A couple of Vince questions for ya...
1) I remember reading an old Raw review of yours where you covered Vince interviewing Brian Pillman's clearly hysterical wife on live TV the night after he died... And how Vince kept nudging her to publicly declare that Pillman has had previous heart conditions to make it clear that Pillman wasn't taking anything at the time of his death, all to take the heat off of himself. Which was obviously a sickeningly scumbag move. A lot of people probably don't remember this incident... Which brings me to my question: What are some of the lesser known acts of villainy Vince has committed over the years?
2) When do you think we'll ever get to see a Vince McMahon (auto)biography and under what circumstances (and authorship)? Vince has to know this would have huge mass-market appeal (even outside of wrestling fans, likely) so the thought must have crossed someone's mind. And if not the McMahon family, do you think any other WWE affiliate or Vince confidant might eventually come out with an honest to god tell-all book about his life (as opposed to the distorted, self-congratulatory fluff piece I'm sure anyone involved with WWE would release)?
Thanks!
1) By his own admission he had sex with a LOT of Divas over the years. In his Playboy interview he pretty much said he'd been unfaithful to Linda for the entirety of their marriage, and there's been stories about women getting fired for not agreeing to perform various sex acts on him.
2) Closest one I've read is Sex Lies and Headlocks, which paints him in a REALLY negative light, but generally people who are impartial enough to write that sort of a book can't get close enough to him to do so. I think we'll get the WWEized Saint Vince version after he dies, but nothing else.
The interview with Pillman's wife was in bad taste but...dat cleavage.
ReplyDeletei thought sex, lies... portrayed him very objectively.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what Divas Vince banged.
ReplyDeleteI hope we get more un-biased looks at Vince, like the McMahon dvd!
ReplyDeleteIt was just Patterson and Brisco wearing various styles of wigs.
ReplyDeleteThe Pillman wife thing has somehow completely escaped my memory, I know I was watching religiously at that point but I have no recollection of it whatsoever. I suppose in the long run that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThe most vile thing I remember Vince doing was offering his own daughter up to The Ministry of Darkness.
Yeah, but Vince came off looking really bad as a result. I don't think Shaun Assael was biased at all, Vince was just a huge scumbag.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of vile things Vince has done relating to Stephanie, the thought of his I Quit match with Stephanie on the No Mercy 2003 pay-per-view still makes me feel uneasy. Also am I the only one who noticed Vince blatantly staring at Steph's massive cleavage during a backstage segment on the episode of Raw or Smackdown in February 2002 where she was going to marry or renew her vows with Triple H?
ReplyDeleteI don't remember an I Quit Match between those two, 2003 was about when I started dropping off, I'm gonna have to look that up sounds like a trainwreck.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the sleaziest thing he's ever done propose an incest angle to his own daughter? I know Steph references it on of their DVDs. That's gotta be pretty high on the list of terrible shit he's done.
ReplyDeleteOh oh oh, and the time he supposedly covered for Snuka throwing his girlfriend off a roof because Snuka was a name and Vince didn't want it to reflect poorly on his company?
Or that he allegedly sent Dr. D out to show Stossel how real wrestling is, then promptly fired the guy when he did.
Or consistently exploiting workers' real life problems for television, like Pillman's death, Vickie's body image, or torturing Matt Hardy for months after the Lita/Edge thing. Granted, Matt's a terrible person in his own right, but that was hilariously callous.
All that said, I think Vince's sleaze is probably his greatest asset. For all the shysters and con-men running the wrestling business, Vince was the most morally pliable. He didn't care what he had to do, who he had to do it to, or how many times he'd have to do it; he just did it, repeatedly. It's probably why he is where is. That isn't necessarily an admirable thing, but it's definitely something.
can't tell if sarcasm...or mass stupidity
ReplyDelete"Saint Vince" - not to be confused with St. Vincent.
ReplyDeleteVince's sleaziest moment has to be the interview where he made Trish bark like a dog. I've been a fan for about 20 years now and that's the only time I felt truly uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteI bet it's the stupidity. That idiot is a moron.
