Vince McMahon Interview

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On creating new characters and storylines:

 

"It's not easy. If it were easy, Ted Turner would still be in business. It's difficult, but something we've always been able to do, year after year. Beginning this "WrestleMania," we have two very strong characters: One is Batista on "Raw" and the other is John Cena on "Smackdown," both of whom we believe are going to carry those banners extremely well. It's their time."

 

On whether Vince is expecting WWE to on UPN:

 

"I am, and I'll tell you why. I'm not too sure UPN has an identity yet. We counter-program everything extremely well, we do well on Thursday nights and we make money for the network. I think our future is bright with UPN."

 

On whether Vince is planning on returning to the ring:

 

"Um, no. As a matter of fact, I have on knee braces as we speak. Seven weeks ago, I severed both of my quadriceps tendons doing a stunt in the ring. I wasn't warmed up, I didn't stretch and that unfortunately is major surgery. My character, his time has come and gone. I'll be 60 in August. I'm better utilized from a resource standpoint not being a performer. It was good while it lasted...but if I'm the chairman -- and I` am -- I'm better at doing other things."

 

Note from Buck: Yes, Vince is referring to walking to the ring at the Royal Rumble as a "stunt".

 

On advertisers Vince would like to get for WWE, but can't or haven't:

 

"It's a matter of education. We don't have an automotive; we should. Our people drive cars. I'm not knocking the guys because our sales force is pretty strong, but they've always gone for the low-hanging fruit. They haven't taken the opportunity to really home in on an automotive. Why isn't General Motors buying? They could use the help right now."

 

On trying to expand the current WWE fanbase:

 

"We're going to be spending substantial sums of money going forward promoting our performers in areas you'd think we logically should be in anyhow -- Nascar, places like that. We haven't done that in the past because we have such an efficient model to promote -- we have four hours of prime-time television every week. Beginning in June, we're going be going outside of our environment. We think that we're going to strike gold."

 

For the full interview, go to http://online.wsj.com/public/us (subscription required).

 

Despite it being mentioned in the text in the article before the interview, there was no discussion of Raw leaving Spike or what the future holds for that show.

 

Credit: PWInsider

[Slickster 0]

Very interesting interview. Good to see he recognizes that his in-ring career is finally over. And what's he mean by "going outside of our environment," I wonder?

[CBright7831 0]

So sliding into the ring is considered a stunt?

[AndrewTS 0]

We're going to be spending substantial sums of money going forward promoting our performers in areas you'd think we logically should be in anyhow -- Nascar, places like that.

 

Because WCW Motorsports was so successful, and you really have to *push* to get that lucrative white trash/redneck demographic to get into wrestling.

[iliketurtles 0]

The stunt comment had me laughing my ass off.

[Guest MikeSC]

This is probably the most sane Vince interview ever.

-=Mike

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

Vince has to stretch before he gets into the ring? He will probably get a music video when he comes back and main event Wrestlemania 22.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I'm glad he realized he needs to phase himself out as an on-screen persona. Though I do love Vince in small doses, too much of The Fighting McMahons made for bad TV, as we know.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

We're going to be spending substantial sums of money going forward promoting our performers in areas you'd think we logically should be in anyhow -- Nascar, places like that.

 

Because WCW Motorsports was so successful, and you really have to *push* to get that lucrative white trash/redneck demographic to get into wrestling.

I think what Vince doesn't realize is NASCAR fans are probably the older crowd of wrestling fan that never took to WWF wrestling in the first place.

[BUTT 0]

Very interesting interview. Good to see he recognizes that his in-ring career is finally over. And what's he mean by "going outside of our environment," I wonder?

I would guess he means when the first WWE movie is released.

[BUTT 0]

And by an "automotive", I think he means he wants car companies to advertise on WWE programs.

[Promoter 0]

Very interesting interview. Good to see he recognizes that his in-ring career is finally over. And what's he mean by "going outside of our environment," I wonder?

I would guess he means when the first WWE movie is released.

