raw is War helping The Rock win his WWF title shot back from the Big Show, He also attacked Shane McMahon and Triple H.[33] Two weeks later, McMahon and The Rock defeated Shane McMahon and The Big Show in a tag team match with help from special guest referee Mankind.[33] At WrestleMania 2000, Triple H defended the WWF Championship in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match in which each competitor had a McMahon in his corner. Triple H had his wife Stephanie McMahon who was also the WWF Women's Champion
in his corner, The Rock had Vince McMahon in his corner, Mick Foley had
Linda McMahon in his corner, and Big Show had Shane in his corner.
After Big Show and Foley were eliminated, Triple H and The Rock were
left. Although Vince was in The Rock's corner, he turned on The Rock after hitting him with a chair turning heel for the first time since his feud with Steve Austin, which helped Triple H win the match and retain his title.[34] This began the McMahon-Helmsley Era.
The Invasion and the Kiss My Ass Club (2001–2008)
Main article: The Invasion
McMahon purchased long-time rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in March 2001 from AOL Time Warner
and signed many wrestlers from the organization. This marked the
beginning of the Invasion storyline, in which the former WCW wrestlers
regularly fought matches against the WWF wrestlers. On the July 9, 2001 Raw, some extremists as well as several former ECW wrestlers on the WWF roster, joined with the WCW wrestlers to form The Alliance. Steve Austin joined the Alliance, along with Shane and Stephanie McMahon. Vince McMahon led Team WWF. At Survivor Series,
Team WWF defeated Team Alliance in a Survivor Series elimination match
to pick up the victory for WWF and end the Invasion storyline.[38]Following the collapse of The Alliance, McMahon created the "Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club", also known as the "Mr. McMahon Kiss My Ass Club", which consisted of various WWE individuals being ordered to kiss his ass in the middle of the ring, usually with the threat of suspension or firing if they refused. The club was originally proclaimed closed by The Rock after McMahon was forced to kiss Rikishi's ass on an episode of SmackDown!.[39] However, the club segment has resurfaced several times over the years. 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. The cartoon was later canceled as part of a settlement between WWE and Cartoon Network due to the show's similarities with Cartoon Network's show Assy McGee.[40]
Kiss My Ass Club members
| # | Members | Date Joined | Location | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Regal | November 19, 2001 | Charlotte, North Carolina | WWE Raw | Made Regal join to be rehired after he had previously joined The Alliance.[41] |
| 2 | Jim Ross | November 26, 2001 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | WWE Raw | Was forced to join the club by The Undertaker after laughing at McMahon who Steve Austin just beat up after saving himself from membership. |
| 3 | Shawn Michaels | February 27, 2006 | Charlotte, North Carolina | WWE Raw | Was forced to join the club by Shane McMahon after Shane knocked him unconscious with a chair after Michaels saved Marty Jannetty from membership. |
| 4 | Shane McMahon | April 2, 2006 | Rosemont, Illinois | WrestleMania 22 | Was forced to join the club by Shawn Michaels after he over powered Shane who was trying to make Michaels rejoin the club.[41] |
| 5 | Mick Foley | August 21, 2006 | Bridgeport, Connecticut | WWE Raw | Joined the club to save Melina's job, but she was actually tricking Foley and he was later fired by McMahon.[41] |
| 6 | Hornswoggle | February 4, 2008 | Austin, Texas | WWE Raw | Was being forced to join to show loyalty to the McMahon family. The induction to the club was interrupted by Finlay and Hornswoggle bit McMahon's ass, but McMahon stated since Hornswoggle's lips came in contact he was a member.[41] |
New WWE era 2001–2005
