Vince McMahon

Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 24, 1945 in Pinehurst, North Carolina), is an American professional wrestling promoter.

As WWF Chairman

The 80s boom

In 1984, McMahon built the new WWF around a young, all-American babyface named Hulk Hogan. Hogan had previously worked for McMahon's father, but had defected to Verne Gagne's AWA promotion in Minnesota. After appearing in Rocky III, Hogan began to exploit his new-found celebrity, and returned to Vince McMahon's all-new WWF. Hogan won the WWF Title just weeks after his return, on January 23, 1984, and helped engineer Hogan's insurgence into the mainstream entertainment media, in which Hogan was portrayed as the ultimate all-American good guy. McMahon did not stop there, however, inviting rock and pop stars such as Cyndi Lauper to participate in WWF storylines in what would come to be called the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. The popularity of the WWF increased exponentially as MTV often featured wrestling in its programming to follow the exploits of music stars and other celebrities in the wrestling world. McMahon called the incorporation of pro wrestling among other types of entertainment such as music and movies Sports Entertainment. Hogan even co-hosted Saturday Night Live and had his own CBS cartoon series. With Hulk Hogan as the perfomer, and McMahon as the promoter, the two worked to take the pro wrestling business to places no one ever deemed imaginable.

Related Topics:
1984 - Babyface - Hulk Hogan - Verne Gagne - AWA - Minnesota - Rocky III - Celebrity - WWF - January 23 - American - Cyndi Lauper - Storylines - MTV - Saturday Night Live - CBS - Cartoon

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Around the same time, McMahon publicly admitted the secret behind kayfabe in pro wrestling: that its outcomes were predetermined, moves planned and rehearsed, and that wrestlers played character roles much like Hollywood actors do. While general knowledge to most wrestling fans, this admission broke the final taboo of the old ways of wrestling, and earned McMahon much ire among old-school fans, wrestlers, and promoters, who were already incensed at McMahon for his invasion into long-held NWA territories. Then-NWA Champion Harley Race was very vocal of his frustrations toward McMahon and the WWF; when promoting a show in his hometown of Kansas City, Race supposedly attempted to burn down a WWF ring. Interestingly, Race jumped ship to the WWF just two years later, and became "King" Harley Race.

Related Topics:
Kayfabe - Character - Hollywood - Actors - Harley Race - Kansas City

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The culmination of the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection was the first-ever WrestleMania event at Madison Square Garden in New York City. While wrestling mega-events were not a new idea (the NWA's StarrCade had existed for several years), WrestleMania, held on March 31, 1985, was innovative in its inclusion of mainstream stars, including Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, old pal Muhammad Ali, Billy Martin, Liberace, and the Radio City Rockettes. McMahon promoted the event across the country on closed-circuit TV (pay-per-view technology was not yet sufficiently developed), pouring all of his and his company's resources into what was widely seen in the business as a long shot.

Related Topics:
WrestleMania - Madison Square Garden - New York City - StarrCade - March 31 - 1985 - Mr. T - Billy Martin - Liberace - Radio City Rockettes - Pay-per-view

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The investment paid off, and the inaugural WrestleMania was a resounding financial success. The show became an annual event, held every March or April, with it already completing 21 incarnations. WrestleMania III on March 29, 1987 was the most popular, drawing 93,173 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan and many more viewers on PPV for the much-anticipated showdown between WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and challenger André the Giant. This is the famous match which saw Hogan bodyslam the 7'4", 520-pound Giant, and hand André a rare pinfall defeat.

Related Topics:
March - April - WrestleMania III - March 29 - 1987 - Pontiac Silverdome - Pontiac, Michigan - André the Giant

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Also in 1987, McMahon launched a second annual PPV extravaganza, known as the Survivor Series, held roughly every Thanksgiving. In August 1988, the SummerSlam series was launched, and then in January 1989 the Royal Rumble spectacular was added to the calendar. Things stayed like this until 1993, when a fifth PPV, King of the Ring launched. By 1996, the WWF were promoting 12 pay-per-view cards; one a month. The big five events stayed in their traditional places, while the other months played host to the In Your House shows, which were generally shorter and cheaper to view than the main five shows. In September 1997, the In Your House concept was amended to fill three hours as per the other five main cards, and it has roughly remained this way ever since with, McMahon now promoting one, maybe two, three-hour PPV cards each calendar month.