Or he could mean the ECW ppv!

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Vince says one thing and will do and believe in another. He says he won't be an in-ring character because he's injured and can't function in that role, not because he actually believes his characters time has come and gone. If he believed his characters time has come and gone, he wouldn't have ran out to the ring at the RR.

 

Expanding into NASCAR is another word for "advertising on cars to get more hick fans", which is another word for "we're doing what WCW did". Nothing original, but its funny that he thinks it is. By "funny" I mean "sad". They have no idea what they're doing, and no idea what they are.

 

Vince complaining about not getting premium ad accounts and blaming his sales people for "aiming low" is hilarious. Hmm, maybe it's because you designed your product for the lowest common denominator? Does Vince feel accountable for ANYTHING? He made his product cartoony, he made his product raunchy, and now he can't understand why his product won't attract serious attention from big, high priced, companies.

 

Wanting Auto money, and then going into NASCAR means one thing (well, it means a bunch of things, the main thing being Vince is out-of-touch and is thinking way inside the box and doesn't realize it but it also means...) MORE CARS! WHOOO HOOOO! Cars + Wrestling ALWAYS means great things.

 

It will be interesting to see how they push Cena and Batista. Will they actually but their weight behind the two, or will it be half-assed as always? He hasn't said anything that reflects actual insight into his companies current problems. Probably because he doesn't know. Great to see that McMahon Genius in action.

[The Tino Standard 0]

Yeah, that Vince McMahon is a real buffoon. I mean, that dumb bastard is only worth $700 million. Seriously, what a putz.

[Guest Shadow]

he's a buffoon that was once worth over a billion dollars. Clearly he's losing money.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Vince is a hard worker and his daddy owned a successful wrestling promotion. Wrestling itself is a solid business property to own, and most wrestling promoters weren't very good businessmen or marketers. The "billions" came from an IPO issue when wrestling was a hot property, and when wrestling started to be a hot property it wasn't Vince who made it hot. Vince's "genius" came from taking other peoples' ideas and blowing them up, not actually coming up with his own. Oh and luck. Lots of luck. The real brains behind the operations was and is Linda.

 

The XFL, what a putz.

The WBF, what a putz.

The Invasion angle, what a putz.

Real Estate ventures, what a putz.

Bob Costas show, what a putz.

Tearing both quads due to WALKING, what a putz.

[AlaskanHero 0]

Actually RRR he tore one quad when he banged his knee against the apron when sliding into the ring at Royal Rumble then tore the other attempting to stand up after getting into the ring.

 

The rest is valid.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I thought he tore one getting into the ring and the other one in the back trying to walk on his own. Either way *does Vince strut because Vince can't*

[RHR 0]

I am going to touch this one. Vince is a "genius", maybe not all the time, but, most of the time, the guy has been in the right place, at the right time. The man is solely...period for the naysayers, solely the number one man in any view of wrestling history. He took a "fake" sport, and made it (not by himself, obviously) a billion-dollar game. WWE stock is considered a "stay" by most investors, and, the WWE as a whole, is not going anywhere soon. Shit, the man can sit back, fire everybody, and STILL make money off DVDs released, and, with the future of VOD on the rise, make even more money.

 

Make no mistake, the man is a "business" man. Not every decision is right, but, he is leading a sucessful company, and, the company will still grow.

 

With no Vince...none of us...are here right now. Period.

[Guest Loss]

The strength of WWE has never been in booking talent, but more in marketing talent. There are times where, if his competition had a clue how to promote their own product properly and also have a guy in charge that wouldn't back down, they could have stayed competitive as long as they wanted to stay competitive. What saved the WWF through the downspell of the early-mid 90s was that even when WCW signed Hogan and Savage and had Flair and Sting on the roster to do dream matches with them, Vince was far better than anyone in WCW at promoting his product.

[strummer 0]

I'll add another question to the discusion, if Vince didn't have the media connections he did in 1984, would the WWF been as successful in the long run? Could he have done it on his own? With no Ebersol, NBC, MTV, Lauper, etc.