On the February 13, 2003 SmackDown!, McMahon tried to derail the return of Hulk Hogan after a five-month hiatus but was knocked out by Hogan and received an Atomic Legdrop.[44] At No Way Out, McMahon interfered in Hogan's match with The Rock. Hogan had originally won the match as he hit The Rock with an Atomic Legdrop but the lights went out. When the lights came back on, McMahon came to the ringside to distract Hogan. Sylvain Grenier, the referee, gave The Rock a chair, which he then hit Hogan with. He ended the match with a Rock Bottom to defeat Hogan.[45] This led to McMahon facing Hogan in a match at WrestleMania XIX, which McMahon lost in a Street Fight.[46] McMahon then banned Hogan from the ring but Hogan returned under the gimmick of "Mr. America". McMahon tried to prove that Mr. America was Hogan under a mask but failed at these attempts. Hogan later quit WWE and at which point McMahon claimed that he had discovered Mr. America was Hulk Hogan and "fired" him.[47]
McMahon asked his daughter Stephanie to resign as SmackDown! General Manager on the October 2 SmackDown!. Stephanie, however, refused to resign and this set up an "I Quit" match between the two.[48] At No Mercy, McMahon defeated Stephanie in an "I Quit" match when Linda threw in the towel.[49] Later that night, he helped Brock Lesnar retain the WWE Championship against The Undertaker in a Biker Chain match.[50] This started a rivalry between McMahon and Undertaker. At Survivor Series, McMahon defeated Undertaker in a Buried Alive match with help from Kane.[51]
McMahon began a feud with Eric Bischoff in late 2005, when he decided that Bischoff was not 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; McMahon "fired" him, and put him in a garbage truck before it drove away. Bischoff stayed gone for months. Almost a year later on Raw in late 2006, Bischoff was brought out by McMahon's executive assistant Jonathan Coachman so that he could announce the completion of his book Controversy Creates Cash. Bischoff began blasting remarks at McMahon, saying that he was fired "unceremoniously" as the Raw General Manager, that there would be no McMahon if not for Bischoff's over-the-top rebellious ideas, and that D-Generation X was nothing but a rip off of the New World Order.
Feuds with D-Generation X and Donald Trump (2005–2007)
On the May 15 Raw, Triple H hit Shane with a sledgehammer meant for Michaels.[58] The next week on Raw, Triple H had another chance to hit Michaels with the object but he instead whacked the Spirit Squad.[59] For a few weeks, McMahon ignored Michaels and began a rivalry with Triple H by forcing him to join "Kiss My Ass Club" (Triple H hit McMahon with a Pedigree instead of joining the club) and pitting him in a gauntlet handicap match against the Spirit Squad.[60][61] Michaels, however, saved Triple H and the two reformed D-Generation X (DX). This led to a feud between the McMahons and DX, throughout the following summer.[62] At SummerSlam in 2006, the McMahons lost to DX in a tag team match despite interference by Umaga, Big Show, Finlay, Mr. Kennedy, and William Regal.[63] The McMahons also allied themselves with the ECW World Champion Big Show.[62] At Unforgiven, the McMahons teamed up with The Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match to take on DX. Despite their 3-on-2 advantage, the McMahons lost again to DX thus ending the rivalry.[64]
In January 2007, McMahon started a feud with Donald Trump, which was featured on major media outlets. Originally Trump wanted to fight McMahon himself but they came to a deal: both men would pick a representative to wrestle at WrestleMania 23 in a Hair vs. Hair match. The man whose wrestler lost would have his head shaved bald. After the contract signing on Raw, 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.[65] At WrestleMania 23, McMahon's representative (Umaga) lost the match.[66] As a result, McMahon's hair was shaved bald by Trump and Lashley with the help of Steve Austin, who was the special guest referee of the "Battle of the Billionaires" match.[66]
McMahon then began a rivalry with Lashley over his ECW Championship. At Backlash, McMahon pinned Lashley in a 3-on-1 handicap match teaming up with his son Shane and Umaga to win the ECW Championship.[67][68] At Judgment Day, McMahon defended his ECW Championship against Lashley again in a 3-on-1 handicap match. Lashley won the match as he pinned Shane after a Dominator but McMahon said that he was still the champion because Lashley could only be champion if he could beat him.[69] McMahon finally lost the ECW Championship to Lashley at One Night Stand in a Street Fight despite interference by Shane and Umaga.[70]
Various storylines (2007–2009)
