From evil owner to... uh... Evil owner

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

At what point in time in time did Jack Tunney as WWF President just disappear? Someone in the SD spoilers thread posted an editorial by Russo where he mentions Tunney, and I figured by the mid 90s or so he'd faded away from fan's memories or something.

 

Combine that with everyone's knowledge of Vince McMahon purely as an announcer, and I have to wonder how they played to the crowd "oh yeah that one guy was a sham this is the REAL owner"?

[Guest Anglesault]

Gorilla Monsoon fits somewhere in between

[Guest Will Scarlet]

I believe Jack Tunney retired on air, and Monsoon was named his successor.

[cawthon777 0]

The WWF President, dating back to the 70s, was always more of a figurehead than an actual authority-figure. Until Tunney, they almost never appeared on TV.

 

He left on July 4, 1995 and Monsoon took over as interim President. Then Piper took over after Vader squashed Monsoon, then Monsoon returned at WrestleMania XII full-time. I'm not sure if he did anything with that role past 1997.

 

I think Vince's portrayal as the real owner didn't start up until his heat with Austin started brewing in mid to late 97. At that point it was clear that, although Monsoon was President and had control over the wrestlers, McMahon was in the driver's seat as far as the company was concerned.

[Guest tank_abbott]

Yup, I remember Tunney's retirement on air, Wasn't there a list of potential replacements listed, or was that during the Piper era?

[Guest tank_abbott]

Come to think of it, it may have been in a PWI or Raw mag...

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Whoa. I'm suprised Monsoon was on-air for that long.

 

I saw the post-WM14 Raw where Vince was trying to be nice with Austin, telling him to tone down his language, etc. He was portraying himself at first as "your friend WWF owner" but I didn't know when that even started.

 

I'm guessing with Montreal everyone just figured out who was really in charge and they ran with it? I mean, did the Hart story get that much coverage that even the marks got wind of it?

[Guest Eagan469]

I still think Montreal was a work - the "Bret screwed Bret" segments the next night on RAW didn't look that hastily put together.

 

It made Vince a heel, and Bret a mega-face going into WCW.

[Guest Eagan469]

I mean, did the Hart story get that much coverage that even the marks got wind of it?

At the time, I was in middle-school, and had I not been subscribing to a sheet then, my mark friends would have had no clue as to what was going on.

[cawthon777 0]

I still think Montreal was a work - the "Bret screwed Bret" segments the next night on RAW didn't look that hastily put together.

 

It made Vince a heel, and Bret a mega-face going into WCW.

It was called "damage control" since Bret wasn't going to show up in WCW for a few more weeks. Vince had the advantage in that he could put out his side of the story and, since most fans weren't big into the Internet in 97, his side would be the only they would hear.

 

I think Vince was slowly portrayed as the real man in charge throughout 97. By the fall, he was adamant about not wanting to put Austin in the ring due to his injury - therefore Austin had to agree to a clause to his match with Owen in Montreal, stating that if he got hurt again he couldn't sue the WWF. By then it was obvious.

[Guest Choken One]

NO ONE READS WWF MAGAZINE HERE?

 

around 1995...Ted Dibiase tried to Bribe Jack Tunney into his Corporation...Tunney Said no and Dibiase used his connections to have Tunney removed from Office...

 

Then Moonsoon was Named Commish or whatever...

[gWIL 0]

About Montreal, I was a MAJOR mark then although hate guys like Hogan. And I knew about it

[cawthon777 0]

NO ONE READS WWF MAGAZINE HERE?

 

around 1995...Ted Dibiase tried to Bribe Jack Tunney into his Corporation...Tunney Said no and Dibiase used his connections to have Tunney removed from Office...

 

Then Moonsoon was Named Commish or whatever...

It's funny that Dibiase had connections do to that yet he didn't have connections to find better wrestlers for his stable. Just Sid, Tatanka, Kama, and Bundy.

[Guest Choken One]

I still think Montreal was a work - the "Bret screwed Bret" segments the next night on RAW didn't look that hastily put together. 

 

It made Vince a heel, and Bret a mega-face going into WCW.

It was called "damage control" since Bret wasn't going to show up in WCW for a few more weeks. Vince had the advantage in that he could put out his side of the story and, since most fans weren't big into the Internet in 97, his side would be the only they would hear.

 

I think Vince was slowly portrayed as the real man in charge throughout 97. By the fall, he was adamant about not wanting to put Austin in the ring due to his injury - therefore Austin had to agree to a clause to his match with Owen in Montreal, stating that if he got hurt again he couldn't sue the WWF. By then it was obvious.

I think people figured it out in 1994...Hell...I WAS SHOCKED when I saw it on Inside Edition...When they said

 

"WWF Owner and CEO, Vincent McMahon arrived in court today"

[Guest Choken One]

NO ONE READS WWF MAGAZINE HERE?

 

around 1995...Ted Dibiase tried to Bribe Jack Tunney into his Corporation...Tunney Said no and Dibiase used his connections to have Tunney removed from Office...

 

Then Moonsoon was Named Commish or whatever...

It's funny that Dibiase had connections do to that yet he didn't have connections to find better wrestlers for his stable. Just Sid, Tatanka, Kama, and Bundy.

Don't forget Volkoff and Bam Bam

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

From Hyatte's latest column on 411:

 

Case in point… in 1994 Big Daddy Cool Diesel just won the WWF title from Bob Backlund. He showed up on WWF TV for an in-ring interview with Vince McMahon. Vince (kayfabbing his ass off, as he was wont to do back then) asked Nash how he felt being the new world champion. Diesel said this:

 

Well, I woke up this morning and there was a smile on my face that wasn’t there before.

 

For some reason, it stuck with me… to this day I remember it. I don’t know why.

 

CUT TO

 

One year later: Big Daddy Cool Diesel had just dropped the WWF title to Bret Hart at Survivor Series. The next night on Raw, Nash storms into the building and (after a commercial break) goes over to the announce table and grabs a microphone. He cuts a promo about how the kinder/gentler face Diesel was gone and the bad ass killer from “Royal Rumble in Providence” was baaaack.

 

He also looked at McMahon and said: “I was never comfortable as champion. I knew I was in for trouble when YOU, Vince, took me into your office and told me to start SMILING more! You wanted to see your new champion with a big SMILE, all the time!”

 

Perhaps this was the first time they made mention of Vince's real role in the grand scheme of things in the world that is kayfabe?

[Guest EdwardKnoxII]

Well even as alittle mark kid I know that Vince owned the WWF because of non-WWF mags like PWI. And I remember news segments talking about Hulk Hogan, the WWF, etc that would talk about Vince owning the WWF. But, what also got me was why didn't they ever say this on WWF TV or in their mags.

 

As a mark I figured that Vince owned it but, let Tunney run it cause I figured Vince just wanted to be an announcer. Or that Vince dealed with the money and let Tunney deal with the wrestling/wrestlers in the company.