Disgraced Vincent McMahon The Complete Saga Part 1
Transcript
00:00:00In 2024, Vince McMahon stands accused of some of the most indecent, disgusting and outright
00:00:07horrific acts performed from behind the curtain for more than 40 years.
00:00:13The FBI are currently investigating key witnesses in a case which is reported to bring charges
00:00:18of the most sickening order against a megalith of the sports entertainment industry and the
00:00:24mastermind behind the current landscape of professional wrestling in the United States.
00:00:36This morning, Vince McMahon, the CEO who transformed pro wrestling into a global powerhouse, now
00:00:42faces a hush money scandal.
00:01:12I was told that I was going to be so big, my name would be a household item, everyone
00:01:16would know who I was.
00:01:17You're fired!
00:01:18What?
00:01:19It has been said that anything can happen here in the World Wrestling Federation, but
00:01:26now more than ever, truer words have never been spoken.
00:01:30The WWE founder and CEO, Vince McMahon, is stepping down as chairman and CEO.
00:01:36I am no pervert.
00:01:43In this video, we delve into the complex saga of Vincent Kennedy McMahon, a colossus
00:01:48in the realm of professional wrestling, whose story is one of the most extraordinary triumphs
00:01:53shadowed by profound controversies.
00:01:56As the mastermind behind the transformation of wrestling into a worldwide spectacle, Vince
00:02:00McMahon erected a multi-billion dollar colossus known as WWE or the World Wrestling Entertainment
00:02:06Company.
00:02:07His unparalleled vision and indomitable spirit solidified WWE's dominance in sports entertainment,
00:02:13making it an emblem of wrestling across the world.
00:02:16Come with me as we set out to unravel Vince McMahon's complex narrative, presenting
00:02:20a stark contrast between his celebrated public image as an astute entrepreneur and entertainment
00:02:26virtuoso, and the private controversies that have tarnished his reputation for almost half
00:02:31a century.
00:02:32We'll tread carefully through the maze of allegations that have surrounded Vince McMahon,
00:02:36from whispered insinuations to legal battles, shedding light on conduct unbecoming of his
00:02:41stature and role.
00:02:43Central to these controversies is a disturbing pattern of sexual abuse, suggesting behaviour
00:02:48that, though long discussed in hushed tones behind the scenes of wrestling's world,
00:02:53has rarely been confronted openly.
00:02:55Moreover, we'll probe into the accusations of illegal activities linked to McMahon from
00:03:00within the WWE company, placing these within the broader narrative of the wrestling industry's
00:03:04own legal entanglements.
00:03:06From steroid scandals to dubious business dealings, our exploration seeks not only to
00:03:11dissect the character at the eye of the storm, but also to understand the culture within
00:03:15world wrestling entertainment that may have nurtured or even condoned such actions.
00:03:20In dissecting the layers of Vince McMahon's downfall, we aim to strike a balance between
00:03:25the spectacle of his achievements and the serious ethical and legal questions raised
00:03:29by his alleged actions.
00:03:31A visionary who indelibly transformed a form of entertainment which I have loved since
00:03:36a child, yet whose personal failings threaten to eclipse his professional accomplishments.
00:03:42Through this meticulous examination, I'll aim to provide more than just a story of one
00:03:46man's ascent and descent.
00:03:49Through the stories of those who were there at the time, I offer a perspective on the
00:03:53intricate interplay of power, fame and morality within the high-octane world of sports entertainment.
00:04:07The history of pro-wrestling has had its fair share of important families, however, through
00:04:14all of the world title gold and critical successes shared by these iconic family names, there
00:04:21is one bloodline which, in my opinion, has done more to change the landscape of the pro-wrestling
00:04:27world than The Rock, Roman Reigns and Bret Hart combined.
00:04:32In this video, I want to explore the origins of the McMahon family's 100-year long relationship
00:04:38with glitter, glamour and grappling.
00:04:40I want to shine a light onto the relationships held within the family, and how these relationships
00:04:45have been twisted, strained and even destroyed over the last century.
00:04:50We'll look at all of the successes, all of the glory, but also all of the secrets, lies and mystery.
00:05:02The history of wrestling is so closely interwoven with the history of men and nations, and the
00:05:08antiquity of the sport so readily proved in the records of every ancient civilisation,
00:05:15that it may be safely assumed that even in prehistoric times when man's living problems
00:05:22were largely identical with those of the beasts of the jungle, wrestling, in some crude form
00:05:28at least, had begun to take its place as the most fascinating of sports.
00:05:33It so closely approached the daily struggle of life as life went in the faint dawn of
00:05:38human existence, as to have logically been the earliest variety of sport in which men
00:05:44engaged.
00:05:46Surviving and being steadily improved upon throughout the ages, we find record of the
00:05:51high regard in which the sport was held by the ancient Egyptians in the many carvings
00:05:56of wrestlers upon the tombs of the pharaohs.
00:06:00Of later origin, though still in remote antiquity, other records are found of wrestling as a
00:06:05favourite sport among the athletes of classic Greece and of the Roman Empire.
00:06:10All literature through the ages is crowded with tales of the prowess of vanished heroes
00:06:15of the grappling arts.
00:06:18So long ago as 1443, a book narrating wrestling methods was published and included illustrations
00:06:24of various wrestling positions.
00:06:27The modern day World Wrestling Entertainment Company isn't titan in the entertainment
00:06:32industry as its parent company Titan Sports Inc. name suggests, with over a billion social
00:06:40followers around the world and millions viewing their weekly shows in arenas globally and
00:06:45at home on television.
00:06:48In ring, a lot has changed for WWE since its inception in the early 1950s, as has the corporate
00:06:55structure and the nature of the very business of pro wrestling itself.
00:07:00In this video I want to explore the key moments in the company's history, its foundations
00:07:05coming out of the second world war and its explosion into mainstream popularity as the
00:07:11WWE became the single name that came to mind anytime you would mention the words pro wrestling.
00:07:17I want to see how those two words have changed meaning over the last century and how in the
00:07:23modern day we have a company which has long since left behind these traditions of the
00:07:28squared circle and become a mainstay of pop culture with its creation of a blend of sports
00:07:34and entertainment.
00:07:35We will look at the key turning points for the WWF during the attitude era and the eventual
00:07:41change to WWE, the name we all know today.
00:07:45This is the story of how WWE got started.
00:07:50The journey will take us from the late 19th century and boxing in New York with Jess McMahon
00:07:55through both world wars and on to the beginnings of scripted wrestling with his son Vincent
00:08:01James McMahon.
00:08:02Through the dusty black and white days of the territories and then on to worldwide acclaim
00:08:07under Vincent Kennedy McMahon and his wife Linda and her political journey.
00:08:12To their children first Shane, the hot headed and passionate eldest son and his unusual
00:08:18relationship with the rest of the line.
00:08:21And his younger sister Stephanie with her passion for business and a driven streak just
00:08:26like her father.
00:08:27We will see how a young Stephanie's forbidden love would change the direction of the company
00:08:32brought down from her grandfather and finally on to the future with the new generation of
00:08:37McMahons and the very destiny of the WWE up in the air and hopefully answer the question
00:08:44as to why I believe the McMahon family is the most important in the whole of sports
00:08:49entertainment history.
00:08:53Our story begins in 1882 with the birth of Roderick James Jess McMahon.
00:08:59Without this one single man, nothing else in this eventful tale would have had a chance
00:09:04to have taken place.
00:09:06His marriage to Rose E. Davis would set in motion a bloodline which would become the
00:09:11centre of the entire pro wrestling universe.
00:09:17In 1926, renowned promoter Jess McMahon has already had success in the boxing business
00:09:23when he met Tex Rickard.
00:09:26Together the two men began putting on larger, more profitable wrestling shows at famed sporting
00:09:31venue Madison Square Garden in New York, using the aforementioned formula to bring in more
00:09:36interest into the world of predetermined pro wrestling than ever before thought possible.
00:09:43Jess McMahon and Rose Davis would go on to have three children, Roderick McMahon Jr,
00:09:48Dorothy McMahon and from our point of view most importantly, in 1914, Vincent James McMahon.
00:09:58On January 7th, 1952, Toots Mont and Jess McMahon founded Capital Wrestling Corporation
00:10:04or CWC for short.
00:10:07A year after the pro wrestling company was started, it became part of the National Wrestling
00:10:11Alliance and was the NWA's North Eastern Territory.
