The entertainment world might not want to acknowledge it, but Vince McMahon has been a powerhouse in the media since before the inaugural WrestleMania. The man has done what so many other might business owners have done before and since–buy up bulks of your competition, assimilate the good ideas, disregard the bad ones and expand your business tenfold. His first steps were small but helped teach Vince a lot about arena shows. He and Linda would buy the Cape Cod Coliseum and the Cape Cod Buccaneers hockey team. The couple would promote rock shows as Vince would learn the ins and outs of the wrestling business from his father, who he would help increase the then–WWWF’ syndication and was the driving force behind infamous Mohammed Ali / Antonio Inoki showdown.
Vince would do the unthinkable when he went national in the eighties and took the wrestling industry to unfathomable heights that still are rising to this day, WrestleMania gets bigger and bigger every year and now SummerSlam has become the ‘Mania of the summer. But Vince is a far cry from King Midas and has made almost as many missteps over the years as he has had successes. More so than not lately, an aging McMahon has made several mistakes that could have cost the Boss a whole lot of green and robbed the fans of a lot of marquee moments. The WWE is far from any danger of going under, but plenty of fans and insiders alike do get the feeling that Vince is losing touch with the fan base and simply is doing what he wants to do with his company.
It has been said several dozen times over the past few years, but seldom have the reasons Vincent Kennedy McMahon needs to go have been quantified in a list. So here goes nothing.
15 15. He's Past Retirement Age
When much of America reaches retirement age, they unfortunately still have to work a few more years to make those few extra dollars that can help them in their twilight years, Vince McMahon has an ever increasing bank account due to the success of the WWE. As an announcer, owner, sometimes competitor, and villainous boss, McMahon's career has stretched longer than even Ric Flair's did. Vince McMahon sort of made the guy retire, he should be needing his own advice, take a powder and get a real chance to tour the globe with Linda, and see all those grand places he's already visited but only had a day or two to spend there the first time around.
14 14. We Don't Need the Attitude Era to Return But...
During the Attitude Era, not only were creative juices flowing, but Vince McMahon was forced to trust anyone and everyone's ideas to create a product that would be sustainable. Why do fans still chant "Sexual Chocolate" at a man whose career didn't peak until years later? It's because during the Attitude Era, we were given stories to care about Mark Henry. Every low level to mid–card guy had something enjoyable and memorable about them. Yes some of the top guys peaking at the same time was an instance of lighting in a bottle luck, but the entire roster was filled with guys to care about and men to believe in, now we just groan every time Vince shoves someone down the card in favor of someone to shove down our throats.
13 13. He Can Finally Focus on a New Venture
When Vince and Linda first started down their road to being an empire, they first bought and arena and a hockey team. Couple that with the XFL, the WBF, IcoPro, and now WWE Studios, it has always been clear that Vince envisions more from his place in the entertainment world than just the greatest wrestling promoter ever. With his mind no longer focused on producing almost ten hours of WWE programming weekly, McMahon can set his sights on his next big passion project. Or take the current WWE Studios platform to the next level and become the type of movie mogul that would put the Weinsteins to shame.
12 12. He's Actually Been Out of Touch Since 1994
Besides the big boom in the eighties (which he helped to orchestrate), Vince has been pulled kicking and screaming into every other big shift in the industry. When Hogan left, he tried to rebrand Lex Luger, even though most of the audience proclaimed Bret Hart as their champion. HBK and HHH practically begged him to put them together. Vince Russo risked his comfortable career as a magazine writer to tell Vince the product just plain stinks. In later years, guys like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and now Cesaro are so over with the fans and yet the boss still thinks all we want is John Cena. Face facts, there is a vision Vince has for his company and the vision the fans would rather see and the twain meet out of necessity.
11 11. His Days As a Performer Are Over
The Montreal Screwjob gave birth to the Mr. McMahon character and became the most hated man in the business. Against the blue collar Stone Cold, every fan got behind the Rattlesnake and loved it whenever he would cross the boss. The WWE will like to remind us how great the Attitude Era was, but that was also 15 years ago. HHH and Stephanie might come out as the Authority, but it's all tongue–in–cheek. The days of the vile, misogynistic, and outright evil boss are long gone, and more importantly, even if there was someone who he could work with, the dude is 70 years old, it wasn't believable he could beat Stone Cold then, how believable would it be now to see the Chairman in the ring.
10 10. His Idea of the Most Muscular Men Being on Top Is Outdated
When Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart headlined WrestleMania XII, it was the first time ever that two guys below 6'5 and under 240 main evented the biggest show of the year, many people hoped a true change was coming in the business but here we are almost 20 years later, and Vince McMahon still has a meathead fetish. A fetish that almost ruined WrestleMania XXX, as Batista was booked to have won the gold. Had most fans not crapped on Roman Reigns being the top guy, he surely would have toppled Brock Lesnar–another instance of McMahon being brought kicking and screaming to the right decision for business.