ReplyDeleteSteph discussing that angle was on the DVD designed for the sole purpose of making McMahon look good no less!
ReplyDeleteNever bothered me because in the end Vince gets his and Trish has revenge-angle followed by payoff
ReplyDeletejust wanted to say that the vince-approved "distorted, self-congratulatory fluff piece" biography of mcmahon would probably be incredibly hilarious and, in a really subversive way, almost as eye-opening as an actual, objective biography would be.
ReplyDeletevince in the church?
ReplyDeleteThat was HILARIOUS
ReplyDeleteWho wouldn't mark out for the 'I HAVE A MASSIVE COCK' imagery in the chapter on consumating his marriage with Linda!
ReplyDeleteI'd rather not. I'd hate to think Trish or someone was Vince tainted...
ReplyDeleteAnd it was kind of hot
ReplyDeleteVince: "I didn't want to but the territories made me do it! And Bret, too! And Barry O! And the federal government! It's all THEIR fault!"
ReplyDeleteI don't think I can imagine Vince speaking a sentence that doesn't end in an exclamation mark.
Was?
ReplyDeleteWhen he finally dies, they need to make a "Citizen Kane" like movie all about his life. It would be awesome. Actually, Citizen Kane is probably the closest movie we have right now to a movie about Vince.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that was an interesting choice for an outfit.
ReplyDeleteWell Trish is hot doing anything... but the segment was uncomfortable. I think Vince is missing that part of the brain that realizes the things you're doing are making people uncomfortable (pretty much any time he was on screen with a Diva).
ReplyDeleteI thought that was some of the better stuff he did. Him and Shane in the church was fantastic.
ReplyDeletetehee
ReplyDeleteI'm writing that story right now actually.
ReplyDeleteLets also remember Vince has happily had his ass absolutely destroyed by Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, and I think even Zach Gowen at one point. So, say what you will about Vince the man, at least he's willing to take his licks for THIS BUSINESS
ReplyDeleteKind of sick, more like it
ReplyDeleteSorry...if I saw a grieving widow crying the say after her husband died, I would not be staring at her tits.
ReplyDeleteFucking love that segmant
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys like... have respect for women... AS PEOPLE?!?!?!?! :: Shudders ::
ReplyDeleteI remember watching it live before knowing how it would end and getting a very uncomfortable feeling. I just had the feeling that even in a storyline purpose it just wasn't right to make her go out there and do that, just too demeaning even though it's all an act.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I didn't get even a tingle in my underwear area for that segment and I'm a big Trish fan.
ReplyDeleteLinda: "on our wedding night I was scared of his massive anaconda but I've grown to love it"
ReplyDeleteSteph: "some nights after dad got home from work we would sit around the fireplace and dad would tell us about his massive cock"
Shane "I have such a small penis, small small penis" *sobs*
This reminds me of his genetic jackhammer promo on Raw after King of the Ring 2000! Funny stuff at the time.
ReplyDeleteYOU!
ReplyDeleteNext WWE DVD idea: Vince's Top 20 Sleaziest Moments, if only so Steve Lombardi has a reason to collect a paycheck.
ReplyDeleteSteve Lombardi has a win streak the same length as Zack Ryder at the moment...
ReplyDeleteI think there are enough BURIED and blacklisted former "superstars" and employees who could piece together a very nice ensemble biography of Vinny Mac that could at least somewhat achieve this goal.
ReplyDelete1 in 20 years?
ReplyDelete1 in a row
ReplyDeleteI don't know who's idea it was but as they say if it makes TV Vince approved it. But Randy Orton's "Eddie's not in heaven, Eddie's in hell" promo shortly after Eddie died was disgusting and I stopped watching Smackdown for a while after that. And I was a HUGE Randy Orton fan at the time too, and it made me hate him. And they also did the crashing the low rider bit with him and Taker. Hard times.