[Guest Loss]

I'll add another question to the discusion, if Vince didn't have the media connections he did in 1984, would the WWF been as successful in the long run? Could he have done it on his own? With no Ebersol, NBC, MTV, Lauper, etc.

He could have, yes, although maybe not to the magnitude he did, and maybe not as quickly. Vince took so many life-or-death gambles early on because he knew who he had in his corner, so it's hard to say how he would have acted differently had he waited.

[AndrewTS 0]

The real brains behind the operations was and is Linda.

Okay, if/when Vince dies, if Linda is still around, but "creative" is going to be headed up by Trips/Steph and their yes-men, you feel that WWE will basically be no different? Or do you think that without Vince to have the final say, they'll kill the company, Linda or no?

 

On a related note, my Strategic Management book has a case study on the WWF, and it's about 90% on Vince. Heh.

[Guest M. Harry Smilac]

Vince is a "genius"

If throwing shit at the wall for the last 20+ years and hoping it sticks makes you a genius then sure.

 

Vince complaining about not getting premium ad accounts and blaming his sales people for "aiming low" is hilarious.

 

Vince-Did you call GM about advertising with us?

 

Sales Person-Yes Vince and they said they don't want to promote during a show that has in the past featured a man raping a mannequin and an elderly women giving birth to a human hand.

[Promoter 0]

I don't think Vince is a genius, but he is a very good business man. I agree his claim to fame is taking people's ideas and blowing them up. Sometimes he does take things to another level. I'll go that far with how good a business man he is. However, let's really look at how Vince got where he is in a quick review. Vince is also very lucky with timing.

 

He took over his father's company. Mind you his dad didn't even think he would have been able to run it or get the money to buy it(there's a whole other story within that story). Vince sees Hulk Hogan becoming a national sensational in the AWA where Hogan came up with Hulkamania and whatnot. Besides who else wouldn't see dollar signs in a guy that had a big role in Rocky 3? Verne was just an idiot who didn't realize Hogan was about the cash and would jump at the better offers elsewhere if not given the strap. In 1983, the NWA had the first super show in Starrcade. I don't know if anyone else realizes that the NWA actually wanted Hogan for the first Starrcade. Vince was SMART in giving Hogan the opportunity to be champion and I might as well add quickly. Yeah, Vince MADE Hogan my ass. Hogan had choices in 1983 and Vince was smart to give him the best one. Yet, when Bischoff did the same damn thing in 1993 all of a sudden it was being corrupt and turning his back on the man that made him

 

Vince then took guys like Piper. He saw how Starrcade made a buzz. Vince was SMART to follow with his own supercard and was SMART to know to get mainstream press he needed celebrities. SMART BUSINESS move. He kept on adding top tier wrestlers to his roster and also got tv time exposure. I mean, when Bischoff does it he's trying to kill competiton nuh? Vince was on top of the world in 1988 and in 1989 went Walt Disney. He went a different route with the product that was blueprinted for him by past promoters such as his dad. He turned everyone into a cartoon from Kerry Von Eric who was over and even the mighty Road Warriors. By the end of 1990, the damn company is sinking and it contiues to sink until a little fresh air comes in the form of Ric Flair. Flair and company leaves basically in 1992 and things take even more of a dive. Yep, where was all the smarts then? He had no new talent to steal and he did not have the tv time on NBC anymore because of lagging ratings and whatnot. Things keep going downhill until WCW roars onto the scene in 1996 and we know how Vince copied wcw and ecw from everything from expanding the monday show hour and adding main event worthy matches on live tv. Taking attitude from ecw and the gang wars from wcw. Things start looking up again just like the mid 80's and they get tv time on UPN.

 

Things are going bonkers with big time draws of Austin and Rock who are similar to Hogan and Savage in the 80's. They bring in more stars like Benoit and company from the competition bolstering the roster just like the 80's. WCW is all but bought up and we are back to another time frame where Vince can't steal established talents and make them his own. Yep, I see a pattern here of his "genius".