00:10:17As part of the nationwide conglomerate of wrestling companies, the NWA recognised just
00:10:22one undisputed world champion, a wrestler who was expected to tour around several different
00:10:27companies and defend the title to each region's top stars.
00:10:32This drew crowds to local shows who were desperate to see their local hero defeat the travelling
00:10:37belt holder and bring the NWA undisputed belt to their region more often.
00:10:43Conversely at the time, crowds would pay to see a national star come to their smaller
00:10:47regional shows and defeat the top heel in the area, someone who perhaps had been dominantly
00:10:52defying the faces for a period.
00:10:55The NWA's champion when CWC was formed was Lou Thayers.
00:11:00The belt was awarded to Lou Thayers on November 22nd, 1949.
00:11:07In November of 1954, when Jess McMahon died, his son Vincent James McMahon was brought
00:11:14in by one of Toots Mont's closest allies in the business, Ray Fabiani.
00:11:18Vincent James McMahon has industry knowledge and had been around the business for a lot
00:11:23of his adult life.
00:11:29Mont and McMahon's partnership soon proved fruitful and saw them take an estimated 70%
00:11:37control of the NWA's booking power and decision making due to its ability to draw large amounts
00:11:43of money from the densely populated northeast region of the US.
00:11:48Mont and McMahon focused their marketing towards Baltimore, New York and New Jersey and totally
00:11:54dominated in those areas.
00:11:56Vincent James McMahon's reputation grew as an astute businessman, but also his reputation
00:12:01for kindness preceded him.
00:12:03In the biography of infamous female wrestler The Fabulous Moolah, it states that Vince
00:12:08James McMahon was the first promoter to share proceeds from ticket sales with their performers,
00:12:13a practice that was seen to incentivise talent to try and bring as huge a crowd as they could
00:12:18to each and every event with their performances and athleticism.
00:12:23Cliffing the gate also made McMahon stand out as a promoter that top wrestlers would
00:12:27want to work for.
00:12:29From 1955 in what amounted to little more than an old converted barn in Washington DC,
00:12:35the DuMont Network aired the promotion's first telecast.
00:12:39CWC had to pay for their show to be aired on the DuMont Network for a few weeks until
00:12:44the show was seen as profitable and DuMont signed McMahon and Mont to the television
00:12:49deal.
00:12:50At this time the pair already owned the Turner Arena in Washington DC, which they had converted
00:12:55to be more modern and suitable for televised combat, with new cameras and lights installed
00:13:00into the venue to aid with production.
00:13:03The professional look of the show was a huge leap beyond anything that the wrestling world
00:13:07had delivered up to that point.
00:13:10This worked well for a year before the network went off the air.
00:13:13Luckily for McMahon and Mont, WABD, the network that owned the DuMont Network, kept the show
00:13:20on the air live from New York, airing every Saturday night until 1971.
00:13:25This gave the company much greater coverage to fans at home than most other wrestling
00:13:30companies in the world at the time.
00:13:33Other wrestling promoters were worried that wrestling on television would kill the business,
00:13:37with fans choosing to stay at home and watch on TV rather than pay to go to a live local
00:13:43event.
00:13:44However, Vincent J McMahon saw the wider appeal of national wrestling and correctly assumed
00:13:49that the television exposure would bring in larger audiences than mere local house
00:13:54shows.
00:13:55If this is the way television kills promoters, he famously said in 1956, I'm going to die
00:14:01a very rich man.
00:14:06It wasn't only with the explosion of television that wrestling changed at this time.
00:14:11The cultural world outside of wrestling was changing too, and McMahon and Mont wanted
00:14:16to move away from the NWA's idea of a 1950s world champion.
00:14:21To this point, every world champion sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance was considered
00:14:26a real shooter, a wrestler who could perform in real athletic bouts, someone who could
00:14:32handle themselves in a real fight and could protect the belt in case that a local wrestler
00:14:37may try and legitimately take it away from them.
00:14:40During the 50s, the wrestling world was a lot darker, and in some ways there was more
00:14:45devious underhanded tactics being used to establish dominance in such a competitive
00:14:50evolving market.
00:14:52But by the time the 60s rolled around, Capital Wrestling Corporation had the lion's share
00:14:57of the audience in American wrestling and a complete stranglehold on the decision making
00:15:01of the NWA.
00:15:02Vince J McMahon and Mont wanted to install their top guy, an up-and-coming Buddy Rogers,
00:15:08as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
00:15:11Buddy Rogers was a new breed of wrestler who focused as much on his character and look
00:15:16as he did on his in-ring skills.
00:15:19This was a tactic that had proven extremely effective for CWC and had greatly outdrawn
00:15:24the more traditional wrestlers that the NWA had provided.
00:15:29In 1961, the NWA had finally had their arms twisted enough, and allowed Buddy Rogers to
00:15:35be installed as their world champion, whose base would be with CWC in the Northeast.
00:15:41This drew the ire of many other promoters in the NWA at the time, as they were concerned
00:15:45that CWC would hog the belt, and only ever defend it in their territories, effectively
00:15:51maintaining their grasp on the money printing strap.
00:15:55As fractures started to appear, Vince J McMahon and Mont instructed Buddy Rogers to keep hold
00:16:01of his belt and refuse to defend it against anyone who they deemed too risky.
00:16:06However, predicting this sort of event might take place, the NWA had ordered all of their
00:16:11world champions to pay a $25,000 deposit on receipt of the belt, to be returned once the
00:16:18wrestler had lost a match.
00:16:20Buddy Rogers did not want to forfeit this deposit, and as such agreed to lose the belt
00:16:24to Lou Thesz in Ontario, Canada in January of 1963, who went on to be the NWA's top
00:16:31performer for years.
00:16:34Without a champion and with their relationship with the NWA, Mont and McMahon split away
00:16:39and formed their new wrestling company, WWWF at this time.
00:16:45The worldwide wrestling federation was as much of a success as it was a mouthful to
00:16:50say.
00:16:51The company exploded onto the wrestling scene to much applause.
00:16:54The WWWF world title was awarded to their preferred choice of performer in Buddy Rogers.
00:17:01Rogers was given the belt after a much disputed tournament in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
00:17:06Heavily disputed not because people disagreed with the WWWF's choice of a different kind
00:17:11of champion, but many suggest that the event in Brazil never actually took place and was
00:17:16just a way to put the belt on Rogers, whilst deflecting backlash from fans.
00:17:22A month later in May of 1963, Bruno San Martino was brought in to replace the world champion
00:17:28in WWWF after Buddy Rogers suffered a heart attack whilst preparing for a match.
00:17:34The two men put on a lightning quick one minute bout to pass the torch and protect Rogers.
00:17:40From this point on, Bruno San Martino went on to be the longest reigning champion in
00:17:45all of WWE's long history, 7 years, 8 months and a day, let that sink in.
00:17:51From 1963 to 1971, Worldwide Wrestling Champion reigned supreme over the Northeastern Territory
00:17:59as the ultimate babyface good guy.
00:18:01Toots Montt left the company during this time in the late 60s and Vincent J McMahon assumed
00:18:06full control over the burgeoning wrestling behemoth.
00:18:11By 1971, WWWF's popularity was once again on the rise as they started to put on now
00:18:18iconic matches at Madison Square Garden in New York and the Shea Stadium.
00:18:23With Bruno San Martino at the top of the card against heels who were usually brought to
00:18:28the ring by a valet or manager, McMahon brought in industry legends such as Ernie Roth, the
00:18:33Grand Wizard of Wrestling, Classy Freddie Blassie and Captain Lou Albano to act as these
00:18:40managers for the bad guys and draw boos from the crowd, adding intrigue to the matches.
00:18:45The company was seeing increased revenues at this time, larger crowds and bigger paychecks
00:18:50for the wrestlers who were making more money on average than professional baseball players
00:18:54of the day.
00:18:57Vincent J McMahon saw no reason to change his winning formula and saw that having a
00:19:02good guy champion retaining for long stretches over touring bad guys was what the fans wanted.
00:19:08This led to large chunks of the WWWF's title lineage being around the waist of the heroes,
00:19:14as well as Bruno San Martino, Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales, both intensely honourable
00:19:19men, all had long runs with the belt, more than a year each.
00:19:23To transition the title between faces, when the time came, the reigning champion would
00:19:28lose to one of the top heels in the area.
00:19:30This would instantly make the new champion public enemy number one, in the eyes of wrestling
00:19:35fans at least.
