The origins of the Vince angle

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The decision to go through with the angle was in response to pressure from both the USA network and Bonnie Hummer to return to the 'glory days' of shocking angles and soap opera. The idea itself of killing the Mr McMahon character was first put forward more than a year ago, but was just thrown around as a joke with nobody taking it seriously at all. The actual idea to kill someone off via an exploding car goes back two years, but at the time the idea was very quickly dropped. The plan to 'kill Vince off' was finalized about one month ago. The idea of doing a murder angle was that of Dave Lagana, and was suggested in February of 2005, with the idea being that Carlito was going to use underworld connections to make Teddy Long's life miserable, with the storyline concluding with Carlito's people putting a bomb in Long's car, and an edition of Smackdown ending with Long opening his car door and the car exploding. One of the Hollywood writers that Stephanie had brought in at the time, and wasn't around long, approved the idea. The main person who shot the idea down at the time was Brian Gewirtz, who, ironically, is the current head writer for the show the angle took place on; he said it was too far-fetched to work on a wrestling show. He, jokingly, said he'd go along with it if it was Paul Heyman who was getting killed off (this was when Heyman had just been kicked off the writing team, and Heyman and Gewirtz have long-standing heat). Stephanie ended up agreeing with him, and the idea was shelved, even before it got to Vince

 

The current plan is to reveal a culprit for the bombing at some point in the next month, with the revealing being built to either spike a rating for Raw or the buy rate for the Bash PPV on 7/22.

[Vern Gagne 0]

So what about Vince? He can't stay off tv for the rest of his life.

[strummer 0]

any idea who is going to replace him as storyline CEO?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

So what about Vince? He can't stay off tv for the rest of his life.

 

They never outright said "Yeah we found the body. He's dead for sure." They could easily just have him come back out and be like "I know who tried to kill me. Tune in next week on Raw/Order the PPV to find out who!"

[Toxxic 0]

The trouble is, when it was trying to work out who ran down Austin, people cared. For Vince, no-one's going to be all that bothered, I don't think. I mean, is he going to try and turn face from this, or what?

[King Cucaracha 0]

The trouble is, when it was trying to work out who ran down Austin, people cared. For Vince, no-one's going to be all that bothered, I don't think. I mean, is he going to try and turn face from this, or what?

 

Yeah. I mean, they didn't real build up any reason for anyone to have any sympathy for him, unlike his other face turns. Unless the 'Vince isn't right in the head' was supposed to be the way of making him a sympathetic character. In which case, it didn't work. That's why I can't see any other outcome, besides it being faked by McMahon.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Perhaps the culprit is meant to be the FACE?

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

Umaga did it for the Rock.

[cabbageboy 0]

I don't feasibly see how a carbomber could ever be a face even in a wrestling angle. Besides, whoever this culprit is would have to be at least arrested over it. At least with the Austin angle he could say "No I'm not pressing charges because I want to beat this guy's ass in the ring." Sure, that isn't likely in real life but for a wrestling storyline we can suspend disbelief and go with it. But if Vince is actually dead (in storyline) that's a murder and you can't just have Shane McMahon come out and challenge the guy for the next PPV.

 

I think what might happen is that they arrest someone, we all basically know the dude is guilty, but they never quite have the goods on him and so he gets off scott free and continues to wrestle.

[Robert 0]

Didn't the USA Network threaten to kick them off the air after the gun angle? The original idea was to have Carlito kill Teddy Long? Didn't he have Cena stabbed or something like that?

[Downhome 0]

Once upon a time, the rumor was that Carlito hired New Jack to stab Cena, but they never went through with it for some reason.

[fazzle 0]

I thought Jesus stabbed Cena?

[CanadianChris 0]

Didn't the USA Network threaten to kick them off the air after the gun angle?

That was 11 years ago. TV programming has changed a ton since then.

[Quasar 0]

I thought Jesus stabbed Cena?

 

No Fazzle, Jesus died for your sins according to the false Christian dogma.

 

However, it is Mr. McMahon that died for our sins. The Prophet of McMahonism is dead, betrayed by his loyal follower, Jonathan Coachman. Now Vince can join the God of McMahonism, Vince McMahon Sr. in heaven.