Related Topics:
Survivor Series - Thanksgiving - August - 1988 - SummerSlam - January - 1989 - Royal Rumble - 1993 - King of the Ring - 1996 - In Your House - September - 1997 - Cards

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From 1988 to around 1992, the WWF firmly ruled when it came to "sports entertainment." At roughly the same time, some die-hard NWA territories run by Jim Crockett, Jr., badly bruised by McMahon's ego and his garish comic book heroes, sold up to Ted Turner, thus creating WCW. WCW never really troubled the WWF at this juncture when it came to TV ratings or attendances, but it was generally accepted amongst many that WCW had the edge when it came to "real" pro wrestling.

Related Topics:
1992 - Jim Crockett, Jr. - Comic book - Ted Turner - WCW

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However, around 1992, things began to change. Alleged steroid abuse among the wrestlers came under scrutiny, and Hulk Hogan was nearing the end of his big run in the WWF at the time. The equally 'well-sculptured' Sid Justice vanished, and a comeback run for the 'chiseled' Ultimate Warrior was aborted that year after 7 months. Smaller, more technical wrestlers such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair were prime beneficiaries of this shift in focus, as were rather unorthodox stars such as the "sumo" wrestler Yokozuna. However, silly storylines and characters still abounded throughout 1993 in particular, with an expensive and failed attempt to turn Lex Luger into the next Hogan not helping matters. By 1994, things were slowly turning in WCW's favor, especially when they signed Hulk Hogan.

Related Topics:
Steroid - Sid Justice - Ultimate Warrior - Bret Hart - Shawn Michaels - Ric Flair - Yokozuna - Lex Luger - 1994

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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, but later admitted taking steroids himself in the 80s. The prosecution made Hulk Hogan its star witness, and his testimony in the trial severely damaged the two's friendship. Despite not being convicted, McMahon and the WWF took a major public relations hit. The WWF's popularity defintely declined from that point, mainly in part to even more dumb ideas and matches being served up in Vince's enforced absence.

Related Topics:
Trial - 1994 - CEO - 80s

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The Monday Night Wars and WWF Attitude

In 1997, the WWF and its flagship show on the USA Network, Monday Night Raw, were consistently losing the ratings war with WCW and its new show, WCW Monday Nitro, which premiered in September 1995. Despite the fans' loud yearning for less over-the-top gimmicks like "The Patriot" and "Doink the Clown", the returning McMahon resisted, and the WWF product was very much as it had been in late 80s and early 90s. Meanwhile, WCW's nWo storyline, which blurred the division between pro wrestling and reality, was cutting edge, and viewers deserted the WWF in droves. Eventually, taking notice of his main competition as well as upstart Extreme Championship Wrestling, McMahon started moving the WWF toward more adult-oriented and reality-based storylines. This concept, which the WWF openly marketed as WWF Attitude, really began with the infamous Montreal Screwjob at that year's Survivor Series PPV in November. At the event, Vince McMahon conspired to remove the WWF Championship from then-champion Bret Hart, who was soon leaving for the rival WCW. The event went down, and WWF fans witnessed McMahon, who to many was largely known as an announcer rather than the WWF owner, "screw" Bret Hart out of the WWF Title "for real."

Related Topics:
1997 - USA Network - Monday Night Raw - WCW Monday Nitro - September - 1995 - The Patriot - Doink the Clown - 90s - NWo - Extreme Championship Wrestling - WWF Attitude - Montreal Screwjob

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After the 1997 Survivor Series, McMahon inserted himself into the WWF show as an evil owner character, Mr. McMahon, who (fictionally) conspired and meddled in the affairs of other fan favorite wrestlers. He eventually led various heel stars in the 'Corporation' stable, which complimented the prolific Austin vs. McMahon feud which saw popular beer-guzzling, finger-waving, profanity-spewing anti-hero Stone Cold Steve Austin challenge McMahon's authority every week on Raw, and business really picked up.

