In 2001, to promote the upcoming debut of the XFL, Vince McMahon did an interview with Playboy. While the interviewer, sportswriter Kevin Cook, mostly stuck to talking about the XFL and what Vince's ideas for the XFL were, the interview spanned into Vince's personal life, the WWE (then known as the WWF), and Vince's experience in making his wrestling promotion a national cultural staple.
For many WWE fans, it may be easy to feel like we already know Vince McMahon, but sometimes his on-screen persona overshadows the real-life man that pulls the strings behind the scenes, and here are some of the most shocking revelations from the interview.
10 Vince Had a Rough Childhood
While fans perceive that Vincent Kennedy McMahon inherited the wrestling business from Vincent James McMahon, the CEO of WWE and his father were not nearly as close as one may have guessed. Vince was pretty open about the fact that his parents divorced when he was young and his mother, Vickie, married a man named Leo Lupton.
Lupton abused Vince as a child and, as an electrician, he had tools like wrenches that he would use to hit his step-son. While Vince honors his biological father pretty regularly, Vince's stepfather made his childhood pretty rough.
9 Vince Played Football
Perhaps part of the reason that Vince felt like he could run a professional football company is the fact that Vince himself played football when he was growing up. Vince played on both sides of the ball, playing offensive guard and defensive tackle.
However, Vince says that he was a lousy football player, as he was too rough and aggressive for the game. It is hard to tell if Vince is exaggerating or not when he recounts that, in one game, he was personally penalized more yardage than the offense gained.
8 Vince Attended Military School
While football was an outlet for high school Vince, it seems that he needed an outlet, as he attended Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia, where he was a problem student. Vince even said that he was the first cadet in school history to be court-martialed.
When asked what he was court-martialed for, Vince said that, while he stole the commandant's car and fed his once fed laxatives to the commandant's dog, he was ultimately court-martialed for insubordination. Even in military school, Vince McMahon was not afraid to cause trouble.
7 Vince Sleeps for 5 Hours
While Vince's dislike for sneezing is famous, he also has a dislike for something else: sleeping. At one point during the interview, Vince says, "I'm not crazy about sleep." Cook asks Mr. McMahon how many hours of sleep Vince gets a night, and he says, "about five."
Considering the average adult needs between six and eight hours of sleep, hearing that Vince slept so little even at the age of 55 (the age that he was when he gave this interview), this lack of sleep could provide an explanation for some of Vince's more erratic behavior.
6 Vince Received Death Threats From Other Promoters
Cook demonstrates that he has a strong fundamental understanding of the territorial wrestling world, as he asks Vince about how he took his father's regional wrestling company and made it nationwide. Vince says that he did so "at tremendous risk," and even received death threats "multiple times."
Vince goes on to recount an instance where Jim Ross, WWE Hall of Fame commentator, overheard a bathroom conversation between older promoters that half-jokingly talked about killing Vince. Invading other promoters' territory was a huge no-no, but if it had never happened, we might not have the WWE that we have now.
5 Vince Had Multiple Affairs And Linda Knew About Them
After telling a funny anecdote about his son Shane, Vince is asked about his relationship with his wife. Vince says that he was always "loyal," but when Cook presses the issue, Vince says that he was not always faithful.
Vince does not name names, but he does say that Linda McMahon would confront him and ask if he was having an affair with a particular person, and Vince would answer honestly with a "yes." While Vince does not insinuate that his wife was okay with these affairs, she knew about them.
4 WWF Would Bribe Fans With Free Merchandise to Take Their Signs
While this is nothing like the "Boo the Woo" sign fiasco from 2018, Vince admits that they are always scanning the crowd for objectionable signs. Vince says that, if they saw a sign with something objectionable (in this context, Vince is referring to inappropriate language), they would politely ask the person to not display their sign.
However, if the person still displayed their sign, they would give offer something to the fan like a free Stone Cold Steve Austin t-shirt in exchange for the sign. He even says, "generally that works," meaning they have done it multiple times.
3 Vince Thinks He Listens to the Fans
This one may be the least surprising to modern wrestling fans, but also the most infuriating. Vince tells Cook that he plans on conducting exit polls and holding focus groups surrounding the XFL.
Citing his experience with running a weekly wrestling show, Vince says that the fans boo and cheer, and "that's how they tell us what they like, and we're good listeners." For the better part of the last decade, fans have felt like Vince does not listen to them, but clearly Vince felt like he not only listened to the fans, but he was "good" at it.
2 Vince Was Not Opposed to a Female WWF Champion
While this one may not be surprising, considering Chyna was popular at the time, but it still comes as a shock, considering that, 18 years later, it still hasn't happened. Cook asks Vince if there will ever be a female champion and Vince, seemingly not understanding what Cook means, responds that Chyna is the "female champ."
When Cook elaborates and asks if there will ever be a female to hold "the belt The Rock has," Vince says, "I don't rule anything out." While there was never a female WWF/E Champion, Vince's openness to the idea is a little surprising.
1 Ted Turner Tried to Buy WWF
While this is ultimately little more than a passing comment in the interview, it is shocking to look back 18 years after the Monday Night Wars and see that Ted Turner himself, the billionaire behind World Championship Wrestling, was interested in buying WWF/E from Vince McMahon.
When Vince is talking about how he has been able to beat WCW in the ratings, he passingly mentions that "[Ted] has tried to buy the WWF on many occasions." Also, when asked about the prognosis for WCW, Vince says that he might be interested in buying it.