00:19:36The likes of Ivan Koloff and Stan Stasiak filled this role perfectly.
00:19:41Then a month later, the new good guy comes along and defeats this heel who has been getting
00:19:46thrown out of venues and spat at in the streets, suddenly a new hero is born.
00:19:52Great formula for this time.
00:19:56Compared to its competitors, WWWF was fairly relaxed with its regularity of shows, choosing
00:20:02to put on one larger show per month, instead of the weekly or bi-weekly shows of its counterparts.
00:20:08The title matches often taking place inside of a steel cage, or the belt being defended
00:20:13in a Texas death match, and more often than not, the main event of the evening in the
00:20:18larger arena shows would be in the middle of the card.
00:20:22This allowed space after the main event to build towards the next show and get crowds
00:20:26invested into the wrestling enough to convince them to buy a ticket for the following month,
00:20:31where of course the story would continue.
00:20:34It also allowed a space on the card for other top fan favourites to perform, win and send
00:20:39the crowd home in a state of jubilation.
00:20:42Stars such as Andre the Giant, Chief J Strongbow and Dusty Rhodes were brought in at this time
00:20:47to fit that bill, and all succeeded in winning the crowd's hearts.
00:20:52Vincent James McMahon married Victoria H Askew and the pair had two sons.
00:20:57The first, Roderick James McMahon III, and their second son, would prove to be the most
00:21:03divisive and successful member of the entire family thus far, in Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
00:21:10All this from a temperamental, dyslexic kid who grew up in a trailer park.
00:21:14He's fought his way since childhood, determined to take on the critics, a billionaire, and
00:21:19the US government.
00:21:22Born Vincent Kennedy Lupton, after his father on August 24th 1945 in North Carolina, you
00:21:31may be forgiven for thinking that the second this baby was born it was thrust into the
00:21:36world of professional wrestling.
00:21:37However, when his father left to travel for business, young Vinnie Lupton was subjected
00:21:43to a lonely and tortured childhood.
00:21:46My parents got divorced and I went with my mum, Vicky.
00:21:50She was in the church choir, a real performer, a female Elmer Gantry.
00:21:56Very striking with an excellent voice, lived with her and my real asshole of a stepfather,
00:22:02a man who enjoyed kicking people around.
00:22:05Travelling from one tiny apartment to the next, through trailer park caravans and near
00:22:10homelessness, it is fair to say that this young man was forced to learn how to be tough.
00:22:16I grew up dirt poor, when you are in that class, a lower economic class, everyone is
00:22:22above you.
00:22:23And there were a number of individuals who thought they were above me because of their
00:22:28economic situation.
00:22:30It always bugged me that people would think they were better than me.
00:22:34His mother Victoria suffered through several abusive relationships and by her side the
00:22:39whole time was the unfortunate and very much innocent child.
00:22:44I grew up in a very aggressive environment to say the least, that includes any number
00:22:49of individuals beating the hell out of me only because I had a big mouth and had to
00:22:54say what was on my mind.
00:22:56One man who proved to be particularly vicious gave young Vince his surname in Leo Lupton.
00:23:03On his violent stepfather's behaviour Vince later commented,
00:23:07It's unfortunate that he died before I could kill him.
00:23:10I would have enjoyed that.
00:23:13I think you have to develop an attitude.
00:23:15During the severity that I experienced, taking numerous beatings and things of that nature,
00:23:21I developed a defensive philosophy that has served me very well through the years.
00:23:26That is, if I live through whatever the adversarial position was, I won.
00:23:31No matter what happens, if I'm still breathing in and out, I won.
00:23:36So if you have that kind of philosophy, then failure is not a big thing.
00:23:41If the physical and mental abuse suffered at the hands of his stepfathers weren't
00:23:45enough, Vince McMahon later admitted in an interview that he was sexually assaulted as
00:23:50a child.
00:23:51A fact disgusting and terrible enough for any one person to suffer, however the perpetrator
00:23:58of said horrific acts makes the whole ordeal something even more sinister.
00:24:04In an interview with Playboy magazine, the interviewer asked,
00:24:07Was the abuse all physical, or was there sexual abuse too?
00:24:12That's not anything I would like to embellish, just because it was weird, Vince replied.
00:24:16Did it come from the same man?
00:24:19No, it wasn't.
00:24:21It wasn't from the male.
00:24:22Later on in the interview, the interviewer asked,
00:24:25We can leave that topic, but one last thing first.
00:24:29You said that the sexual abuse in your childhood wasn't from the male.
00:24:32It's well known that you're estranged from your mother.
00:24:35Have we found the reason?
00:24:37To which Vince nodded, saying, Without saying that, I'd say that's pretty
00:24:42close.
00:24:45At the age of 12, Vince's father, Vincent James McMahon, returned into his life.
00:24:51By this time he had arrived through the door with a successful pro wrestling company and
00:24:55a desire to take over the entire independent wrestling scene in North America.
00:25:01When I was 12 or a little older, living with my grandmother on my mum's side, my father
00:25:07and his mother came to visit.
00:25:09I must have behaved myself because I got invited up to be with him.
00:25:14Didn't know it though.
00:25:15It's funny how you don't know what you're missing if you've never had it.
00:25:19Then when I met my dad, I fell in love with him.
00:25:21We got very, very close, but we both knew we could never go back.
00:25:25There's a tendency to try to play catch up, but you can't.
00:25:28You miss those years.
00:25:30There would always be something missing between us, but there was no reason to discuss it.
00:25:35I was grateful for the chance to spend time with him.
00:25:39At the age of 12, Vince's father, Vincent James McMahon, returned into his life.
00:25:45By this time he had arrived through the door with a successful pro wrestling company and
00:25:49a desire to take over the entire independent wrestling scene in North America.
00:25:55Vincent James McMahon saw the wider appeal of national wrestling and correctly assumed
00:26:00that television exposure would bring in larger audiences than mere local house shows.
00:26:05If this is the way television kills promoters, he famously said in 1956, I'm going to die
00:26:12a very rich man.
00:26:15Vince said, I would see him in the summertime and on the occasional holiday.
00:26:19That he was able and willing to send me to that school made an impression.
00:26:23It was a chance to start over.
00:26:26Maybe it doesn't seem that I changed since I was the first cadet in school history to
00:26:30be court-martialed, but I at least started to change.
00:26:34No one really knew who I was at Fishburne.
00:26:36I had no badass reputation to uphold.
00:26:40Vince Jr was heading down the wrong path in life.
00:26:43His horrible childhood meant that he had become frustrated and violent.
00:26:47It's frustrating for a child to know that you're different and you don't fit in.
00:26:52Maybe you're not quite as bright and you're made fun of.
00:26:55Kids all do that.
00:26:56I guess maybe I always resorted back to the one common denominator when I was terribly
00:27:02frustrated like that, and that of course would be physicality.
00:27:06He even admitted to breaking a few laws in his wilder days.
00:27:10I stole automobiles, but I always brought them back.
00:27:14I just borrowed them really.
00:27:16There were other thefts too, and I ran a load of moonshine in Harlow, North Carolina in
00:27:21a 1952 Ford V8 that was a badass car at the time.
00:27:26But his father's re-emergence felt like a new start, a ray of hope for young Vinny.
00:27:32The pair connected emotionally through wrestling.
00:27:36Vincent J McMahon would take his young teenage son to see great battles performed inside
00:27:41Madison Square Garden.
00:27:43Just like any boy of his age, the younger Vincent fell in love with the spectacle and
00:27:47the power on display, telling his father that he wanted to immediately begin wrestling
00:27:53training.
00:27:54This idea was instantly shut down by his dad, who explained that young Vinny was destined
00:27:59to be a successful promoter and businessman and should always maintain distance with the
00:28:05performers.
00:28:07I got into it really, somewhat as a family affair.
00:28:10My granddad was promoting boxing and wrestling back in New York City, principally in one
00:28:15of the old Madison Square Gardens, and from there my dad having helped his father promote
00:28:20wrestling and more boxing in those days, putting show card up and selling tickets and whatever
00:28:26it may be and so it got in my father's blood, and of course I grew up in the business so
00:28:32it naturally got in my blood and I can't get it out.
00:28:34I love it.
00:28:36In 1961, during a service which the young Vince regularly attended, he was introduced
00:28:42to a young teenager by the name of Linda at church.
00:28:46Both have since said that they knew it was love at first sight, the pair going on to
00:28:50be married until this very day.