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".[71] Although this was the fate of the fictional "Mr. McMahon" character, no harm came to the actual person, the "presumed death" of McMahon was part of a storyline.[72] WWE later acknowledged to CNBC that he was not truly dead.[73]The June 25 Raw was scheduled to be a three-hour memorial to "Mr. McMahon". However, due to the actual death of Chris Benoit, the show opened with McMahon standing in an empty arena, acknowledging that his reported death was only of his character as part of a storyline.[74] This was followed by a tribute to Benoit that filled the three-hour timeslot.[75] McMahon's last appearance on WWE television until August 6, 2007 was the next night on ECW on Sci Fi in which after acknowledging that a tribute to Benoit had aired the previous night, he announced that there would be no further mention of Benoit due to the circumstances becoming apparent, and that the ECW show would be dedicated to those that had been affected by the Benoit murders. On the August 6 show, McMahon said that he faked his death to see what people really thought of him, with Stephanie accused of faking mourning while checking her father's last will and testament to see how it would benefit her.
Return, feuds with Randy Orton and Bret Hart: 2009–10
On the January 5, 2009 Raw, Chris Jericho told Stephanie McMahon that McMahon would be returning to Raw soon.[79] The following week, Jericho was (kayfabe) fired from WWE by Stephanie. On the January 19 Raw, McMahon returned, as a face, and supported his daughter's decision on Jericho, but Stephanie rehired him. Randy Orton then came out and assaulted McMahon after harassing Stephanie. McMahon returned on the March 30 Raw with his son, Shane, and son-in-law Triple H to confront Orton. The night after WrestleMania XXV, McMahon appeared on Raw to announce Orton would not receive another championship opportunity at Backlash, but compete in a six-man tag team match with his Legacy stablemates against Triple H, Shane McMahon and himself. Raw General Manager Vickie Guerrero made the match for the WWE Championship. Orton then challenged McMahon to a match that night, in which Legacy assaulted him, and Orton also hitting him with the RKO. After being assisted by Triple H, Shane and a returning Batista, McMahon announced Batista would replace him in the match at Backlash.On the June 15 Raw, McMahon announced that he had sold the Raw brand to businessman Donald Trump. The next week, during the Trump is Raw show, McMahon bought the brand back from Trump. On the June 29 Raw, McMahon announced that every week, a celebrity guest host would control Raw for the night. He soon appeared on SmackDown, putting Theodore Long on probation for his actions.
On August 24 Raw, McMahon had a birthday bash which was interrupted by The Legacy, and competed in a six-man tag team match with his long-time rival team DX, in which they won after the interference of John Cena. He continued to appear on SmackDown, making occasional matches and reminding Long that he is still on probation. On the November 16 Raw, McMahon was called out by guest host Roddy Piper, who wanted a match with McMahon that night in Madison Square Garden. McMahon declined, and announced his retirement from in-ring competition.[80]
On the January 4, 2010 Raw, McMahon confronted special guest host Bret "The Hitman" Hart for the (televised) first time since the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997, with the intention of burying the hatchet from the above mentioned Montreal Screwjob. The two appeared to finally bury the hatchet, but after shaking hands, Vince kicked Hart in the groin and left the arena to a loud chorus of boos and the crowd chanting "You screwed Bret! You screwed Bret!".[80] A match was then booked between the two at WrestleMania XXVI, which saw Hart defeat McMahon in a No Holds Barred Lumberjack match. After WrestleMania, it was announced that McMahon would no longer appear on WWE television as his character Mr. McMahon.[81] On the May 31 Raw, McMahon returned to congratulate Hart on becoming the new Raw General Manager. On the June 22 Raw, McMahon fired Hart for not dealing with NXT season one rookies, known as The Nexus. That same night, he announced the new General Manager would be anonymous and make decisions via emails, which would be read by Michael Cole. The General Manager's first decision was McMahon to be the guest referee for a WWE Championship match that night between John Cena and Sheamus. The match was interrupted by The Nexus who then attacked McMahon.
