Vince McMahon is a very ambitious individual. Today, wrestling operates on a global level and McMahon is the person who deserves all the credit and more. Without the sustained efforts of the chairman of WWE, pro wrestling might have even faded away during the rise of mixed martial arts in the 2000s.

McMahon plucked pro wrestling from obscurity all the way back in the 1980s and here we are today, approaching the 38th installment of WrestleMania. However, the man who should be, by all rights and accounts, lauded as the savior of wrestling is far from being the most beloved figure in pro wrestling history. McMahon is as ruthless as he is ambitious, and he has crushed the dreams of so many people on his way to the very top.

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Wrestling in the olden days was far different from what fans today are accustomed to. The territorial structure back then was based on mutual understanding and the rules were pretty much sacred.

One promotion would control a state or region, and while wrestlers would switch every few years, the promoters were forbidden from breaching upon other territories and stayed in their lane. The National Wrestling Alliance was the governing body that oversaw the sport and made sure that the rules set forth were adhered to. Then, in 1982, Vince McMahon bought WWE from his father and hatched a plan to change the sport forever.

Vince McMahon Destroyed The Old Territories

In 1983, just two years after acquiring the company from his father, McMahon departed from the NWA and actively went against the rules and regulations set by the governing entity. Unlike his father who abided by the mutual understanding, the younger McMahon began to expand nationally, promoting events outside his stipulated territory, and as the biggest transgression, he began to sign talent from other territories.

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Long story short, Vince McMahon burned bridges and destroyed the territories to elevate the WWE into the national spotlight.

In his quest to become the sole wrestling promoter in the country, McMahon bought the morning timeslot of the Texas-based promotion, Southwest Championship Wrestling. SCW on USA Network was replaced by WWF’s All-American Wrestling but McMahon was hardly done. He then set his sights on a second cable deal to showcase his promotion and the target this time was Georgia Championship Wrestling on TBS.

McMahon made an offer to Ted Turner to purchase the Saturday night timeslot of GCW but Turner declined. McMahon, however, remained undeterred and when his first option failed, he proceeded to purchase the stakes of GCW from Jack and Gerald Brisco, and Jim Barnett, effectively owning the corporation.

He then proceeded to overhaul the promotion, firing many of the talents and workers as WWF was about to take over. McMahon now had the Saturday Night timeslot that he wanted and the next edition of GCW on TBS was sure to make history.

The date was July 14th, 1984. Fans of GCW were welcomed by the sight of Vince McMahon who proceeded to usher in the WWF on TBS. He then promised, to the fans watching, that WWF would be just as captivating as GCW. How very wrong he was.

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Fans of GCW were outraged. McMahon’s idea of professional wrestling was far different from what they were accustomed to. GCW programming presented the wrestler before the character and the emphasis was on the actual wrestling.

McMahon's concept of professional wrestling was focused on cartoonish gimmicks and flair, and that did not sit well with the fans. In fact, during the middle of the progressing show, viewers began flooding TBS with complaints and they demanded the return of GCW.

The Catalyst Of The Monday Night Wars

Ted Turner was not happy with the reception and WWF on TBS was a ratings disaster. Moreover, McMahon had promised original programming when he had hashed a deal but instead, WWF on TBS aired highlights from house shows and many of these recaps featured squash matches. This was a violation of the agreed terms and only served to further anger Ted Turner.

McMahon was left with no other option but to pack his bags as he was losing money, and Turner had begun reaching out to Mid South Wrestling to replace the WWF programming on Saturday night. McMahon sold the timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions for a sum of 1 million dollars and went back to the USA Network.

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The date, 14th July 1984, became known as “Black Saturday” in wrestling lore, and from that point forward, Vince McMahon and Ted Turner developed a mutual hatred for each other and then went to war in the 1990s, as we all know. The Monday Night Wars boiled over in 2001 and McMahon ultimately had the final laugh as he brought Turner’s WCW.

Black Saturday was the precursor to the Monday Night Wars and the true catalyst. On that day, McMahon lost the first battle but in 2001, he won the war.