Vince McMahon
BIOGRAPHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_McMahon
as of August 29th
Vincent Kennedy
McMahon (born August
24, 1945 in Pinehurst, North Carolina) is an American
Billionaire
wrestling promoter, professional wrestler, on-screen personality,
and former play-by-play announcer. He is the Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder and
majority shareholder
of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
(WWE).
Vincent Kennedy
McMahon was born in Pinehurst, North Carolina. He attended
Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia, where he became the
first cadet in the school's history to be court-martialed.
He was not convicted, however. He graduated from East Carolina University in 1968 with a degree in
Business Administration/Marketing. He had married Linda
Edwards (also an ECU
graduate) in his junior year in 1966. His son Shane
Brandon McMahon was born in 1970.
Vince was raised as Vinnie
Lupton. His mother Victoria 'Vicki' Lupton remarried after her first
marriage to famed wrestling promoter Vincent James McMahon failed during World War
II. Vince also has a slightly older half-brother Rodney McMahon, who is
understood to work in the steel industry in Texas.
Vince didn't meet his
biological father Vincent J. McMahon until he was twelve. Living
in a trailer park in Havelock, North Carolina, he had only
known a string of abusive stepfathers until his mother revealed that his father was
Vincent J. McMahon. McMahon's company the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling
Federation) and its parent company the Capitol Wrestling Corporation had
dominated pro wrestling in the northeastern United States during the
mid-twentieth century when the wrestling industry was divided into strictly
regional enterprises.
Father and son
quickly bonded. The elder McMahon was willing to give his son, then a
struggling traveling salesman, a shot in Bangor,
Maine. In 1971,
he promoted his first wrestling card there. In 1972, in addition to
promoting, McMahon provided play-by-play TV commentary for the WWWF, but
promotion was his real interest.
Throughout the 1970s, McMahon became
a prominent force in his father's company, and pushing 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 was born. In 1979, the WWWF became
the WWF, and Vincent K. purchased the Cape
Cod Coliseum, which held both hockey
and wrestling events. In 1980, he incorporated Titan Sports, Inc., which would purchase
the Capitol Wrestling Corporation from his father in 1982.
Against his father's
expressed wishes, McMahon began a national expansion process that would
fundamentally change the business. By 1983, Vince had full control and
ownership of the WWF and its future direction, having bought out all of his
father's former partners, including the legendary Gorilla
Monsoon. As part of the deal, Vince promised Monsoon lifetime employment,
and Monsoon did in fact remain affiliated with the WWF until his death. Vince's
father died in 1984,
leaving his son behind to carry on his pro wrestling legacy. The first thing
that he did as full owner of the WWF was to break away from the National Wrestling Alliance, as his
vision of a new, national wrestling promotion was incompatible with their
old-school promoting philosophy.
In Rocky III,
Hulk Hogan
began to expand on his new-found celebrity and
returned to Vince McMahon's all-new WWF. Hogan won the WWF
Championship on January 23, 1984—just weeks after his return—and McMahon
helped engineer Hogan's immersion 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 Alice
Cooper and 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. With Hulk Hogan as the
performer and McMahon as the promoter, the two worked to take the pro wrestling
business to places that no one ever deemed imaginable.
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.
The culmination of
the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection was the first-ever WrestleMania
event at Madison Square Garden in New
York City. 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
The investment paid off, and the inaugural WrestleMania was a resounding
financial success. The show became an annual event, held every March or April.
McMahon followed the success of the event by launching a series of other yearly
pay-per-view events including Survivor
Series, held roughly every Thanksgiving,
SummerSlam
in 1988 and the Royal Rumble in 1989.
McMahon ventured
outside of wrestling by founding a bodybuilding
company called the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF).
At roughly the same time, some die-hard NWA territories run by Jim Crockett, Jr., badly bruised by McMahon's
tactics of attempting to undermine Crockett's shows by threatening PPV carriers
of withholding his WrestleMania if they showed Crockett's shows and
placing his shows directly opposite of Crockett's (a tactic that Ted Turner and
Eric
Bischoff would later employ on McMahon), as well as WWF's garish comic book
heroes, sold up to Ted Turner, thus creating World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
WCW never really troubled the WWF at this juncture when it came to TV ratings
or attendances.
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 but later admitted to 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 even though Hogan's testimony defended McMahon.
After Hogan's testimony, McMahon would go before the media declaring that he
wished that Hogan had not lied about him on the witness stand. McMahon's
rationale for stating such a comment was later revealed to be his attempt at
vilifying Hogan before he entered WCW. Despite not being convicted, McMahon and
the WWF took a major public relations hit. The WWF's popularity sharply
declined from that point, mainly in part to even more poor ideas and matches
being served up in Vince's enforced absence.
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, McMahon resisted, and the WWF's
product quality continued to sink. WWF fans now witnessed McMahon – who to many
was known more for being an enthusiastic face announcer rather than the WWF
owner, although despite being lesser known as owner of the WWF, no secret was
made of it – "screw" Bret Hart out of the WWF Title "for real." This also made Vince
turn heel for the very first time. After the 1997 Survivor Series and his
participation in the Montreal Screwjob, McMahon inserted himself into
the WWF show as the hot tempered, unfair evil owner character "Mr.