Part-time appearances (2010–present)
McMahon appeared in a segment on the November 1 Raw, in a coma from the attack by The Nexus. He woke up and his doctor (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) explained what had happened since he'd been out. The scene transitioned to Stephanie McMahon waking up, revealing it was all a dream.McMahon returned to WWE on the February 7, 2011 Raw, to announce a guest host for WrestleMania XXVII would be revealed the next week (this turned out to be The Rock). On the May 2 birthday-themed Raw, he wished The Rock a happy birthday.
On the June 6 WWE Tough Enough, he announced the winner of the show, Andy Leavine, with Steve Austin. That day, he was interrupted on Raw by R-Truth, The Miz, Alex Riley and John Cena. He announced the night's main event as Cena and Riley against Truth and Miz in a tag team match, with Steve Austin as guest referee.
McMahon returned on the July 4 Raw, as a heel, addressing CM Punk's suspension and Punk's comments the week before. Cena convinced McMahon to reinstate Punk and re-book the WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank. However, McMahon told Cena that if he lost the match, he would personally go to the ring and fire him. The next week on Raw, McMahon tried to get Punk to sign a new WWE contract, but Punk tore it up, reaffirming his intent to leave WWE after Money in the Bank.
At Money in the Bank, McMahon ordered John Laurinaitis to end the match while Cena had Punk in the STF, trying to imitate the Montreal Screwjob in Chicago, but Cena knocked out Laurinaitis before he could ring the bell. After Punk defeated Cena, McMahon ordered Alberto Del Rio, Raw's Money in the Bank ladder match winner, to cash in and challenge Punk for the title. Del Rio was attacked by Punk before he could cash in. Punk then fled through the crowd with the WWE Championship belt.
At the end of the July 18 Raw, Triple H returned and, on behalf of WWE's board of directors, fired McMahon from his position of running Raw and Smackdown, though leaving him Chairman of the board. Triple H then announced he himself had been designated Chief Operating Officer of WWE.[82]
McMahon returned on the October 10 Raw, likewise firing Triple H from running Raw, stating the Board of Directors had called Triple H a financial catastrophe, and that the WWE employees had voted no confidence in him the previous week. Saying that no member of the McMahon family could run Raw due to conflict of interest, he named John Laurinaitis as the Interim General Manager of Raw.[83] Laurianaitis later also became GM of Smackdown.
On June 11, 2012, McMahon returned, as a face, to give a job evaluation to John Laurinaitis, with Laurinaitis' job on the line. Later that night, McMahon came out to announce his decision. As he was about to fire Laurinaitis, The Big Show came out and threatened McMahon. John Cena came out and attacked Big Show, and McMahon unsuccessfully tried to separate the two, getting knocked out by Big Show's WMD. An angry McMahon declared that if Big Show loses his match at No Way Out, Laurinaitis will be fired. On June 17, 2012, at No Way Out, John Cena defeated Big Show in a steel cage match. As a result, McMahon fired Laurinaitis. Cena then hit the AA on Laurinaitis and put him through the Spanish announce table.
McMahon appeared on the 1000th episode of Raw to deliver the opening speech, and later to announce AJ as Raw' new General Manager. On the August 3 SmackDown, he named Booker T SmackDown's new general manager.