Related Topics:
Evil owner - Stable - Feud - Anti-hero - Stone Cold Steve Austin

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In the spring of 1998, the WWF solidified itself as the wrestling ratings king and never looked back. After a complex storyline with The Undertaker in 1999, McMahon turned face, then heel, then vanished, then returned as a face again during a feud with Triple H. On the September 16, 1999 edition of SmackDown!, McMahon defeated Triple H to become the WWF Champion with assistance from several people including his son Shane and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Related Topics:
1998 - The Undertaker - 1999 - Turned - Triple H - September 16 - SmackDown!

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He relinquished the belt the following week on Raw and Triple H went on to regain it in a "Six-Pack Challenge" at the Unforgiven PPV which featured Austin as guest referee. In December of that year, McMahon (as a babyface) established himself as a legitimate physical presence in a thirty minute 'No Holds Barred' match with Triple H at the Armageddon PPV. His daughter, Stephanie, turned heel for the first time by turning on her father at the end of the match, thus starting the McMahon-Helmsley Era storyline.

Related Topics:
Unforgiven - December

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Mr. McMahon was both a face and a heel on WWF programming for the next several years, turning on The Rock at WrestleMania 2000, having to combat the WCW/ECW Alliance, and siding with Kurt Angle after the Alliance's demise. In 2003, Hulk Hogan, who had returned to WWE in 2002, and McMahon turned their real-life animosity over McMahon's steroid trial into fuel for a wrestling storyline, and the two had a street fight match at WrestleMania XIX. His last match was against Eric Bischoff on Monday Night RAW with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the Guest Referee. The Match ended in a no contest when Brock Lesner of SmackDown! interfered in the match by giving Austin an F5. During that time it was a heel vs. heel match, since Vince still had a fued with Austin, especially when he told him that he sucks as a referee which made Austin very mad.

Related Topics:
The Rock - WrestleMania 2000 - WCW/ECW Alliance - Kurt Angle - 2003 - 2002 - WrestleMania XIX - Eric Bischoff - Brock Lesner

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Now 60 years old, Mr. McMahon no longer wrestles and makes far less frequent appearances on WWE TV. When he does appear, he generally receives face reactions and makes fan-pleasing storyline decisions, such as firing then-SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle in 2004, and antagonizing former rival turned RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff. Most recently Vince made a appearance at WWE Homecoming on October 3, 2005, where he showed highlights of his favorite moments of beating up Stone Cold Steve Austin. At which point Austin made his entrance, told Vince he didn't like being made fun of and stunned McMahon.

Related Topics:
2004 - WWE Homecoming - October 3 - 2005

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The new millennium and the birth of WWE

In 1999, McMahon took the WWF public; the McMahon family retained the vast majority of voting shares, however. Forbes has put his net worth at $700 million.

Related Topics:
1999 - Public - Forbes - $

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In 2001, his company created a joint venture with NBC for a new professional football league, the XFL. The league folded after one season and is widely regarded as a colossal failure.

Related Topics:
2001 - NBC - Football - XFL

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Also in 2001, the North American wrestling landscape changed forever when McMahon purchased his then-failing rival, WCW. AOL Time Warner, then WCW's parent company, was looking to cut costs dramatically in the wake of its merger. WCW was an easy choice, since it was now losing millions of dollars a year after the departure of figurehead and nWo architect Eric Bischoff. ECW went bankrupt that same year, and McMahon purchased the rights to its video library and trademarks. This WCW, ECW, and WWF "merger" created the biggest and practically only major pro wrestling organization in North America. Since then, however, the WWF failed to hold onto WCW and ECW viewers as well as many of its own viewers, and the wrestling business is largely viewed to be in decline. In fairness, McMahon would be the first to point out that the company is still very profitable, making millions of dollars a year, and its brand recognition is strong.

Related Topics:
North American - AOL Time Warner - Merger - Figurehead

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Having saturated itself with its own talent as well as much of the former talent WCW and ECW, the WWF underwent a talent roster and brand split a year later, creating separate WWF RAW and WWF SmackDown! (a new WWF show broadcast on the United Paramount Network beginning in 1999) brand both with exclusive title belts.

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In May 2002, McMahon changed the WWF's name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit with the World Wildlife Fund over the use of and trading using the WWF initials.

Related Topics:
May 2002 - Changed the WWF's name - World Wrestling Entertainment - World Wildlife Fund

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