00:28:52We will see later on in this story, however, that this infatuation did not pave the way
00:28:58for a smooth or ordinary relationship by any means.
00:29:05When I hear people from the project or anywhere else blame their actions on the way that they
00:29:09grew up, I think it's a crock of shit.
00:29:13You can rise above it.
00:29:14This country gives you opportunity if you want to take it, so don't blame your environment.
00:29:19I look down on people who use their environment as a crutch.
00:29:23Vinny studied at Fishburn Military School in Virginia and even with all of his home
00:29:27life issues managed to graduate in 1964.
00:29:32Something which is all the more impressive considering Vince has since found out he is
00:29:36mildly dyslexic and has been his entire life.
00:29:40This doesn't mean he was entirely well behaved, however.
00:29:43I was lucky and a little crafty.
00:29:45I wasn't caught for some stuff that would have meant immediate dismissal like stealing
00:29:50the commandant's car.
00:29:52Colonel Zinica had an old green beat up Buick and he always left the keys in it.
00:29:57He also had a dog he was nuts about.
00:30:00I love animals, but one day I couldn't resist giving that dog a laxative.
00:30:04I put the laxative in some hamburger and the dog did his business all over the commandant's
00:30:09apartment which thrilled me greatly.
00:30:13His time at school also hampered by his indifference to learning.
00:30:17He said,
00:30:18I hated economics.
00:30:19Sat in the back row, didn't like the subject.
00:30:22It's all about numbers, not people.
00:30:24Wasn't wild about statistics either.
00:30:26I didn't do well scholastically.
00:30:28Had a grade point average of 2.001.
00:30:32You needed a 2 point average to graduate.
00:30:34I had to go back to a couple of professors to get them to change me from a B plus to
00:30:39an A or I wouldn't have made it.
00:30:42Four years later he continued his studies and remained dedicated to his own self-improvement
00:30:48when he graduated with a degree in business studies in 1968 from East Carolina University.
00:30:56Without a champion and with their relationship with the NWA, Mondt and McMahon split away
00:31:01and formed their new wrestling company, WWWF at this time.
00:31:07The worldwide wrestling federation was as much of a success as it was a mouthful to
00:31:12say.
00:31:13The company exploded onto the wrestling scene to much applause.
00:31:20Regardless of the horrors and triumphs we'll witness as this story progresses, Vince McMahon
00:31:25has always strived to deliver to his children what his mother and father failed to provide
00:31:31When it comes to his children, Vince McMahon has proven his worth as a loving and devoted
00:31:36father as well as a provider to both of his kids.
00:31:40Vince and Linda celebrated their first child when Shane McMahon was born in 1970.
00:31:52Their second child Stephanie was born six years later.
00:31:55The family grew up in Hartford, Connecticut in a gigantic mansion surrounded by beautiful
00:32:01woodland and natural splendour, full of all the luxuries afforded by Vince's ever-growing
00:32:07wrestling company.
00:32:08We will learn much more about the dynamics of the McMahons at home and see how both Stephanie
00:32:14and Shane's relationship with their father and with one another will directly impact
00:32:20the very future of the billion-dollar monopoly.
00:32:28Wade Keller said,
00:32:29Jeff Jarrett was having dinner with the McMahons, and either he or someone at the table said,
00:32:35Shane, you know, someday you're going to be running the company like your dad.
00:32:40And Stephanie, who was years younger than Shane, established her alpha attitude.
00:32:45She jumped in and said, uh-uh, Daddy's little girl is going to be the one running the show
00:32:49someday, not Shane.
00:32:52That rivalry has been there.
00:32:54The divide between those two, I'm told, is still there, and there's no reconciliation
00:32:59of power.
00:33:00By 1971, Vince McMahon Jr. was ready to take his first steps into becoming a wrestling
00:33:07promoter in his own right.
00:33:09All this time, I had been pestering my dad to let me work with him.
00:33:13Come on, Pop, you know I love this stuff.
00:33:16He had a promoter in Bangor, Maine, who had been caught stealing.
00:33:20Caught stealing above and beyond the norm, I should say.
00:33:23In those days, all the promoters stole, but you can steal too much, and then you're
00:33:28a thief.
00:33:29By 1971, WWWF's popularity was once again on the rise as they started to put on now
00:33:36iconic matches at Madison Square Garden in New York once again and the Shea Stadium,
00:33:42With Bruno Sammartino at the top of the card against heels who were usually brought to
00:33:47the ring by a valet or manager, McMahon brought in industry legends such as Ernie Roth, the
00:33:52Grand Wizard of Wrestling, Classy Freddie Blassie, and Captain Lou Albano to act as
00:33:58these managers for the bad guys and draw boos from the crowd, adding intrigue to the matches.
00:34:04The company was seeing increased revenues at this time, larger crowds and bigger paychecks
00:34:09for the wrestlers who were making more money on average than professional baseball players
00:34:13of the day.
00:34:21This only further goes to show how incredibly dedicated and hard-working this man is and
00:34:27has forever been, Vince reportedly only ever sleeps around 4 hours a night, saying, I don't
00:34:33like to sleep, I'm missing something when I'm sleeping.
00:34:37And even in his progressed age, spending his days working from the moment he wakes.
00:34:41Kurt Angle said, Sometimes at 1am in the morning, 1.30 in the morning, Vince would call me and
00:34:47ask me if I'm okay, what I thought about the show that night.
00:34:51Vince, when he gets done with the show, he wraps up the show, he gets into his limo,
00:34:55he goes to the hotel, and then they rent out a gym in that city, and Vince works out from
00:35:002am to 4am in the morning, then he goes back to the hotel, goes to sleep from 4.30 to 6,
00:35:07and then he wakes up again, he takes an hour and a half nap and that's it, he's a monster,
00:35:12he does that every day.
00:35:14Consistently Vince McMahon hits the gym, a peak specimen of human performance, Vince
00:35:19McMahon has shown both physical and mental tenacity throughout his entire career, juggling
00:35:24monumental decisions and ruling office hours and travel time with a desire to maintain
00:35:29his superb physical conditioning.
00:35:32Triple H said of his father-in-law, Look, Vince is incredible, and you can say in every
00:35:37level, he's 75 plus, his work ethic is greater than anybody I've ever seen, still to this
00:35:43day, he's in the office first thing in the day, he's there all day, he's meeting with
00:35:47writers till 1 in the morning, 2 in the morning, and he goes downstairs and trains, his trainer
00:35:53is there at ungodly hours, he goes downstairs at 2am and gets after it, he doesn't sleep
00:35:58that much, still trains like that, still eats, very particular about his food.
00:36:03He's just a machine, he's just a very disciplined person and his work ethic is second to none,
00:36:09it's most people that work in this company, I think long term there's just a burnout factor,
00:36:14it's hard to hang with him for a long period of time, if you're on the same schedule he's
00:36:18on it's 24-7.
00:36:20And that is something that has remained throughout his entire career in front of the television
00:36:24and camera, morphing from a seriously impressive physique into one which draws shock and awe.
00:36:31Everything's better when you're in shape, food tastes better, sex is better, even breathing
00:36:35is easier.
00:36:37This man's in his late 70s for goodness sake, appearing in world leading fitness and muscle
00:36:42magazines as a shining example of what sheer determination looks like.
00:36:47Big E said, we have these long drives, and we'll get in the round 2 or 3 in the morning
00:36:52and his personal trainer has been standing outside the whole time waiting for him because
00:36:57he'll come in and work out after shows and after long drives.
00:37:01This man is in his 70s and he's working out hard, he's a meathead in a way.
00:37:06Vince's insane attitude towards continual work has also proven to have it's downsides
00:37:12however, with some former employees explaining that Vince believes that everyone should be
00:37:18as fast paced and productive as he is.
00:37:21Road Dogg said, So what am I to be mad about?
00:37:24Who am I supposed to be mad at?
00:37:26Because I can't keep up with him, because I can't outwork the superhuman worker.
00:37:31The man is a machine, and he works and works and works, and I personally couldn't keep
00:37:36up with him, and that's on me, that ain't on him.
00:37:40A former WWE creative writer explained a similar feeling, Vince is a workaholic and if anything
00:37:46gets in the way of his work, it makes him angry.
00:38:02In 1979, the world was once again in a state of flux.
00:38:06In an attempt to rebrand the company, the name was shortened to World Wrestling Federation,
00:38:11a name that would usher in a new era of wrestling for not only Vincent J McMahon, but his family
00:38:17and the wrestling world at large.