On the October 8 Raw, McMahon began his State of the WWE Address, but was interrupted and slapped by CM Punk. In a rage, McMahon challenged Punk to a match, threatening to fire him if he didn't accept. Throughout the episode, Jim Ross and others attempted to dissuade McMahon from the match, but he insisted. The match never officially started, but McMahon held his own in a brawl with Punk, until being set up for the GTS. Before Punk could finish the move, Ryback came out and Punk fled the ring, only to be tossed back in by John Cena. Punk managed to escape a Shell Shock from Ryback and fled into the crowd. McMahon then gave him the choice of facing Cena or Ryback at Hell in a Cell and told him he'd decide if Punk didn't by the next week. The next week, McMahon interrupted Punk right before he was to decide, and made the decision for him: Ryback would face Punk at Hell in a Cell.
During the buildup for the 2013 Royal Rumble, McMahon told CM Punk that if The Shield interfered in his match with The Rock, Punk would forfeit his title. During the match, the lights went out and Rock was attacked by what appeared to be The Shield, leading to Rock's loss. Vince came out and restarted the match at Rock's request and Rock was victorious. The next night on Raw, while conducting a performance review on Paul Heyman, he was assaulted by the returning Brock Lesnar, who hit him with the F-5. According to WWE.com, McMahon suffered a broken pelvis and will require surgery at some point.[84] Vince sought revenge on Heyman and faced him in a street fight on a later Raw, but Lesnar again interfered, only for Triple H to interfere as well, planting the seeds for a rematch between Lesnar and Triple H at WrestleMania 29.
On the June 3 Raw, McMahon returned supporting Stephanie McMahon's decision not to allow Triple H to compete.[85] On the June 10 Raw, McMahon stopped Triple H's match against Curtis Axel, by awarding a disqualification and a forfeit victory to Axel.[86] On the July 8 Raw, McMahon named Brad Maddox as the general manager of Raw, following Vickie Guerrero's failed performance review and subsequent firing.[87] McMahon then tried to persuade Daniel Bryan to shave his beard.[88] On the August 16 SmackDown, McMahon tried to cost Bryan his match against Wade Barrett, thus turning heel.[89] Two days later at SummerSlam, Triple H also turned heel and assumed on-screen control of WWE, resulting in McMahon disappearing from WWE television until the Survivor Series pay-per-view. On 14th April 2014 edition of Raw, McMahon appeared at the beginning of the show to pay tribute to The Ultimate Warrior's passing.
Other media
In 2001, McMahon was interviewed by Playboy and performed an interview with his son Shane for the second issue of the magazine that year. In March 2006, (at age 60) McMahon was featured on the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine. 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. McMahon features a profiling of the Mr. McMahon character, such as the rivalries with wrestlers, on-screen firings, and antics. In addition, the DVD features the profiling of Vince's business life, such as acquiring WCW and ECW and the demise of the XFL. McMahon's top nine matches of his professional wrestling career are also included in McMahon.Personal life
Family
McMahon 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. At that time McMahon was known as Vince Lupton, using his stepfather's surname. They were introduced by Vince's mother, Vicky H. Lupton (now Vicky H. Askew). They have two children, Shane and Stephanie, both of whom have spent time in the WWF/E both onscreen and behind the scenes. Shane left the company as of January 1, 2010; while Stephanie continues to be active in a backstage role.McMahon has six grandchildren: Declan James and Kenyon Jesse McMahon and a grandson born in 2010, sons of Shane and his wife Marissa; and Aurora Rose, Murphy Claire & Vaughn Evelyn Levesque, daughters of Stephanie and her husband Paul "Triple H" Levesque.[90]
Wealth
McMahon has a $12 million penthouse in Manhattan, a $40 million mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, a $20 million vacation home,[91] and a 47-foot sports yacht named Sexy Bitch.[91][92] Forbes has noted McMahon's wealth at 1.1 billion dollars, backing up the WWE's claim he was a billionaire for the year 2001,[93][94] although he was reported to have since dropped off the list between 2002 and 2013.[95] In 2014, McMahon returned to the Forbes list, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion.[1]Harassment allegations