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Vince's genius is in having smart people around him. The smarter the people around him, the smarter Vince gets. He's a business gestalt.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Okay, if/when Vince dies, if Linda is still around, but "creative" is going to be headed up by Trips/Steph and their yes-men, you feel that WWE will basically be no different? Or do you think that without Vince to have the final say, they'll kill the company, Linda or no?

 

On a related note, my Strategic Management book has a case study on the WWF, and it's about 90% on Vince. Heh.

The stock is tied-in with whether or not Vince is a part of the company. They consider him a 'creative asset' and he is the major shareholder in the company. He is also the public figure head for the company (which is probably why he got most of the focus in your text). The stock would dramatically fall if he died and they would lose a ton of money from it. The hole would be too big to repair from the stock dive alone. That Steph makes Vince look like Einstein when it comes to booking and Hunter makes Vince look like Chris Benoit in terms of self-gratification-on-television certainly won't help matters. If Vince died, I'd see Linda cut her losses and get out of the business altogether after a year or two and leave it for the kids to manage. I wouldn't trust the McMahon spawn with collecting my garbage, let alone running a MNE.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I am going to touch this one. Vince is a "genius", maybe not all the time, but, most of the time, the guy has been in the right place, at the right time. The man is solely...period for the naysayers, solely the number one man in any view of wrestling history. He took a "fake" sport, and made it (not by himself, obviously) a billion-dollar game. WWE stock is considered a "stay" by most investors, and, the WWE as a whole, is not going anywhere soon. Shit, the man can sit back, fire everybody, and STILL make money off DVDs released, and, with the future of VOD on the rise, make even more money.

 

Make no mistake, the man is a "business" man. Not every decision is right, but, he is leading a sucessful company, and, the company will still grow.

 

With no Vince...none of us...are here right now. Period.

This is such a silly post.

 

1. The Wrestling industry has never been a "billion dollar game". Never, based on operations, has the WWE ever came close to approaching the billion dollar mark. You are getting silly with numbers here.

 

2. The business model for the WWE is a very good one, there is no denying that. I question whether it was Vinces creation, though. Considering his business model for EVERYTHING ELSE has failed. Wrestling itself is good business that typically gets overlooked by people with real business savvy and attracts money marks and people with no sense.

 

3. The company hasn't been growing in years.

 

4. Wrestling had been around for over 100 years before Vince got his hands on it, millions of fans have come and gone without even knowing who McMahon was. To say "none of us are here right now", unless you literally mean in a WWE forum rather than being wrestling fans, is just plain blind. Vince McMahon didn't make my father a wrestling fan, and my dad took me to my first wrestling show, not Vince.

[Promoter 0]

Vince's genius is in having smart people around him. The smarter the people around him, the smarter Vince gets. He's a business gestalt.

You are right. In fairness to Vince Mcmahon, I give you exhibit A in Vince Russo. Russo was kind of smart in how to turn things around in terms of crash tv, but Vince had to be smarter with how it got put on tv. Russo was clueless in wcw. Exhibit B is also Hulk Hogan and his storylines in the 80's. I've heard it was really Hogan that came up with some of the stuff with Andre and Orndorff. Hulk goes to wcw and we get the lamest shit from him. Exhbit C would be the booker Vince had in the 80's from 85-88. I don't know what got into him after those years, but maybe it was Pat Patterson. Sure, that guy's a genius for match finishes, but his booking of overall talent is lame. Royal Rumble wwf title match is your proof. Maybe it was all the allegation and trials that messed up Vince's "genius". Right now, it could be his nepotism.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Exhbit C would be the booker Vince had in the 80's from 85-88. I don't know what got into him after those years, but maybe it was Pat Patterson.

That would be George Scott.

 

As well as being as smart as the people around him let him be, because people are always trying to talk Vince in and out of things, he's also, nepotism aside, usually astute enough to know when someone has started to slip.