 

That's right, Coach killed Vince and we can't find the body because he has descended into heaven. I pray that you go down to your local McMahonism church and convert immediately.

 

 

Michael J. Simpson

Priest of McMahonism

[tekcop 0]

He descended into heaven? So... the heaven of Mcmahonism the hell of Christianity?

[Scroby 0]

Once upon a time, the rumor was that Carlito hired New Jack to stab Cena, but they never went through with it for some reason.

That's because a lot of people at the time, either had heat with New Jack or just didn't trust him. Good guy though.

[Quasar 0]

He descended into heaven? So... the heaven of Mcmahonism the hell of Christianity?

 

Nice job catching that one.........subtle point that I didn't expect anyone to get.

 

But yes, young one. McMahonism is one with the Earth. We at the Church do not believe that our God is above us, we believe that he is beneath us, in the Earth watching us. We believe that everytime that we get on our knees to pray to Mr. McMahon Sr., we are one with him.

 

That's why I prefer McMahonism to Christianity. The God of McMahonism is in our Earth and thus accessible to us, while the God of Christianity is pompous and puts himself above Earth. Well, that and being fake. I mean, what kind of God puts himself ABOVE the people of Earth? In McMahonism, you actually ascend to hell. We in the Church feel that it is punishment to be away from Earth and Vince Sr.

 

 

Any other questions about the Church?

 

 

Michael J. Simpson

Priest of McMahonism

[Perfection 0]

I thought this was interesting from Keller last night

 

-The Jeff Jarrett segment really accentuated how screwed up and distasteful the entire Mr. McMahon death storyline has been this past week. That was a touching segment, and the fact that Jarrett bowed out of the main event in real life because he's just not ready to return to the ring yet really is a credit to him. With this, he insulates himself from the criticism of capitalizing on his wife's death to get a babyface pop - and no matter carefully the situation had been handled if he came back and won under those circumstances, that would be a cloud over it. The video package with Jeff talking about Jill was very well put together. Jeff really put himself out there as a human being and it didn't come across as a babyface promotional video. I don't get the feeling that getting himself over was on his mind when recording that promo. Maybe I'm just desperate this week to have faith in someone after the despicable display by Vince McMahon and those with the power to stand up and say "No!!!" to the things they did on TV this week that have disgusted me as much as anything I've ever seen in wrestling.

 

-It's sad that because of Vince McMahon, some people are going to think Jarrett never had a wife Jill who really died.

[tekcop 0]

Fictional characters dying on TV is disgusting? Jeez.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

And here I am thinking it was thrown together within 24 hours after Vince was pissed off at the end of the Sopranos...

 

 

The thing with Carlito/Teddy Long would have been awesome though and I bet it would have been better than this crap with Vince.

 

Oh, and I think I have it figured out.

 

The investigators find early evidence that points to Cena being the one that was behind the bombing (OMG SHOCK). Cena is "arrested" and taken off TV for a few weeks.

Then rumors start circulating that it was a set up...by none other than..Vince himself who turns up not really dead afterall..which leads to the mega match of Cena vs McMahon at Summerslam (not for a title though since Cena would have been stripped of the title) with the "loser leaves" stipulation.

[fazzle 0]

But seriously though, I don't remember. Wasn't it Jesus that stabbed Cena?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

And here I am thinking it was thrown together within 24 hours after Vince was pissed off at the end of the Sopranos...

 

Couldn't have been. They had permits for this for a week.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

But seriously though, I don't remember. Wasn't it Jesus that stabbed Cena?

 

No one stabbed Cena. He took time off to film The Marine and came back way too early.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

But seriously though, I don't remember. Wasn't it Jesus that stabbed Cena?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was.

[Perfection 0]

Keller with another blistering post tonight. Also of note they didn't even have a "in memory of" to martel when raw opened.

 

PREFACE

 

Let me preface by saying that I have never in nearly 20 years covering the pro wrestling industry been as disgusted with anything in pro wrestling as I was last week, culminating with the opening minutes of Smackdown. A lot of bad things have happened to good people over the years because of various powerful people in pro wrestling who have been negligent, greedy, dishonest, and vicious. For whatever reason, the exploitation of the emotions drawn from deaths of Eddie Guerrero, Owen Hart, and Brian Pillman - the gathering on the stage on Smackdown of all of the wrestlers to honor the "death" of Mr. McMahon - felt more offensive to me than anything else I've seen.