9 9. His Millennials Comment
On the Stone Cold podcast, Vince said Millennials were not ambitious enough to grab that brass ring. But it's pretty hard to get a leg up in the WWE if you're last name isn't Helmsley, McMahon or Cena. Whenever someone does get over organically (re: Cesaro), Vince proclaims he just doesn't get it. But where HHH has said when he doesn't get something but the fans do, he'll go with the fans opinion. Punk had to leave to get over in 2011, Bryan wasn't even thought of as ever being a top guy and guys like Ambrose don't fit Vince's idea of what a top guy should be. You know else didn't fit that mold? Stone Cold Steve Austin.
8 8. Shane Must Have Left For Some Reason
For a very long time, it seemed as if Shane McMahon was being groomed on screen and off as the heir apparent to the WWE empire. It is pure speculation, but many do feel as if he would have done a pretty good job of it too. Heck the guy was one of the people who wanted to resurrect ECW. But we'll never know, for whatever reason, Shane–o–Mac left to run the You On Demand company. Again, pure speculation, but the kid might have gotten tired of sitting in dad's shadow, waiting for his shot. Here's hoping that Shane's brother–in–law doesn't get that same itch to leave while he's waiting for his turn.
7 7. He Deserves It
Yes, most of these entries bag on the Chairman, but let's face facts. We bag on a man who has brought us so much joy for over 40 years. McMahon, whether people in Hollywood will ever concede the point to Vince or not, the man is bonafide entertainment mogul. The WWE reaches over 100 countries. Video games, toys, cards, clothes, ice cream bars, movies, you name it, McMahon at least attempted it; and the WWE's reach extends to all facets of life–how many sports stars do you see miming the belt around their waste pose, or carrying a replica belt with them during a championship parade. McMahon has bequeathed his entertainment model to the world, and now should let others follow his lead and enjoy being a grandfather.
6 6. Seemingly, He Can't Let Things Go
Eric Bischoff and WCW almost put the WWE out of business, and for 84 straight weeks it looked as if that could happened. Then WWE's fortunes turned around and Vince bought his competition. Unfortunately due to contract stipulations, a lot of WCW's big guns stayed home during the Invasion angle. Vince knows emphatically how to mint stars could have said to hell with all of WCWs best and branded all of the new hires to be stronger than they looked. Instead, he made these guys look even weaker than they were and what could have been an industry defining angle that could have still gone on to this day became a joke. He hasn't gotten better with age either–booking Sting to lose his first ever WWE / WrestleMania match.
5 5. The Well Will Run Dry
Vince McMahon no matter how innovative he is, is still just an old school promoter who sticks with what he knows works and sticks with the people he knows he can depend on. But the people he can depend on backstage like Arn Anderson and Michael Hayes are approaching their sixties and would seemingly rather ride Vince's coattails until they retire than challenge him on his ideas. Inside the ring, HHH wrestles once a year, 'Taker in theory is retiring at this year's WrestleMania, Randy Orton works part time now, and John Cena can't continue this pace for much longer either. All of these people will be gone and Vince's lack of desire to create bonafide new stars will begin to become apparent.
4 4. He Still Thinks Women Don't Sell
On Jim Ross' podcast, he told a story about how he convinced Vince to hire Gail Kim because a lot of men think Asian women are hot. Couple that with the mandate that they need to find women hot enough for Playboy and you have a man who grossly misunderstands the place of women in wrestling. Kim was brought in and wasted not once but twice and just look at the so-called divas revolution. So far still, the best women's wrestling in WWE can be found on NXT.
3 3. His Inner Circle Feeds His Delusions
Vince has a slew of people that he trusts working for him backstage. Guys like Kevin Dunn and Kerwin Silfies, along with Michael Hayes and a few others have been yes-ing the big guy to death now for what seems like a millennium. What the guy really needs is a new position, "the office of Contrarian Opinion. A person who no matter what idea Vince comes up with, they would say "no," and give as many reasons as to why that they could think of. But we all know that will never happen. The yes men at his side continue to feed the man's ego instead of looking out for the business.
2 2. Stephanie Has the Reigns Outside of the Ring
All of the goodwill that WWE has done over years, Vince never made much about it. It was a sound strategy for a long time, no need to peacock around about all of the great charities you work with. But ever since the WWE became a truly global brand, Stephanie McMahon has taken the old model and heaved it out of the ring in favor of a "philanthropy-as-marketing" model that has taken all of the positive things the company does and kicked it up a notch. Now there's nothing the WWE does charity-wise that fans don't about and despite what some Might think, that's a good thing. Charity work like Susan Komen and Connor's Cure takes the company of the shadowy backwoods old-style of the business and firmly plants the WWE as the company that it is.
1 1. The Game Has the Reigns Inside of the Ring
For over two years’ time, Triple H has taken WWE developmental and has turned it into a powerhouse revolution. Besides the greatness of NXT, the Performance Center in Florida puts plenty of gyms and sports training facilities to shame. The Game has forever changed how the future will train and get ready for the big time. NXT sells out wherever they go and there are currently over 20 NXT superstars on the main roster and 4 out of their 5 major championships are held by former alum, including the world title. Clearly the revolution has begun, it's only a question as to how long will it take for the Boss to realize the Game does it better than he ever could.