ReplyDeletemy problem with that angle is that it was a de facto-babyface move to have a hot girl strip in the ring (listen to the reactions. a lot of people in the crowd cheer for him ordering Trish to take her clothes off).
ReplyDeleteLoved the whole Shane/Vince/God thing. It was so ludicrous and borderline silly but since it was Vince you just had to admire the craziness of it. And Vince doing the Triple H water spit with Holy Water is one of the funniest things I've seen in wrestling. Wait that actually happened right? I'm not just making it up? Because I swear I remember him doing that but alas I can't find it on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteand don't forget that Steph herself said that it was really suggested that if she was comfortable with Shane instead of Vince. ugh.
ReplyDeleteHeh--I still want to hear CM Punk's story about Vince and "Make A Wish" that he nearly "revealed" in 2011.
ReplyDeleteWell I was 13 then, and 28 now... and one thing has remained the same. I love me some titties.
ReplyDeleteWait... the rack was on display during the home invasion angle with Austin/Pillman... that's the outfit I'm thinking of... I knew that didn't add up.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but he did take one of the sickest blade jobs ever. I mean, blood was literally pouring out of the top of his head.
ReplyDeleteI've read that Sex, Lies, and Headlocks book a few times, and for some reason all I can ever remember from it is the part about some WWE office guy taking an intern to his house or something, showing him gay porn, and saying "does your girlfriend suck your cock like that? I can" and being so creeped/weirded out. I also felt bad for Pat having to resign for a while. I've never heard one bad word about Pat, so you know the allegations towards him are bullshit.
ReplyDeleteI also like how the accused took a nice, fat pay-day and shut up.
Metzler said it best in Beyond The Mat "I wouldn't trust Vince McMahon".
But the thing is, how does someone like Mick Foley have such incredible things to say about him as a person? Mick's probably the nicest guy in wrestling, and you'd think he would clash with someone like Vince, but he paints him as a hero of sorts in his books.
Making the blade job that much more crazy. I think that was also when he said my favorite line "I enjoy ruining people's lives. It turns me on". I mean, holy shit, that's such a crazy/evil thing to say.
ReplyDeletePatrice O'Neal told an awesome story about Vince when he was working for the WWE and I believe they were in the Gorilla Position and Tiger Ali Singh was practically begging to not wear his turban because it disrespected his family and his heritage, etc. and Vince just looked at him and went "Shut up and put on the Turban."
ReplyDeleteYep, that's right. So...is staring allowed during B&Es?
ReplyDeleteI do remember that quote has being one of my favourite Vince quotes along with, 'Life sucks, and then you die!'
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/uDw1nECBqN8
Isn't that the same winning streak Daniel Bryan has at this point too?
ReplyDeleterip patrice
ReplyDeleteDon't forget Shawn Michaels. And yeah, as much as I think Vince is a scumbag I will give him credit for taking some insane bumps through the years. Shane too, that match he had with Angle was fucking nuts.
ReplyDeleteOr as they say in Canada, FUQUE!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the emailer wasn't being literal, but while Melanie Pillman was distressed, "clearly hysterical" is a gross misrepresentation. She was more grimly resigned, which made it all the more uncomfortable, as you could tell she was desperately trying to hold it together and not go "Chris Benoit at Raw Is Eddie." And Vince just kept prodding her as if going for the money shot of an all-out breakdown on live TV. As absolutely absurd as it is to say, it probably would have been less offensive had she actually already been hysterical, since most of what was sleazy about it was the idea that Vince was trying to elicit that response out of her, and kept pressing when he wasn't getting it.
ReplyDeleteI was twelve years old then, and still pretty much a mark, but I absolutely hated everything about that moment, and thought Vince was a total shit-bagel for airing it.
Every last bit of humor.
ReplyDeleteThat is a list of what the two of you have sucked out of this joke.
For as much negative stuff we've heard about Vince, we've also heard some real good things.
ReplyDeleteHe sounds like someone who can be a dick but also very forgiving.
Must I keep saying this? Vince will never die. They will put his head in a jar and attach it to a robot body like Futureama.
