Vince's Final Thoughts...?

Jimmy Bottlehead

Have had a thought bouncing around my head the last couple of days.
From all we know of Vince McMahon, the man is an very unique individual - a genius at times (WrestleMania I, upping the risque factor for the Attitude Era), while making some absolutely ridiculous decisions (XFL, WBF, Katie Vick, etc). He is known as a tyrant to talent, ready to suck every morsel of drawing power from them before tossing them aside. He's a control freak, an egomaniac, and an incredibly driven man, to the point where he's apparently not aware of most pop culture references (music, movies, tv shows) in the past 25 years.

Nobody can deny that Vince has changed the wrestling business forever, though some will argue whether that's a good or bad thing.

However, when Vince is finally on his deathbed and looks back over his life, how will he feel? How should he feel?
Should he be proud of his achievements (moving wrestling to the mainstream, making it family-friendly, providing so many men and women the chance to live their dream)?
Or will he regret his decisions? Think of dozens and dozens of dead men and women who were chewed up and spat out by WWF. The marriage breakups caused by life on the road, the children affected. Owen Hart, Chris Benoit. Potentially sending the wrestling business into a downward spiral from which it may not recover by killing kayfabe.

I just thought it'd make for an interesting topic about a very unique man.

Garseys

Vince will die in the chair so to speak, the man will work until he can't.

Though, he should be fairly proud, he created an entertainment giant, a worldwide product that is enjoyed by millions of people & a significant effect on showbiz industry.

On the XFL, I believe if the line was drawn clearer between WWF/XFL (as in no WWF involvement apart from same people running it (and JR) ) It would still be around today.

Cactus Colm

When he passes on, I think Vince should be able to look back at his achievments with pride. He revolutionised professional wrestling, turning his company into a billion dollar enterprise, winning the monday night wars, etc.

Not everything worked out, the XFL and the World Bodybuilding Federation being prime examples... but at least he took risks when he didn't have to.

CMpunked

Everything he put 100% of his being into became a success. He proved his nay-sayers wrong.

If there were a few that couldnt handle married life along with the travel, then maybe thats more to do with who they were married to and nothing to do with vinces goals.
As for using someones drawing power, WWE is a business, they are there for two reasons; Entertain and make money and they cant do one without the other.

I think he will be ecstatically proud at the empire he has created and very happy in his mind that he has an astute son in law that he will be handing over the reigns to and not a board who dont understand what he spent his whole life creating.

rovert

I've thought about this myself and just come up with conflicting thoughts.

There has to be a lot of stuff he compartmentalises. Such as wrestling deaths and his direct/indirect role in them & creating that climate. Even so Chavo on Konnan's podcast said Vince still wells up and talks about Eddie from time to time. But you have this freak out as well:

His private regrets over letting UFC on after Raw in 2005 and not being embraced by entertainment or the Connecticut aristocratic communities are pretty well documented too.

But still he has had his fun. :pac: He proved all his Dad's business partners wrong by being able to buy them out, proved all the NWA promoters wrong by running them out of business the Ted Turner etc etc.

D.Q

rovert wrote: »

His private regrets over letting UFC on after Raw in 2005 and not being embraced by entertainment or the Connecticut aristocratic communities are pretty well documented too.

I've never heard that before, whats the story with it?

edit: just watched that video, Vince is a ****ing scary man. haha.

rovert

D.Q wrote: »

I've never heard that before, whats the story with it?

edit: just watched that video, Vince is a ****ing scary man. haha.

Owns one of those uncouth Rasslin companies and makes media appearances like the one above. Also isn't known for his social graces either. Via Dave Meltzer (I posted this just two months ago I know but still):

Frank Deford, generally regarded as one of the best sportswriters who ever lived, and who was a personal mentor of mine some 22 years back when I worked at The National, released a new autobiography this month called “Over Time: My Life as a
Sportswriter.”

In the book, he spoke about Rodney Dangerfield, who he did a series of TV commercials with, and talked about what a jerk he was. Then he said that of all the people he had come across in his life, Dangerfield was only No. 2 on the list, saying No. 1 was Vince McMahon. This one relates directly to me and I am mentioned in the story briefly. It actually had to do with a story at a birthday party for John Fillipelli in 1991, a close personal friend of Deford who at the time was one of the top executives in WWF. Deford and his wife were at the party, as was Vince and a lot of WWF execs.

At the time, Vince was mad at Deford because Deford made the call to hire me, ironically based on the recommendation of one of McMahon’s best friends, Dick Ebersol, as well as the sports editor at the time of the Los Angles Times, John Cherwa. At the party, everyone decided to go bowling. At the bowling alley, apparently there was someone bowling that night named Dick, and Patterson and Vince kept making jokes about penises whenever he’d bowl, which apparently had the Fillipelli family rolling their eyes because these were all upper class types there. Then McMahon and Pat Patterson stole one shoe from Deford as well as his wife while they had their bowling shoes on. Keep in mind these aren’t 20 year olds. Vince at this point is 45 or 46, Patterson is 50, Deford was 52. So when they’re done bowling, the Defords can’t find their shoes and McMahon and Patterson are laughing. So they figure okay, joke, where’s the shoe. But McMahon and Patterson never gave up the shoes and they actually had to leave the party with one shoe each. It’s one thing to do it to a guy, but then doing it to his wife? But what Deford actually was madder about is that after the death of Chris Benoit, Deford wrote a piece, based on an article I wrote at the time, about deaths in pro wrestling. Since it came from Deford, when McMahon testified before Henry Waxman’s committee, and they brought up the article, McMahon claimed that Deford held a grudge against him because he and his wife had their shoes stolen at a party. The idea that he wrote an article about dozens of dead wrestlers, and Vince’s explanation of the article is that he stole the guys shoes 16 years earlier and he was holding a grudge.

