Vince McMahon nearly ruined professional wrestling

As an industry, professional wrestling is booming. WWE continues to break various records as the promotion brings in massive amounts of revenue and profits. All Elite Wrestling is expected to announce a new television deal worth millions of dollars that will set the tone for its future. TNA Wrestling is even experiencing a surge as the partnership with WWE NXT continues. There’s a lot to be excited about in professional wrestling, but this week will also highlight a dark element that needs to be revealed. The Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon is set to release on September 25 and it’s time to have a conversation about how he nearly ruined the entire professional wrestling and sports entertainment industries.

Now, before the masses grab their pitchforks and torches to come to McMahon’s defense (which he doesn’t deserve), let’s have a serious conversation about this matter. Did McMahon lead the establishment of what is known as the WWE, buying the organization from his father in 1982 and pushing it to become a powerful force in entertainment? Yes, he did that. His business acumen and ability to seize the moment helped create iconic stars like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, Becky Lynch, and others.

Yes, his work leading WWE pushed professional wrestling into a massive entertainment venture, with other promotions spawning from that success around the world. While there are several promotions around the world that are older than the WWE, such as CMLL, none would argue that they have the same size, scope, and success that WWE has reached over the decades. In a world where capitalists chase after trends, rather than innovate, WWE’s success has helped create various offshoots that continue to hunt for a sliver of the same success.

It's important to recognize that McMahon played a key part in doing all that good work that furthered the industry that millions around the world enjoy. The Netflix documentary, like others before it, is expected to touch on those points. But it is time to talk about the various problematic issues both in the ring and outside of it that McMahon’s presence influenced across the industry.

The January news about Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and WWE was stunning. And in some ways surprising, but also not surprising in others. Stories about allegations against McMahon were told over the years, but it was a different situation to see them laid out in such a fashion within the legal documentation of this lawsuit. As this matter continues through the legal process, there’s no telling exactly how or when things will play out. This started as a civil lawsuit, but there are developments that are leading many to believe this will eventually become a criminal proceeding with the possibility of massive implications.

McMahon and Laurinaitis being named in the lawsuit is one big issue, but the fact that the WWE is named as well shines light on another major issue that McMahon fostered. Grant’s lawsuit names WWE as it claims the company as a whole systematically made it possible for McMahon to treat Grant in the way stated in the legal proceedings. The biggest promotion in professional wrestling is directly named in a matter alleging its former CEO and Chairman allowed and encouraged disturbing treatment of employees. If the biggest company in space is said to be behaving in such a fashion, there’s no reason to think smaller organizations and the people who work within them would not be susceptible to similar behaviors.

The most powerful man in the most powerful promotion in the industry frequently laughed in the face of accountability for various allegations, both behind the scenes and in front of cameras. It would be nearly impossible to expect smaller promotions to do the right things necessary to “clean up” the business. This is why so many individuals accused of bad acts frequently remain employed instead of being pariahs. Is McMahon single-handedly responsible for bad actors remaining in the industry? No, but it is difficult to do better when the leaders in the business do the opposite.

McMahon’s influence behind the scenes was powerful enough to cause everyone within the company and outside of it to fear him. But his influence in front of them was also measurable. It was often stated that the entirety of WWE was booked for an audience of one. The people that reached the top were of his selection. The types of matches and their outcomes were of his choice. How people were booked – all came directly from McMahon and with his view in mind.

This impacted the business because those decisions became the perceived standard. If WWE booked these types of people and in this fashion to obtain these results, then that must be the only way to do things “right.”  Again, chasing the trend. Women were booked in a specific fashion based on looks and their appeal to McMahon. People of color were frequently cast in stereotypical caricatures, and even well after that practice was shunned on television.

These practices still influence wrestling, sports entertainment, and the perceptions of what works in both. Just look at the online discourse around which performers could be made stars and what style of entertainment “works.” Many of the arguments are based firmly upon the ideals that McMahon instilled in viewers throughout the rise of Monday Night Raw, SmackDown, and beyond. There’s space for variety in wrestling. In fact, wrestling itself could be seen as a variety show of sorts. The top names do not all need to be white men and blonde, white women. There’s space for more people of different backgrounds, shapes, and identities. Vince McMahon’s booking practices showed that he thought differently, and the impact across wrestling has been long felt.

The tribalism of online spaces has created an echo chamber of sorts where there’s still a large contingent of people who support McMahon in all he does, simply because he gave the wrestling world times like the Attitude Era. However, he would become the biggest impediment on advancement and improvement in the industry. As he aged, his inability to think outside his own views led to massive drop-offs in popularity for not only the WWE but also professional wrestling.

WWE won the Monday Night Wars, effectively becoming a monopoly in wrestling for years. Television ratings tanked, as WWE joked about and frequently disrespected fans. Creative direction was at an all-time low. But McMahon was still in power, booking a show that would be nearly unwatchable at times. AEW’s initial success proved that wrestling fans wanted an alternative and that still rings true to this day. However, it was clear that if McMahon were in power, things would not change within the largest promotion in the business.

That was until Vince McMahon initially stepped down to “retire” in July 2022 after an internal investigation by the WWE board. The company made a swing that fans immediately responded to, only for McMahon to force his way in once again in early 2023 – pushing to lead a sale of the company. That sale led to Endeavor, the owners of UFC and several other properties, to purchase the WWE and make McMahon the TKO executive chairman. Triple H was placed in charge of creative, but there was a major concern that McMahon was still finding a way to influence what happened on the show. Then came the allegations and the lawsuit came on January 25, with McMahon resigning again the next day.

Without McMahon on board, WWE is experiencing a boom that has boosted the entire industry. Sellout shows are up. WWE has signed a deal with Netflix. International shows continue to be critically reviewed and television ratings are strong heading into the NFL and College Football seasons. McMahon’s presence wasn’t needed to positively impact the WWE business, and in many ways, he held them back for decades. Think of where the business could be today if he were out of the fold years ago. That’s a thought that no one can answer clearly, but it’s a thought several have had over the years. It’s one that the evidence to an answer is slowly coming in as the industry moves past McMahon.

Vince McMahon’s legacy is going to be discussed time and time again. The documentary coming out on September 25 is just a start. It’s a discussion that is necessary and one that should involve more than his praises for good business and spurts of excellent wrestling television. It is one that should involve the stories of potential victims and those negatively impacted over the years. There needs to be a discussion on if McMahon nearly ruined the wrestling industry because it’s a conversation worth having.