ReplyDeleteHe will live long enough to see his granddaughter break Bruno's record for length of title reign when she defends the WWE title on the moon for the first time at Wrestlemania 68.
Like a clip of the husband of a Senatorial candidate was going to survive two elections on Youtube.
ReplyDeleteYes, it happened. And Shane sliding away from Vince as he cut the promo and did the water spit made that segment for me.
That would be fucking hilarious.
ReplyDeleteIt was hilariously offensive.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your priorities are out of whack...
ReplyDeleteYeah, when Shane moved as Vince dared GOD to strike him down was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteWomen? "Divas", please
ReplyDeleteAgree
ReplyDeleteIs sex, lies & headlocks actually worth picking up? I got several amazon gift cards for christmas so I'm looking for some fun reads. I always see it in recommendations (likely due to purchasing Scott's stuff), but no one has ever directly told me to read it or to avoid it.
ReplyDeleteHis opinion has definitely changed though. By the end of Hardcore Diaries you can tell he's really having to bite his tongue. I forget his exact words but he basically says he doesn't like him in many ways, by then.
ReplyDeleteYeah that'd be really credible. Let's bring in Nailz for an unbiased account of Vince's life.
ReplyDeleteI can see the opening now! "Buddy Rose..."
ReplyDeleteAgree with all this, and I was confused when the emailer called this incident "lesser known" because in my eyes it's WAY up there among the scummiest things Vince has ever done.
ReplyDeleteThe robot body or wrestling on the moon?
ReplyDeleteAre you pointing like Hulk Hogan after you say that?
ReplyDeleteIt's been a loooong time since I read it, but I remember enjoying it greatly... I'd say it's worth a grab, especially now that it's probably pretty inexpensive.
ReplyDeleteAnd in his Countdown to Lockdown book, he pretty much says Vince started treating him like a piece of garbage towards the end of his first tenure.
ReplyDeleteI was at the show live where he said that, and everyone in the audience fell out of the angle immediately after Orton said that. It got the big "ooooooooh", but not in a good way that hooked the crowd into it, but more in a "I can't believe they went there" way.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget chairshot after chairshot by Bret Hart. Though McMahon apparently thought the beating he took in that match was going to turn him babyface a la Steve Austin at WM 13.
ReplyDeleteThe best part of any movie based on Vince is the cast. Who do you cast to play such people as Hogan, Piper, and Savage? Or Vince himself?
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a worked B&E. I just couldn't get off to someone who's grieving. Extremely tacky and in poor case (just like Vince putting her on TV at that time in the first place).
ReplyDeleteMe too.
ReplyDeleteWhy the hell did THAT get thumbs down?!
That whole segment I was just waiting for him to mock HHH's water entrance and when he finally did, i fucking exploded. So hilarious.
ReplyDeleteIf i remember correctly, wasn't that actually hardway? The edge of the chair hit him at a weird angle and then busted him open.
ReplyDeleteI loved it, and it's probably in my top 5 of wrestling books. Definitely worth reading.
ReplyDeleteYeah, in Countdown to Lockdown he was VERY negative towards Vince. There were numerous occasions where he would tear him down and then he'd maybe tack on a "and this is coming from somebody who likes Vince" at the end. The word "bitter" has taken a very negative connotation, but I can't think of a better word to use. By the end of his WWE tenure, Mick seemed extremely bitter towards Vince.
ReplyDeleteLoved when Vince said something about God striking him down, and Shane sorta looks at him and then takes a small step away.
ReplyDelete"1) By his own admission he had sex with a LOT of Divas over the years.
ReplyDeleteIn his Playboy interview he pretty much said he'd been unfaithful to
Linda for the entirety of their marriage, and there's been stories about
women getting fired for not agreeing to perform various sex acts on
him."
Never heard this before but I always imagined it would be something Vince would do.
Robot Body.
ReplyDelete...ah.
ReplyDeleteI don't actually remember that interview, but I'm thumbs-uping for Melanie on the Pillman DVD. No wonder Pillman and Warrior both were with her.