starviewadams

Got Trish to strip to her undies and bark like a dog,got to kiss loads of diva's on screen,made grown men kiss his ass,outsmarted a federal jury and turned his auld fella's regional company into a world wide brand worth hundreds of millions of dollars.I'd say he'll be happy enough when he finally croaks!

Garseys

rovert wrote: »

Owns one of those uncouth Rasslin companies and makes media appearances like the one above. Also isn't known for his social graces either. Via Dave Meltzer (I posted this just two months ago I know but still):

You can take the man out of hicksville but you cant take the hicksville out of the man.

rovert

Garseys wrote: »

You can take the man out of hicksville but you cant take the hicksville out of the man.

Gerald Briscoe has a legendarily weak stomach. It has been a topic even going back as far as his wrestling days with his brother Jack in the 70s/80s. In Beyond the Mat if I remember you can see him in the background running out of the office when the topic of Droz puking comes up. JR does tease him asking does he want to stay/he should see it. Anyway according to Kevin Kelly on the old IWantWrestling podcast Vince once accidently **** his underwear then took them off and put them on a stick and chased Gerry with them for ages backstage.

Charisteas

So how many divas has Vince slept with in his lifetime?

CMpunked

Charisteas wrote: »

So how many divas has Vince slept with in his lifetime?

More than 1 and less than 10.
Or maybe 100.

Charisteas

CMpunked wrote: »

More than 1 and less than 10.
Or maybe 100.

Any names?

Mr.Saturn

"So, who actually did hire Raven?"

Motion118

Looking back, he'll have a lot to be proud of. He revolutionized the sport by bringing it to a mainstream audience and has made the WWE the biggest wrestling company in the US with no one (today) coming close to them, as I'm sure he always intended it to be. His whole vision of what professional wrestling should be came to fruition, and so, he'll probably die a proud man.

In terms of regrets though, I still think he feels in some way responsible for some of those wrestling deaths, even if he won't admit it. I'm not saying he's to blame for all the deaths that occurred in his company, but there's no denying that he turned a blind eye to the whole situation for years.

Stereomaniac

I'd imagine Vince will think to himself, as he shuffles off of this mortal coil, "I really showed those bastards." He strikes me as the sort of person who would choose the power over the money (I know they go hand in hand in this situation). From what I have read about him, his television character is an exaggerated version of himself (which is probably why he was so successful in that role). I think he's probably as at peace with himself as he can be, but there are a few people that can probably still bother him. Simply put, I think he'll be reflecting on the battles he won, rather than the standard he set.

GTR63

Stereomaniac wrote: »

his television character is an exaggerated version of himself

After hearing he chased Briscoe with shi*ty underwear on a stick I think he may of been a toned down version of himself.

Charisteas

Stereomaniac wrote: »

I'd imagine Vince will think to himself, as he shuffles off of this mortal coil, "I really showed those bastards." He strikes me as the sort of person who would choose the power over the money

What bastards and what power? WWE's sponsors and the TV Network pretty much dictate what's broadcast on TV these days. If anything, he has less power now then ever before. No more blood, no more inter gender violence, no more sexually innuendo characters on TV anymore. Daniel Bryan chokes someone with a tie? - instant firing and that's the bottom line because the sponsors said so.

Be A Star Tom, Make A Wish D!ck, Support the US troops Harry - Vince doesn't give a sh!t about any of those, it's all for sponsors.

So he lost his grapefruits after the Benoit family tragedy but no doubt about the fact that he can be immensely proud of the empire he's built. Regrets of course, but for the most part, pride.

I doubt it will ever happen but I hope he writes an honest book before he dies.

A Primal Nut

Jimmy Bottlehead wrote: »

Potentially sending the wrestling business into a downward spiral from which it may not recover by killing kayfabe.

To be fair, the internet killed kayfabe. WWE tried to hold onto it longer than most, but they still had to adapt to some degree.

MitchKoobski

rovert wrote: »

Anyway according to Kevin Kelly on the old IWantWrestling podcast Vince once accidently **** his underwear then took them off and put them on a stick and chased Gerry with them for ages backstage.

Man I laughed out loud at that image for a good 3 minutes.

GTR63

I'd be suprised if Vince didn't have a storyline or something lined up for when he passes. Remember reading a few times he is tetchy whenever somebody mentions his age.

Stereomaniac

Charisteas wrote: »

What bastards and what power?

The United States Federal Government. Power over all of his employees, he's the boss.

POSSY

This probably sums up Vince's thoughts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NisCkxU544c