McMahon", who conspired and meddled in the affairs of other fan favorite
wrestlers. He eventually led various heel stars in the Corporation stable, which complemented the
Austin vs. McMahon feud that saw popular beer-guzzling anti-hero Stone Cold Steve Austin challenge McMahon's
authority every week on RAW and business really picked up again. In the
spring of 1998, the WWF solidified itself as the wrestling ratings king and
never looked back. As both a face and a heel, the Mr. McMahon
character would play a prominent on camera role, feuding with top stars such as
The
Undertaker, The Rock and Triple H. One
storyline even involved him becoming WWE
Champion. Storylines would also involve the character feuding with members
of his own immediate family - Stephanie, Shane
and Linda.
In 1999, McMahon took
the WWF public; the McMahon family retained the
vast majority of voting shares, however. Forbes placed
his net worth at $1.7 billion.
In 2001, his company
created a joint venture with NBC for a new professional football
league called the XFL.
The league folded after one season and is widely regarded as a colossal failure.
He and NBC lost over 30 million dollars that year. Also in 2001, the North
American wrestling landscape changed forever when the WWF purchased the
assets of its long-ailing rival, WCW. AOL
Time Warner, then WCW's parent company, was looking to cut costs
dramatically in the wake of its merger. McMahon eventually purchased the rights to ECW's video
library and trademarks. With these purchases, WWE became virtually the only
pro wrestling organization in North America. McMahon ruled North American
wrestling virtually unchallenged until 2002, when veteran
wrestling promoter Jerry Jarrett and his son, former WWF and WCW star Jeff,
created Total Nonstop Action (TNA).
In May 2002 (as noted
by the interchangeable usage of different acronyms for the company in this
article), 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. Eventually McMahon hired his heated rival, former WCW
President Eric Bischoff to play an on-camera, kayfabe role as RAW
general manager, effectively signaling the end of the WCW/WWF rivalry.
After feuds with Ric Flair,
a returning Hulk
Hogan and the Undertaker, McMahon's on-camera character would become
less prominent for two years. However, the character resumed a more regular
role after WWE Homecoming. This time he allied himself with
Shane, Linda and Stephanie McMahon. His on-camera persona resumed a feud with
Steve Austin. Shortly after, he started a feud with Shawn
Michaels and eventually Triple H, which led to the return of D-Generation
X. During this feud he claimed that Michaels was saved from destruction at WrestleMania
22 by God and formed his own religion (McMahonism).
His on-camera storylines involved him firing Jim Ross and
on-camera RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff. Mr. McMahon began serving
as the interim General Manager of RAW, although he gave the
primary duties to "Executive Assistant" Jonathan
Coachman.
The "Mr.
McMahon" character has several gimmicks that have become integral parts of
McMahon's on-camera persona. The crowd has responded to him in chants such as
"ASSHOLE". Some fans bow showing their honorable respect for Vince
McMahon and what he has made the company of what it is today.
When Vince walks down
the ring, he usually performs a certain "strut" in which is called by
WWE Commentator Jim
Ross as The Power Walk. This is practically an overexaggerated strut
that Vince performs while walking down the ring while swinging his arms- and this
is usually aided with comments by Jim Ross such as "There's only one man
that walks like that", or "The Power Walk means bad news for
somebody". The Power Walk is used to get a reaction out of the crowd
(especially when he's a heel) but it also provides comic relief for fans as
well. WWE Superstar Mick Foley 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".
In wrestling
storylines, one of McMahon's more notable gimmicks is his ability to terminate
whomever he feels from either a position or the company. When
"firing" an employee, McMahon's mannerism is usually an over-the-top
utterance of "YOU'RE FIRED!" This is a list of those whom he has
"fired."
McMahon's other
trademark gimmick is the "Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club." It refers
to those people who have literally kissed Mr. McMahon's backside, often
involuntarily, in order to either get or keep a job, or secure future
championship opportunities within the company.
It is a trademark
gimmick that is popular with the fans, despite the character status (face or
heel) Vince McMahon may be playing. It is mainly used for comic
relief. However, some fans find this gimmick to be disrespectful to those involved,
particularly to the long-time WWE alumni Jim Ross and Shawn Michaels.
William
Regal was the first member of the club. WWE RAW
announcer Jim
Ross, the second member, was forced to join when McMahon spotted him
laughing; the Undertaker seemed to come to Ross' rescue, but made his last heel
turn to date when he shoved "Good Ol' JR's" face into McMahon's rear.
During McMahon's feud
with Shawn Michaels, the "Heartbreak Kid" was
forced to join the club after being knocked out with a steel chair saving Marty
Janetty from joining the club at the hands of Chris Masters. Shane
McMahon shoved the unconscious Michaels' face into his rear. The elder
McMahon tried to force Michaels to kiss his ass a second time at WrestleMania
22, but this time, Michaels got the upper hand and it was Shane who
suffered the indignity of kissing his unknowing father's rear.