00:38:201980 saw Vincent Kennedy McMahon and his wife Linda form Titan Sport Inc in South Yarmouth,
00:38:29Massachusetts.
00:38:30By 1982, Vince McMahon Jr, Vincent J McMahon's son, stepped up his role in the company after
00:38:36years of learning the inner workings of the wrestling industry, purchasing the Capital
00:38:41Wrestling Corporation and WWF from his father on June 6, 1982, with it assuming complete
00:38:48control of the brand and heading up its new board of decision makers.
00:38:54Soon after in 1983, at the annual meeting of the National Wrestling Alliance, Vince
00:38:59McMahon Jr, or Vincent Kennedy McMahon, backed out of his commitments and cut ties with the
00:39:04NWA, which, understandably, angered the other promoters and started huge rivalries between
00:39:11the WWF and NWA territories as the WWF sought to run shows across the whole country.
00:39:17WWF and Vincent K McMahon used this new wider coverage to leverage deals with advertisers
00:39:23and large television companies.
00:39:25This afforded the WWF a bankroll that would allow them to continue their acquisition of
00:39:30new talent and go on to headhunt the best performers in the business.
00:39:34The wrestling world was changed forever as soon as the ink had dried on McMahon's ownership
00:39:39contract, taking the WWF as a regional promotion and using the existing platform to create
00:39:46industry icons and pop culture figures such as Rowdy Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan, all of
00:39:52whom had previous relationships with the NWA.
00:40:07On March 31st of 1985, WWF's Wrestlemania aired from Madison Square Garden in New York,
00:40:14the spiritual home of the WWF and premiered live on MTV.
00:40:19A partnership known as the Rock and Wrestling Connection proved extremely fruitful for all
00:40:25involved, with WWF promoting the event as a supercard, inviting the likes of Muhammad
00:40:30Ali, Mr. T, Cindy Lauper and Liberace to participate in the groundbreaking event.
00:40:37Wrestlemania was the first ever pro-wrestling pay-per-view and saw the inception of a business
00:40:41model for WWF that would evolve and adapt all the way until the modern day.
00:40:46Hogan's inclusion in the main event was a given, the show was designed in part to
00:40:51be built around Hulkamania.
00:40:53Vince McMahon saw a perfect chance to bring more eyes to their inaugural show with the
00:40:58inclusion of the aforementioned celebrities.
00:41:01Hogan would appear in a tag match paired with actor Mr. T in a match which included Liberace
00:41:06and Muhammad Ali as the ringside officials.
00:41:10Hogan and Mr. T defeated the heel team of Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.
00:41:14A tag match which, although not the best produced or fondly remembered match, is still incredibly
00:41:20important in the overall timeline of wrestling, marking a turning point in the industry towards
00:41:26the Rock and Wrestling era.
00:41:28The wrestling avalanche had begun to roll.
00:41:31In 1985, the invention of Saturday Night's main event saw WWF and pro-wrestling return
00:41:37to network television for the first time since the 1950s.
00:41:41Hogan continued on with his run of high-profile victories within WWF.
00:41:46The next year, at the sequel to Wrestlemania, Vince McMahon wanted to go even bigger than
00:41:51the previous year, so for Wrestlemania 2, the event was split across three venues.
00:41:56The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York, the Rosemont Horizon in Illinois,
00:42:02and the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in LA.
00:42:05Each separate event was put on simultaneously, with the roster being divided into three individual
00:42:11cards.
00:42:12The televised event would flick between the three, with each venue hosting its own co-main
00:42:17event.
00:42:18Mr. T fought in a boxing match against Roddy Piper, a tag title match, and the real main
00:42:23event of the evening, Hulk Hogan defeating King Kong Bundy inside of a steel cage to
00:42:28retain his World Heavyweight Championship.
00:42:34Wrestlemania 4, the legendary wrestling event, was promoted as being held at the Trump Plaza
00:42:39Hotel and Casino, however, was actually aired from the venue across the road at the historic
00:42:45Atlantic City Convention Hall on March 27, 1988, with an attendance of over 19,000 in
00:42:52the crowd watching a 14-man tournament for the undisputed WWF Heavyweight Championship,
00:42:58with Ted DiBiase being bested in the final by Randy Savage, handing the belt to the Macho
00:43:03Man.
00:43:04The show was generally well received, despite not being one of WWF's biggest drawing shows.
00:43:10Then, towards the next year's Wrestlemania 5 on April 2, 1989, with Trump's Casino
00:43:16and Hotel sponsoring the event, which again was hosted across the road from Trump's
00:43:21Plaza for the second consecutive year, being the first time that WWF had chosen to stay
00:43:27in the same place for its big show more than once.
00:43:30Matches at the event thrusted the Ultimate Warrior forward in victory of the Intercontinental
00:43:34title against Rick Rude, where the main event saw another classic face-off as the Mega Powers
00:43:40exploded and Hulk Hogan defeated Macho Man Randy Savage with a leg drop for the WWF World
00:43:46Heavyweight belt.
00:43:47These two iconic sports entertainment events earned both Vince McMahon and Donald Trump
00:43:52enormous amounts of money and aided in birthing their respect for one another.
00:43:57This mutual respect, meant that working together since, has proven successful for both involved,
00:44:03leading to numerous segments on WWE television featuring Donald Trump and the McMahon family,
00:44:09especially Linda McMahon, who benefited, and has worked closely with Donald Trump in the
00:44:14years since.
00:44:15Vince's love and appreciation for bulging muscles and tortuous veins would extend far
00:44:28beyond his own ironclad physique, when, in 1991, he would form the World Bodybuilding
00:44:35Federation.
00:44:36Everything else, however, about the WBF would prove to be unethical, poorly realised and
00:44:41eventually a massive failure.
00:44:52In September the previous year, Vince McMahon had attended the closing ceremony of the Mr.
00:44:57Olympia tournament, which at the time was hosted by the International Federation of
00:45:02Bodybuilding.
00:45:03This well-established name in the world of muscle would prove to be McMahon and his newly
00:45:07formed WBF's greatest rival in the industry.
00:45:11At the Mr. Olympia event, McMahon arrived under the pretense that he was there to promote
00:45:16a supplement brand and fitness magazine for another company.
00:45:20However, always the cunning businessman, McMahon heeded his advertisements for his upcoming
00:45:25bodybuilding organisation amongst the three magazines.
00:45:29Leading up to their first live event, WWF began promoting their new bodybuilding show
00:45:34on pro-wrestling television as a way to ramp up interest.
00:45:39Vince McMahon promised a more exciting and engaging form of bodybuilding the likes the
00:45:44world had never before seen.
00:45:46He paid his new roster as much as $400,000 contracts and showed his belief in his new
00:45:52venture.
00:45:53When the IFBB found out that Vince had promoted his show at their Mr. Olympia event, the relationship
00:46:00between the two companies fell apart.
00:46:02The established IFBB prohibited any performers who were signed with McMahon's company from
00:46:08ever competing for their own.
00:46:18But this is Vince McMahon.
00:46:20He wasn't going to let his first show's disappointment ruin his grand scheme and got
00:46:25to work promoting the company's second pay-per-view, which promised to be even bigger and more
00:46:31spectacular than the first one.
00:46:33The promotion leading into the event focused on Lex Luger facing off against none other
00:46:38than Lou Ferrigno, world-renowned big man and the actor who played the Hulk on television
00:46:43around this time.
00:46:45Then it happened.
00:46:46The WWF and Vince McMahon were embroiled in the largest steroid scandal and trial in pro-wrestling
00:46:52history, and all of a sudden questions began to be asked about the legitimacy of the bodies
00:46:57on the display in the WBF as well.
00:47:20Some wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan, testified they would regularly pick up steroids at the
00:47:25company's headquarters in Connecticut.
00:47:27McMahon faced 11 years in prison but was acquitted after the jury found he did not direct wrestlers
00:47:32to take the steroids.
00:47:43The current day owner of World Wrestling Entertainment is muscle-clad billionaire Vince McMahon,
00:47:49an abnormally hard-working and dedicated man whose ripped body would lead you to believe
00:47:54that he wasn't in his 80s, having been at the helm of WWE since 1982.
00:48:00A man with a historic appreciation for bodybuilding and physical extremities, even founding the
00:48:05WBF or World Bodybuilding Federation, his own bodybuilding competition, a failed endeavour
00:48:12which only goes to prove Vince McMahon's passion for exhibiting the human form in its
00:48:17most physically impressive.