ReplyDeleteThe bst part is when he has Shane read the Gospel about him, and eventually Shane just says, "Dad, I'm getting uncomfortable with this..." right when the Gospel starts talking about Vince's genitalia.
ReplyDeleteEven better is the sick blade job he takes after one punch from the Undertaker in their match at Survivor Series that year.
ReplyDeleteI would legitimately cast Harrison Ford as Vince. He has the ability to do soft spoken Vince, and then he can start doing crazy out of his mind grumpy Vince later on.
ReplyDeleteI know Vince ultimately has control, but hasn't Melanie stated several times that she wanted to get the word out there about Brian after his death? In the Pillman doc, she said she requested the TV time (it's not like Vince sent a camera crew and barged into his their home). It was a chaotic time for all involved and I don't really think that was Vince being vile. But that's an opinion from the biggest Pillman mark there was at the time who had a ticket to watch him and the WWF the next day. I was heartbroken and wanted to hear from her for comfort.
ReplyDeleteJust be careful for a few inconsistencies, such as the author stating the Savage/Steamboat WM III match was "nearly an hour long".
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, that's the goddamn funniest thing I've read all day. It's way better when you say it in the Vince voice.
ReplyDeleteAnd was Trish one of them?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I actually have a pre-release copy of the book that Shaun's publisher sent out before final release and I tried to catch as many of those things as I could for them, but I have no idea what they actually changed or ignored from my list.
ReplyDeleteThe Curious Case of Vince McMahon.
ReplyDeleteDo it.
I'm Catholic...
ReplyDelete... and I also loved the segment. Vince basically feuded with himself against Shawn and Taker, doing all these blasphemous promo sketches winding up to him getting his ass kicked. I still laugh at him praying in the ring before Taker hits him so hard he's legit bust open. Then the best 'deus ex machina' ending ever in wrestling with Kane, and Vince's...
THERE ISA GOD
... expression. Amazing!
GET OFF MY PLANE
ReplyDeleteIt's odd, because I barely remember that angle at ALL- I remember that it happened, but the scumminess of it completely passed me by.
ReplyDeleteMick basically admits that Vince can be a huge dick sometimes,and really pisses Mick off (like when he publicly said something negative about Mick's wife). But he ultimately always goes "but every time I think that, I realize he raised a great kid in Stephanie" or something like that.
ReplyDeleteWas the snow globe filled with Blow Away?
ReplyDeleteThere was a used copy on Amazon for a measly $5 so I scooped it up. I assumed there wasn't a 100% reliability or someone would have berated me for not reading it yet, but thanks for the heads up. If it's minor items like that, then it'll be money well spent.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe the way Vince treated him during his stint on commentary. Complete disrespect & bullshit.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Vince and HHH are on Disqus
ReplyDeleteTainted? It's sex dude, not evil magic.
ReplyDeleteTo Hogan/Rock/Austin: "You're one in a million, kid"
ReplyDeleteWasn't that from the Mr. Burns & Bobo episode of the Simpsons before showing up on Futurama?
ReplyDeleteThe best part in the HBK feud was the Family Prayer before the match at WrestleMania 22.
ReplyDelete"God, I don't like you, and you don't like me..."
Its Vince... so in all fairness I would consider it evil sex.
ReplyDelete(Sidenote: "Evil Sex Magic" would have been a better name for the Dungeon of Doom)
I actually really disliked that portion of Mick's book. For whatever reason, he chose THAT point to be vague about Vince's behavior. That was a significant part of the book that was supposed to be the part where we fully understood why their relationship fell apart and why Mick ultimately decided to leave the company and go join the competition. However, he was so vague about the whole thing -- never actually explicitly explaining what Vince said that was so awful -- that i had trouble fully connecting to Mick's plight. He would have been far better off just getting into the gritty details.
ReplyDeleteAnd Shane's terror when Vince said if God was angry, he should smite him with lightning. :D
ReplyDelete