 

I have yet to watch beyond the opening segment of Smackdown and considered skipping Raw tonight, only because the vile I feel toward Vince McMahon and those in power to shake some decency into him is raw and strong still tonight, days later. That said, I will write this ongoing commentary on the site and write a report as usual for the newsletter (which will be posted on the VIP site later). I am watching and reporting on this show because it's my job - not because I'm curious to see what comes next, not because "controversy creates hits" for the site, not because I'm looking forward to anything about this storyline. I am disgusted by WWE as a company right now. Their lack of judgment and decency, to put it mildly, has never been more pronounced. Obviously, the buck stops with Vince McMahon, who has lost his sense of good judgment.

 

Those who had both the ear of Vince McMahon to change his mind and the ability to not participate and walk away with financial security the rest of their lives should protesting have lead to their firing share the shame for their decision to participate in this heinous exploitation of real deaths. That list includes but is not limited to: Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, Kevin Dunn, John Cena, Batista, and JBL (who's included because he has Vince McMahon's ear as much as anyone else not on this list and more than some preceding him on this list, and because he's not seen by Vince a a goody-two-shoes, so if he spoke out, it would have really resonated with him).

 

I have more sympathy for the wrestlers without the political power to say no or the financial security to walk away. Yet, I can't help but think if they all got together and staged a sit-in protest - and it would take almost everyone for it to work - they could have collectively changed McMahon's course also. (Undertaker is out injured and didn't partake, so he gets a pass, but he is among those who should be on the phone giving his boss an ultimatum to drop this storyline and apologize on air for it.)

 

The positioning of Vickie Guerrero on the stage on Smackdown last Friday night to hang her head and mourn the fake death for storyline purposes of Mr. McMahon is what put an end to my viewing of Smackdown last week. Right now, as I sat down to report on Raw, the intensity of my lack of desire to stomach more of this storyline is greater than I anticipated even earlier today and this weekend. My feelings have intensified, not calmed over time. With that said for the record, I will now try to cover Raw as usual...

[Just John 0]

Yikes, do people flip out that much over characters dying on CSI or 24 (or whatever the popular mainstream shows are on tv now) and cite how distatesful and insulting to real people those shows are? Or is this just a wrestling fan thing?

[RepoMan 0]

I tried of pepole acting like pro wrestling is a honorable, realistic form of entertainment. I love this angle.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Yet another two bit wrestling writer thinking he's an actual journalist.

[Twisted Intestine 0]

Seriously, I'm with those guys. I don't see how this is offensive at all. Wrestling is fake. It's entertainment, like any other show. There have been many death angles on TV shows. Why can't wrestling do a death angle.. because wrestlers die for real? Actors die for real too.

 

Oh God, that movie "The Departed" is so disrespectful! What about all the real under cover cosp who have died?? They didn't even stop to have a memorial for them half way through the film! And did you see the ceremony scene? How disrespectful for the cops who have passed and had real ceremonies!

[cabbageboy 0]

Let me try to explain the difference, since it's a bit subtle. Everyone at home watching The Departed knows that Matt Damon or Leonardo DiCaprio aren't really dying. They are clearly fictional characters in the movie. Same thing with shows like CSI.

 

WWE, as much as they pretend to be, is not like that. Some characters that are obviously unrealistic (UT, Kane, etc.) can do these goofy death angles and nobody bats an eye. But someone like Vince McMahon can't just play the role of Mr. McMahon on TV and say it's a fictional character because he IS Mr. McMahon.

 

The biggest problem I have with the storyline isn't even the blatant tasteless aspect, the 10 bell salutes, or the various wrestler comments. The major beef I have is that there's simply nothing decent that can come of it as a payoff. It's obvious live crowds are already crapping on this angle, and they might get a couple weeks of ratings out of it but after that the ratings might actually drop since it's pointless. There's no big match or PPV they can build with this angle. What will they do, actually hype The Great American Bash with the tagline "Come see who killed Vince!"

 

There was another mystery angle that involved the GAB PPV. It was the Hummer angle.