00:48:31Vince McMahon has on many occasions been accused of pushing wrestlers too far in their search
00:48:36for muscular perfection.
00:48:38He said,
00:48:39I've never encouraged anyone, at any time, to have steroid use in the WWE.
00:48:44You have to understand that back in the 1980s what the wrestling business was.
00:48:50Some wrestlers had difficulty dealing with success in an ego-driven business.
00:48:54We're in the entertainment business and I would suggest that in that era it was literally
00:49:00sex, drugs and rock and roll.
00:49:02You could compare us to rock and roll bands in the early 80s.
00:49:06Spearheaded by Vince McMahon, the late 80s and early 90s were certainly a time in which
00:49:11the performers in pro wrestling were at their most physically ballooned.
00:49:18As we see, Hogan decided to lie his way through the interview, stating he'd never taken
00:49:35steroids and that the only way to make it to the top like him was through hard work.
00:49:41Oh brother.
00:49:42David Schultz, a fellow pro wrestler and companion of Hulk Hogan said,
00:49:53I injected Hogan well over a hundred times.
00:49:56I regularly gave him shots in the triceps where he couldn't reach himself and also
00:50:00a few times in the butt.
00:50:16Another who before his death was outspoken about steroid use in pro wrestling and his
00:50:20involvement was the ultimate warrior Jim Helwig.
00:50:24If I had to relate anything to the lifestyle it would be to point out how the demands of
00:50:29pro wrestling differ from the lifestyle of any other organised sports pro athlete.
00:50:34There is no season, you go year round, and with the travel you do, you can fall into
00:50:39a bad habit of burning the candles at both ends.
00:50:42It's easy to fall into a habit of abusing stimulants and painkillers to cover up for
00:50:47lacklustre energy.
00:50:49Bottom line is there are differences between use and abuse and it's obvious that many
00:51:23As the ultimate warrior seemingly struggled to balance his unrealistic expectations of
00:51:40his body, his public perception and the pressure from WWE, fractures began to appear between
00:51:46Jim Helwig and the pro wrestling behemoth.
00:51:50Vince McMahon, since Helwig's passing, commented,
00:51:53"[Warrior's experiments with growth hormones were the reason, but the steroid's use was
00:51:58another big factor for the Ultimate Warrior's death."
00:52:01In 1991 Helwig's relationship with WWE was further tarnished when Vince McMahon was charged
00:52:08with routinely obtaining anabolic steroids by the US Attorney in New York.
00:52:13The pro wrestler's use of performance enhancers was put under a very public spotlight for
00:52:17the first time as witnesses from the wrestling world were called to stand to testify.
00:52:27In 1994 the WWF's biggest star, industry icon Hulk Hogan testified not only that he
00:52:34had tried steroids but that he had in fact been a regular steroid user for over 14 years.
00:52:40His defence was that he had been told the substances were above board and as a licensed
00:52:45doctor had given them to him.
00:53:15I think the mindset changed around 1990 when it became illegal.
00:53:22There was an era when it wasn't just steroid use in the WWE but it was predominant in every
00:53:27single sport across the board.
00:53:29Every sport in the world was doing it.
00:53:31The mindset was, it was safer than taking sugar.
00:53:36At that time every wrestler I knew was taking part in steroid use in WWE.
00:53:40I'm sure Hulk Hogan in his head thought if he denied extensive steroid use in the
00:53:45WWE in 1991 the media would move on.
00:53:49Who would have ever thought his denial would cause a steroid media buzz which attacked
00:53:53wrestling so fierce with major ramifications.
00:53:57Desirable TV time slots were lost, merchandise died in retail stores, sponsors left in droves,
00:54:04the fanbase dwindled.
00:54:06Did you take a shower?
00:54:07Yeah.
00:54:08Did you brush your teeth?
00:54:09Yeah.
00:54:10Did you take your steroids?
00:54:11Yeah.
00:54:12That was the deal.
00:54:13It was how I lived.
00:54:15Another charge brought against Vince McMahon was his involvement with the doctor who has
00:54:19prescribed the steroids to so many wrestlers who were employed by WWE.
00:54:24Dr. Zahorian was well known in the sporting world for supplying anabolic steroids to some
00:54:29of the world's top performers.
00:54:31Zahorian was well known at this time for regularly shipping drugs to WWE's headquarters in Connecticut.
00:54:37Their philosophy was if I take one pill, it's going to make me strong.
00:54:41If I take ten pills, it's going to make me ten times stronger.
00:54:45Zahorian would also routinely meet with wrestlers in his office in Hershey in Pennsylvania.
00:54:52Rowdy Roddy Piper recalled, the doctor was an extremely nice and very popular urologist
00:54:58who would supply various drugs to the wrestlers.
00:55:01During the trials of McMahon and Zahorian, the Justice Department went on to uncover
00:55:06heaps of evidence linking the two saying that Zahorian sold steroids and drugs to 43 pro
00:55:12wrestlers, 37 of whom were employed by McMahon's WWF when deliveries were made, most of which
00:55:18were later proven to not even have a prescription attached.
00:55:22Zahorian originally came to the attention of the authorities when he alerted them with
00:55:26his open bragging about his connections to some of the world's most recognisable pro
00:55:31wrestlers.
00:55:32Zahorian then unknowingly sold $650 worth of performance enhancing drugs to a federal
00:55:38informant whilst bragging about the potency of the substances in question on a secret
00:55:42tape.
00:55:44Maybe most incriminating of Zahorian was when, in 1991, federal officers kicked down his
00:55:49front door only to find Zahorian huddled over in the corner of his office frantically running
00:55:54documents through a paper shredder.
00:55:58The wrestlers who testified at Dr. Zahorian's trial said that when they couldn't see Dr.
00:56:02Zahorian personally, he sent them steroids by Federal Express.
00:56:07Records show several Federal Express shipments from Dr. Zahorian to Terry Bollé.
00:56:12At the trial, Zahorian stated that WWF secretary Ashley Feinberg regularly arranged for drug
00:56:18shipments.
00:56:20During the 1994 trial, Vince McMahon was questioned as to why, with all of this shady behaviour
00:56:26occurring in the public eye, and with the WWE having zero chance of not being aware
00:56:31of Zahorian's malpractice, their company continued to be affiliated with the dodgy
00:56:35doctor for so long.
00:56:37Especially close connections were recognised between Zahorian and Vince McMahon's right-hand
00:56:42man Pat Patterson and his wife Linda McMahon during this time.
00:56:49Perhaps not fair or balanced, but certainly fitting for the Entertainment Goliath that
00:56:53the legal trial was turned into a media spectacle, with all involved from WWF putting on a performance
00:56:59in front of the crowds.
00:57:01Something that comes so naturally to these men and women who have spent most of their
00:57:05lives entertaining the masses.
00:57:07And even with Anita Scales, a WWF booker at the time, testifying that they spoke to WWF's
00:57:13Pat Patterson and Vince's wife Linda McMahon, another executive in the company at the time,
00:57:19Anita claimed to have warned the pair of Zahorian's involvement in the sale of illegal drugs,
00:57:24to which Pat Patterson allegedly retorted, keep working with him in Pennsylvania so the
00:57:29performers can get their candy.
00:57:32The proceedings were drawn to a close after countless attempts by WWF lawyer Jerry McDevitt
00:57:38to prove that the accusations against the company were little more than petty revenge
00:57:43from scorned ex-wrestlers who had an axe to grind and little else.
00:57:48Several wrestlers toed the line and claimed they had never spoken to Vince McMahon about
00:57:52steroids and had never seen him use PEDs, whilst others spoke about the connection between
00:57:58Zahorian, McMahon and the WWF.
00:58:02This was met with claims of evidence mishandling of the two key witnesses and it led to Vince
00:58:07McMahon being acquitted and walking away with little more than a stern talking to and the
00:58:12push to put an end to use of steroids in the WWF.
00:58:17Zahorian however did not get off so lightly, he had always been the focus of the evidence
00:58:22and he was charged with 15 counts for drug trafficking.
00:58:26Aside from a long stretch in prison, Zahorian's only other option was to spill the beans and
00:58:31cooperate with the federal investigation into further accusations against WWF.
00:58:37Part of this new evidence was the claim that WWF's lead attorney, Jack Krill, was informed
00:58:42of a federal investigation against Zahorian by an unnamed state official.