Mick Foley
is the most recent inductee of the club, having voluntarily joined in order to
save the job of WWE Diva Melina after Vince explained that it wasn't Foley who
would be fired if he didn't kiss his posterior. Melina then gave Mick a low
blow from behind, and the trio of Shane McMahon, Vince McMahon, and Melina
fired Foley instead.
Several attempts to
have others join the "Kiss My Ass Club" have failed, including Zach Gowen,
Steve Austin, Trish Stratus, Marty Janetty,
and most recently Triple H. Stratus was saved by The Rock, Gowen and Austin
low-blowed McMahon, while Triple H gave him a Pedigree. In addition, Eric
Bischoff was offered a chance to join the Kiss My Ass club in 2003, but
when he refused, McMahon told Bischoff that he would be the first member of the
"Vince McMahon Kick Your Ass Club" when he ordered Bischoff to face
the returning "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at the 2003 WWE
No Way Out PPV.
On February 1,
2006, McMahon was accused of sexual
harassment by a worker at a Boca Raton tanning bar[1].
The worker said that he "groped her and harassed her." The charge was
thought to have been discredited as McMahon was at the post-Royal Rumble company meeting in Miami
during the alleged event. However, Dave
Meltzer reported that confusion about the alleged day occurred due to a Florida newspaper
reporting that the accuser had stated that the incident took place on Sunday
when it in fact is reported to have taken place Saturday. Meltzer reported that
"The confusion is because the alleged victim told police the story on
Sunday, but apparently not that it happened on Sunday." The Florida
Sun-Sentinel reported that police reports say that the reported incident
took place Saturday (See [2].).
On March 27,
2006, a Television station in Florida reported that no charges would be filed
against Vince McMahon as a result of the investigation into allegations that he
groped a tanning salon attendant.
McMahon has also come
under fire for constantly placing himself into sexual angles with many WWE
Divas, including Sable/Rena Mero and Trish
Stratus.
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. The
sexual references and the ever popular and also controversial group of D-Generation
X has been the center of this as well as Stone Cold Steve Austin for his trademark
drinking of beer (sometimes the beer was labeled as "Steveweiser")
and gesturing his middle finger quite often. (Though the latter was initially
not liked by McMahon himself, according to Austin on the A&E
Biography featuring Austin.)
The new McMahon
DVD features commentary from Stephanie where she says that she had to nix a
potential incest
angle. According to her, Vince to reveal himself as the father of her baby and
when she said no, he pushed for Shane to be the father. Stephanie turned that idea
down also. She also said no to Vince's idea that her wedding to Triple H be
aired live on PPV and that the only reason Vince ever hired Eric Bischoff was
just to be able to say that his longtime nemesis once worked for him.
In 2001, Vince McMahon was
interviewed by Playboy
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, displaying a well-chiseled physique. 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.
The McMahon
DVD cover features a split image of McMahon in a business suit and in wrestling
attire.
On August 22, 2006, a two-disc DVD
set showcasing McMahon's career was released. The DVD is simply titled McMahon.
The DVD includes the
following McMahon matches:
While much of the DVD
paints McMahon in a good light (the chapter on the XFL gives the impression
it was a daring idea not a massive failure), several segments did point out
some of his drawbacks. Greg Gagne accuses Vince of destroying his father Verne
and the AWA, almost
everyone besides Vince talks of how horrible the Katie Vick
angle was and many wrestlers discuss how stubborn Vince can be and how he
refuses to listen to others.
Vince married Linda
McMahon on August
6, 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: Stephanie and Shane,
both of whom work for WWE. A third child was falsely rumored, but the rumor
stemmed from a picture featuring Shane, Vince, Stephanie, Linda and Marissa Mazzola-McMahon, Shane's wife. He
has a 12 million dollar penthouse in NYC, a 40 million dollar mansion in
Greenwich, CT. and a 20 million dollar vacation home in Boca Raton, Fl, he is
also the owner of the famous 30 million dollar WWE jet that was recently seen
on RAW when Kayfabe story had Shawn Micheals and Triple H spray paint the Jet.
He became a billionaire in 2000 and is still considered the most powerful man
in sports entertainment.
Vince has two
grandsons: Shane's sons, Declan James McMahon and Kennedy Jesse McMahon, and
one granddaughter, Aurora Rose Levesque, daughter to Stephanie and Paul
Levesque, A.K.A Triple H.
§
1999 Royal Rumble Winner
Won from Triple H on September
14, 1999 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Vacated the
title on September 20, 1999
§
1997 Feud of the Year (vs. Eric Bischoff)
§
1998 Feud of the Year (vs. Steve Austin)
§
1999 Feud of the Year (vs. Steve Austin)
§
2001 Feud of the Year (vs. Shane McMahon)
§
2002 Feud of the Year (vs. Ric Flair)
§
He is a member of the Wrestling Observer
Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996)
§
1987 Best Booker
§
1988 Best Promoter
§
1998 Best Booker
§
1998 Best Promoter
§
1999 Best Booker
§
1999 Best Promoter
§
2000 Best Promoter
§
1998 Feud of the Year (vs. Steve Austin)
§
1999 Feud of the Year (vs. Steve Austin)
§
1999 Best Non-Wrestler
§
2000 Best Non-Wrestler