Rita Chatterton (ring name: "Rita Marie") was a former referee who is noted for her stint in the WWF in the 1980s. She is known for being the first ever female referee in the WWF, possibly in pro wrestling history.[96] Her times there, however, were shrouded in controversy, due to sexual harassment charges against owner 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.[97]On February 1, 2006, McMahon was accused of sexual harassment by a worker at a Boca Raton, Florida tanning bar.[98] At first, the charge appeared to be discredited because McMahon was in Miami for the 2006 Royal Rumble at the time. 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.[99] On March 27, a Florida television station reported that no charges would be filed against McMahon as a result of the investigation.[citation needed]
Legal trial
In 1993, he was indicted after a steroid controversy engulfed the promotion.[100] McMahon was put on trial in 1994, accused of distributing steroids to his wrestlers.[101] One former wrestler, Nailz, was called by the prosecution to testify against McMahon, stating that Vince encouraged him to start using steroids. Ultimately, the jury disregarded his testimony after he claimed he hated McMahon.[102][103] His wife Linda became 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, however, when called to testify, Hogan stated that at no time did Vince McMahon ever sell steroids.In wrestling
 |
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (August 2013) |
- Finishing moves
- Pedigree (Double underhook facebuster) – Parodied from Triple H
- Corporate Elbow (Running delayed high-impact elbow drop, with theatrics) – Parodied from The Rock
- Atomic Leg Drop (Running leg drop) – Parodied from Hulk Hogan
- McMahon Stunner (Stunner) – Parodied from Steve Austin
- Nicknames
- "The Boss"
- "The Chairman"
- "The Genetic Jackhammer"
- "The Higher Power"
- "Vinnie Mac"
- "The Evil Genius"
- "The Diabolical Owner of the WWF/E"
- Wrestlers managed
- Entrance themes
- "No Chance in Hell" by Peter Bursuker (1999–present)
Championships and accomplishments
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (1996) vs. Eric Bischoff[105]
- PWI Feud of the Year (1998, 1999) vs. Steve Austin[105]
- PWI Feud of the Year (2001) vs. Shane McMahon[105]
- PWI Match of the Year (2006) vs. Shawn Michaels in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22[106]
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Booker (1987, 1998, 1999)
- Best Non-Wrestler (1999, 2000)
- Best Promoter (1988, 1998–2000)
- Feud of the Year (1998, 1999) vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- Worst Feud of the Year (2006) with Shane McMahon vs. D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels and Triple H)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
- Other accomplishments and honors
- Cover of "Muscle & Fitness" (2006)
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Sacred Heart University.[110][111]
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
| Wager | Winner | Loser | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hair | Donald Trump (represented by Bobby Lashley) |
Mr. McMahon (represented by Umaga) |
Detroit, Michigan | April 1, 2007 | This was the billed as "The Battle of the Billionaires" (WrestleMania 23) |
Vince McMahon and Donald Trump's Battle of the Billionaires
This article is about Vincent Kennedy McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO. For his father, see Vince McMahon, Sr.
| Vince McMahon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Vincent Kennedy McMahon August 24, 1945 Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States |
| Other names | Mr. McMahon Vincent K. McMahon Vince McMahon, Jr. |
| Alma mater | East Carolina University |
| Occupation | Chairman and CEO, WWE |
| Net worth |  $1.4 billion (2014)[1] |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 248 pounds (112 kg)[2] |
| Title | Chairman (1980–present) President (1980–1993) CEO (1980–1993; 2009–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Linda McMahon (m. 1966) |
| Children | Shane McMahon (born 1970) Stephanie McMahon-Levesque (born 1976) |
| Parents | Vincent James McMahon Vicky H. Askew |
| Website | |
| WWE Corporate Bio | |
McMahon plays an in-ring character known by the ring name Mr. McMahon, based on his real life persona. He is a two-time world champion, having won the WWF Championship in 1999 and ECW World Championship in 2007. He was also the winner of the 1999 Royal Rumble.
McMahon is married to Linda McMahon, with whom he ran WWE from its establishment in 1980 until she resigned as the CEO in September 2009.[4]
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