00:58:47This has since led to a memo being uncovered from Linda McMahon to her partners at WWF
00:58:53which states,
00:58:54Although you and I discussed before about continuing to have Zahorian at our events
00:58:59as the doctor on call, I think that it's now a good idea, and Vince has agreed, and
00:59:04would like for you to call Zahorian and tell him not to come to any more of our events
00:59:10and to also clue him in on any action that the justice department is thinking of taking.
00:59:16In 1995, WWF had pulled through the dirt which had been the nationwide sensationalised legal
00:59:23trial and had suffered huge financial losses as it looked to build towards a new generation
00:59:29of pro wrestling in an attempt to shake off the shadows of negativity cast by the steroid
00:59:35scandal.
00:59:36From the time of the trial, the next few years would see a mass exodus of performers from
00:59:41the WWF, the majority of whom were larger than life superhuman torso beta gods.
00:59:48The likes of Hercules Hernandez and The Ultimate Warrior have both stated since how, when the
00:59:53rules became more strict and the laws changed, they had a tough time transitioning away from
00:59:58certain chemicals and found it easier to move away from the WWF.
01:00:06By 1993, WWF had moved its Titan HQ to Connecticut and absorbed all other branches of its business,
01:00:14consolidating all of its operations and focusing on a build towards the new generation, after
01:00:20a sexual harassment lawsuit and a huge steroid scandal losing more than $5 million for WWF
01:00:26at a time where fan interest was dwindling.
01:00:30The drug man had no choice but to implement a drug testing policy across his bodybuilding
01:00:36organisation and immediately the house of cards collapsed.
01:00:40Half of the roster refused to be tested and cancelled their contracts and decimated plans
01:00:45for their upcoming show.
01:00:47Those who were left were the smaller and less visually impressive performers who had never
01:00:51taken steroids and a few who had previously taken performance enhancers but had stopped
01:00:57when the testing policy was introduced, leading to a smaller and ever-deflating roster.
01:01:03The final now in the coffin was the big main event.
01:01:06Letz Luger was injured in the lead up and could not appear, his opponent Lou Ferrigno
01:01:11also refused to be tested and left the company shortly after.
01:01:15The show proved to be even less successful than the first, with reports explaining that
01:01:20only 3,000 homes bought the pay-per-view and had left McMahon's idea dead in the water.
01:01:27The company was dissolved a month later when Vince called the owners of rival IFBB and
01:01:32conceded to them his defeat.
01:01:34A financial, critical and commercial failure on every front, Vince McMahon learnt on this
01:01:40day, for the first time, that not everything he touches turns to gold.
01:01:48In the wake of the trial, both Linda and Vince McMahon sought to distance themselves from
01:01:53the legal proceedings publicly, with Linda saying,
01:01:56I don't pretend to remember to go back, to revisit all the aspects of that case.
01:02:01It has been tried, acquitted and done with, and WWE has evolved its total health and wellness
01:02:07policy over the years, and I'm sure it will continue to evolve.
01:02:11Jerry McDevitt further backed up this point, saying,
01:02:14At no point did they ever charge anybody with any kind of obstruction of justice or whatever
01:02:20it is you were suggesting by that last question, on this memo or otherwise.
01:02:25What I do know is, at the trial they failed miserably, they took their best shot, we cross-examined
01:02:31their witness, and the jury had no problem whatsoever acquitting the company of everything
01:02:36the government charged us with.
01:02:38But Vince McMahon saw an opportunity and began to take a different approach.
01:02:52The first horrible incident which lays the groundwork for this treacherous journey upon
01:02:57which we are about to embark began in early 1986.
01:03:01As soon as Rita Chatterton and Vince McMahon came face to face, they would forever be entangled
01:03:06in a struggle of power, sex and abuse.
01:03:10Soon Vince brought Rita Chatterton on board at WWF, but decided not to simply give her
01:03:15a small job on the backroom staff.
01:03:18McMahon saw this as an opportunity to change a young girl's life and give her a chance
01:03:22at fame and fortune.
01:03:25We got into the limo, Vince started talking about magazines, t-shirts, wrestling dolls,
01:03:30He promised me the world you know, he said, how are you going to feel the first time you
01:03:57walk down or past a news stand and see your face on Time magazine.
01:04:01There's all kinds of money to be made here you know, you're looking at like a half
01:04:05million dollar year contract and on and on and on.
01:04:09Rita signed a contract to train to become a WWF referee and to officiate in the storyline
01:04:15featuring American singer Cyndi Lauper managing wrestler Wendy Richter.
01:04:19A landmark event for pro wrestling, seeing Rita become the company's first ever female
01:04:23referee.
01:04:25However this did not come without major backlash, Pat Patterson, Jay Strongbow and Richard Herring
01:04:31came walking over to me and Pat Patterson's got a fist full of money, he says here take
01:04:35this and I looked at him and I said what's that, he says you're getting paid for tonight
01:04:40but you're not refereeing anything and I looked at him and I said yes I am, he just
01:04:45kind of stood back and I said look if I don't referee tonight I will sue you personally
01:04:49and I will sue you and I will sue you and I pointed to the other two, I said and then
01:04:54I'll sue the WWF because I'm a good referee and I've worked hard for it and yes I am
01:04:59working.
01:05:00Ok they storm away, Richard Herring kind of looks at me and smiles cos he knows he just
01:05:04assigned me.
01:05:05I ended up doing my very first match, a women's tag team match and I found out a few months
01:05:09later that Pat Patterson told the women to break my legs and make sure I never wanted
01:05:14to get into a ring again.
01:05:16Things started happening you know, suddenly you know like I said I'm refereeing in Madison
01:05:20Square Garden, I'm refereeing on television, I'm doing talk shows TNT which was Tuesday
01:05:26Night Titan, an interview talk show, he did a 4 page layout on me in WWF magazine, things
01:05:31were really starting to happen.
01:05:34Following her hiring, Patterson revealed that her friend and ex-wrestler Leonard Incitari
01:05:38had cautioned her to steer clear of Vince McMahon at all costs.
01:05:42He could make or break me and if I didn't satisfy him, I was blackballed, that was it,
01:05:47I was done.
01:05:48Incitari reported that during the summer of 1986, he encountered Chatterton by herself
01:05:53close to the wrestling ring a few hours prior to a WWF event.
01:05:58She looks at me and bursts out in tears.
01:06:00She grabbed me and I go, Rita what happened?
01:06:03I was in Vince's limo.
01:06:05Before she could continue, Incitari let out an involuntary, oh no.
01:06:09I was forced into oral sex with Vince McMahon.
01:06:15When I couldn't complete his desires, he got really angry, started ripping off my jeans,
01:06:26pulled me on top of him and told me again, if I wanted a half a million dollar a year
01:06:32contract I had to satisfy him.
01:06:34He took his penis out, he kind of forced my head down there and I made it known I wasn't
01:06:38interested in doing that.
01:06:40Incitari was not surprised.
01:06:41He had heard a lot of different stories about McMahon's sexual proclivities.
01:06:46He was strange brother.
01:06:47Then Vince pulled me on top of him.
01:06:49I was forced into oral sex with Vince McMahon.
01:06:52When I couldn't complete his desires, he got really angry, started ripping off my jeans,
01:06:56pulled me on top of him and told me again, if I wanted a half a million dollar a year
01:07:00contract I had to satisfy him.
01:07:03I got into the limo and we started talking and he started telling me that he had really
01:07:08neglected doing something with my career and it was really time that Rita Marie came
01:07:12to be.
01:07:13And the next thing I know, Vince unzipped his pants and he took my head and he kept
01:07:17putting my hand on his penis.
01:07:19He started telling me that he knew I didn't have a job.
01:07:22I had left Frito-Lay because of him.
01:07:24He knew that I had a daughter and that he could either make me or break me.
01:07:28The choice was mine.
01:07:29And he made me have oral sex with him and he started to get really excited and I pulled
01:07:33away and he got really angry and said that it was worth a half a million dollars a year
01:07:37and when I said no he said that I had better satisfy him and he started pulling my pants
01:07:42off and he pulled me on top of him and he satisfied himself through intercourse.
01:07:46One of the things that sticks with me and always will, was after he got done doing his
01:07:50business he looked at me and said, remember when I told you not to mess with any of the
01:07:55wrestlers, well you just did.
01:07:57I went to the ladies room of the diner and cried my heart out.
01:08:01I washed up, got in the car and went home and took a 5 hour shower.
01:08:05The next day Rita says she called a lawyer whose ads she'd seen on local television.
