In case you didn’t know, Vince McMahon is a successful man. A billionaire who contributes millions to various charities and political campaigns, McMahon has grown his father’s regional wrestling promotion into a worldwide business which has managed to corner the professional wrestling market for nearly two decades.
Despite his successes, Vince McMahon has made some questionable decisions, both personally and professionally, which have hindered his success. The financial impact from the direction WWE has taken in recent years should be a paramount concern of the man, but here are 10 specific ways McMahon has jeopardized his fortune in and outside arenas.
10 Pyro
One might be inclined to think that this entry will relate to the recently reintroduced stage display, which helps performers seem like true superstars week after week on their way to the ring. The price tag on these effects (as well as events such as Wrestlemania) are likely nothing to balk at, but that isn’t the true focus right now. The pyro which can be considered wasteful is that which serves no true purpose.
How many times on Raw over the years have you seen a completely unnecessary series of “explosions” that leave you wondering what the point was? The biggest example which comes to mind is the infamous fake death of Vince McMahon. A silly angle to begin with, throwing this away due to the real death of likely bumped the production costs considerably. With no added payoff in any conceivable outcome, one has to think that costs of this nature should just be avoided.
9 ECW
Ah, the price of eliminating your competition. When Vince McMahon purchased ECW, the promotion was in shambles. Years of poor spending habits had ECW on the ropes, and it would have likely collapsed in a matter of time without any outside intervention at all. Rather than let this play out, McMahon purchased the brand in 2001.
To use the legacy of the defunct organization for profit, McMahon established an ECW brand under WWE in 2006 which would last until 2010. Fans initially jumped on the resurrection of ECW, but quickly criticized it for not living up to the original version. While this was a brief return on his investment, it hardly justified McMahon’s costs for acquiring the promotion.
8 WWE Studios
WWE Studios gets credit for a few great films such as The Scorpion King and Oculus, which received great critical acclaim. But for every hit from this studio, there are films like Knucklehead and The Chaperone which serve little more purpose than to give screen time to WWE superstars.
Few films from this studio are lacking a member of the WWE roster. The abundance of releases, both theatrical and direct to DVD, undermine the legitimacy of the collective body of work. In our opinion, McMahon should focus on sports entertainment exclusively.
7 Steroid Trial
In 1994, McMahon went to trial for allegedly pressuring performers to use steroids in order to boost their performance and appearance. It is well-documented that McMahon not only prefers large wrestlers but takes pride in his own physique as well. All indicators suggest that this would fall easily within the realm of possibility.
Alas, McMahon was acquitted of the charges, likely due to a perceived bias from one of the witnesses. If you’ve ever been to court, you’ll know that legal fees aren’t cheap. Given that fans tend to prefer talent over appearance, McMahon should have saved his time and money by avoiding this (alleged) fiasco entirely.
6 Wrestling Personas
Ted DiBiase was famous for his Million Dollar Man persona, and while we all know that the persona ends after the show, some superstars carry their personas outside the ring as well. While Bray Wyatt lives that out by showing up for jury duty in character, others have had more extravagant means of accomplishing this task.
On Vince McMahon’s whim, DiBiase seemingly always enjoyed fine dining and luxury travel in order to keep up his persona – all on the company dime. In order to maximize his commitment, it seems that he was given cash and credit cards to live the high life, even off the camera.
5 Sexual Assault Allegations
Remember those legal fees we mentioned earlier? They’re back. It seems steroids haven’t caused the only court costs McMahon has had to endure due to his management of WWE. On at least two occasions, Vince has been sued for sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations.
With other rumors from performers which never saw litigation, as well as criticisms over the treatment of female talent during the 90s, one can see potential legitimacy in the allegations which have been made. While times have changed and the hard lessons seem to have been learned, the emotional and financial costs to get where we are today are simply ridiculous.
4 WWE Writers
Compare past eras of wrestling to the current product and identify what the biggest differences are. It isn’t blood or language which made the Attitude Era superior. It wasn’t even fully due to the sharper image of the product. It was creative freedom. Who drove The Undertaker’s character? Mark Calaway and William Moody. Who drove the one-liners we saw weekly from The Rock? Dwayne Johnson.
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Talent had creative freedoms and they had managers. Managers and bookers developed characters and built events throughout wrestling history, not writers. Not only has the stiflingly over-scripted nature of the current product cost WWE talent, it has cost money that shouldn’t have been spent.
3 McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania
Here’s a silly one. McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania was an idea in June 2008 where Vince would dial phone numbers at the top of the ramp, ask a question, and award winners with cash prizes. The segment created some awkward moments for fans and personalities, including McMahon himself.
While a cash giveaway seems like a good idea, the segment detracted from the product, taking screen time away from talent. Additionally, the cash was physically in the arena, meaning that (expensive) bodyguards and protective measures must be in place to ensure maximum security. Perhaps that money should have just been invested into the product?
2 Legends
We love seeing Stone Cold Steve Austin on Raw periodically. Ric Flair always gives a great show, Hulk Hogan is a huge draw, and The Undertaker probably still has a few matches left. But what do these names do for the week-to-week product on WWE television? Very little, that's what.
Except for Mick Foley, few will use their platform to elevate young talent, instead using it to add to their own legacies. And following prolific careers, the price tag for coming out of retirement cannot be insignificant. Considering the minimal and extremely temporary ratings pop associated with these appearances, Vince should hold onto these big checks and give them to new talent who will strengthen his product.
1 XFL
Here’s the big one. It’s too soon to say if the 2019 incarnation of XFL will be a success. Given the recent failure of AAF to even reach its post-season, there is considerable reason to doubt any up-and-coming centralized football league entering the market – especially considering notable similarities between the two organizations. What we have already witnessed, however, is the failure of XFL in its original form.
The original product has numerous flaws, with violence being the most paramount of issues. Ignoring the sexuality integrated into the product, players were encouraged to be physically and verbally aggressive toward one another. Failing to maintain any success, XFL ended after its inaugural season, losing McMahon millions in the process.