01:08:10He was willing to take the case but he knew it would be an uphill battle.
01:08:13It came down that it was my word against McMahon's because I took a shower and I didn't go to
01:08:17the hospital.
01:08:18I was scared.
01:08:19He was powerful.
01:08:20It was going to be him over me.
01:08:22Rita decided not to press charges.
01:08:24You're done.
01:08:25Your time's numbered.
01:08:26You're not going to be here.
01:08:28Indeed, Incitari's observations were confirmed.
01:08:31Starting that summer, the WWF ceased to book Chatterton for refereeing duties.
01:08:36Chatterton has since disclosed that McMahon acted as if he did not recognise her at Andre
01:08:40the Giant's memorial service.
01:08:42Following this, McMahon and his spouse initiated legal action against Chatterton and Rivera,
01:08:47accusing them of making false allegations of sexual assault.
01:08:50The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn due to WWE being overwhelmed with separate legal
01:08:55battles related to such horrific things such as child abuse and sexual misconduct as well
01:09:01as the illegal distribution of steroids.
01:09:03A few years later, Rita Chatterton did decide to come forward in 1992.
01:09:08However, by this time, the legal time frame to charge McMahon had expired, preventing
01:09:13any legal action.
01:09:14Additionally, her allegations emerged amidst several other controversies involving the
01:09:19WWF, causing her claims to be overshadowed.
01:09:22While Incitari refrains from explicitly using the word rape in his account of what Rita
01:09:28Chatterton told him, his description aligns with what many would recognise as fitting
01:09:32its traditional definition.
01:09:35Was she exploited?
01:09:36Undoubtedly.
01:09:37Was she terrified?
01:09:38Without a doubt.
01:09:39Was it something she wanted to do?
01:09:41Likely not.
01:09:42You just keep your mouth shut because it's Vince.
01:09:45What are you going to do?
01:09:46Stooge on Vince McMahon?
01:09:47You're going to be blackballed from the wrestling business.
01:09:50Chatterton disappeared from the public eye immediately after she made her accusations
01:09:54against McMahon on Geraldo Rivera's television show in late 1992.
01:09:59She has given no interviews about the alleged incident since, nor about the trailblazing
01:10:03life and career that it had disrupted.
01:10:06Chatterton had been silent, until now.
01:10:08I held off for a long time because of my parents.
01:10:10Both of my parents were very ill.
01:10:12My mother died a year ago.
01:10:14My father died two weeks ago.
01:10:16Between not having to worry about my parents' health and with other people coming forward,
01:10:20God, I just hope somebody listens.
01:10:39In a June 2022 interview with New York Magazine, Chatterton reiterated her accusations.
01:10:44By November, her lawyer, John Kloon, had dispatched a letter to McMahon's spokesperson seeking
01:10:49damages in early November.
01:10:51The letter outlined that Chatterton had suffered from persistent depression, substance abuse,
01:10:55disordered eating, reduced income and a generally diminished quality of life as a result of
01:11:00McMahon's alleged actions.
01:11:02It emphasised that the impact of these allegations on her was immense.
01:11:06In 2023, Rita Chatterton, possibly emboldened by the momentum of the MeToo movement, took
01:11:12the brave step of once again attempting to bring Vince McMahon to justice for the horrific
01:11:16acts he had allegedly committed against her.
01:11:19Mr. McMahon has consistently denied the accusations of raping Ms. Chatterton, but the decision
01:11:24to settle was made purely to bypass the expenses associated with litigation.
01:11:29McMahon, serving as the executive chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. at the
01:11:33time, consented to a settlement agreement, committing to pay $11.75 million to Rita Chatterton.
01:12:19In
01:12:48the late 80s and early 90s, the World Wrestling Federation captivated audiences worldwide
01:12:53with its blend of athleticism, storytelling and spectacle.
01:12:57Behind the scenes, however, a scandal was brewing that threatened to tarnish the image
01:13:00of this entertainment juggernaut.
01:13:03Central to this controversy were allegations of sexual harassment and abuse directed at
01:13:07young boys employed by the WWF to help set up their wrestling ring.
01:13:12These ring boys found themselves the targets of predatory behavior by certain WWF employees.
01:13:18Let's just say, hypothetically, that I'm running a company where underage boys were
01:13:22being molested for years and it's known, accepted and laughed about because, hey, it's
01:13:28a world you don't understand with different rules.
01:13:30Then one day it becomes front page news.
01:13:33for letting it continue unabated.
01:13:53In early 1992, Titan Sports, operating as WWF, faced a scandal referred to as Titan
01:13:59Gate by the Pro Wrestling Torch.
01:14:01Key figures implicated in the scandal included Mel Phillips, a ring announcer, and Terry
01:14:06Garvin, a company executive.
01:14:28Both were accused of using their positions within the WWF to exploit the young boys they
01:14:32were supposed to oversee, but as the scandal unfolded, the spotlight quickly turned to
01:14:37Vince McMahon.
01:14:38The question on everyone's mind was not if McMahon had participated in the abuse, but
01:14:43rather what he knew about the allegations and whether he had taken steps to prevent
01:15:18As the controversy began to unfold in March of
01:15:401992, Vince McMahon admitted to Phil Mushnick, a columnist for the New York Post, that he
01:15:45had dismissed Phillips due to suspicions of inappropriate behavior with children, only
01:15:50to hire him shortly afterward.
01:16:10Although McMahon later sued Mushnick and the Post for defamation, he did not contest
01:16:14Mushnick's recounting of their conversation, nor a similar discussion with Dave Meltzer,
01:16:19editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
01:16:38Mel Phillips has a sexual preference for young adolescent boys, which focuses around a strong
01:16:43foot fetish.
01:16:44His recruitment, seduction and manipulation of these boys is consistent with the behavior
01:16:49of hundreds of boy-lover pedophiles studied by the BSSU.
01:16:53His focus on the feet and his apparent lack of more overt sexual acts is less common.
01:16:57Although his activity with boys' feet is most likely sexual behavior, the material
01:17:01furnished does not provide conclusive evidence of this fact.
01:17:05In context, the videotape provided is of little evidentiary value because it was taken in
01:17:09a public setting and contains no obvious sexual activity.
01:17:13Too many alternative explanations could be afforded by Phillips for its content.
01:17:17Most problematic is the fact that no alleged victims are willing to admit to or describe
01:17:22the sexual nature of their activity with Phillips.
01:17:48The talk was on the inside that there were certain people within the organisation that
01:17:52were hiring these kids for one purpose and one purpose only.
01:17:56As far as wrestlers themselves, there was always talk of some up-and-coming, good-looking
01:18:00young wrestlers who were put in situations that if they wanted to further their career,
01:18:05if they wanted to advance, if they wanted to climb that ladder, that they would have
01:18:09to cooperate, and if they did not, then their career would be nowhere.
01:18:14A review of the tape by NYO shows Phillips lying with a foot in a crotch area for extended
01:18:19period of time.
01:18:20All victims have stated that Phillips plays with their feet for extended periods of time
01:18:24between half an hour to two hours in duration.
01:18:27NYO has subpoenaed Phillips to grand jury but was told by prosecutors he will take the
01:18:33fifth amendment.
01:18:34NYO would like to indict Phillips on sexual abuse charges if video is consistent with
01:18:39BSU sexual abuse guidelines.
01:18:44The federal probe into Titan Sports and Vince McMahon's 1994 trial for conspiracy and
01:18:49steroid distribution charges originated from this article by Phil Mushnick on the sexual
01:18:54abuse of ring boys, not, as many people think, from Dr. George Sahourian's steroid distribution
01:19:00conviction.
01:19:01At the time, this led to a grand jury investigation into child sexual abuse and illegal transportation
01:19:06of minors across state lines, diverging from its initial focus.
01:19:10A pivotal moment in McMahon's trial was the dismissal of a steroid distribution charge
01:19:15to Hulk Hogan, attributed to a testimonial inconsistency by McMahon's former assistant,
01:19:21Emily Feinberg, concerning the timing of steroid delivery.
01:19:24This case highlighted the difficulties in prosecuting high-profile people.
01:19:54McMahon continued to face intense scrutiny, both from the public and the legal system.
01:20:13While some employees linked to the scandal were promptly dismissed, McMahon himself was
01:20:17charged with conspiracy to distribute steroids to his wrestlers, an indictment that seemed
01:20:22to only tangentially touch upon the sexual abuse allegations.
01:20:25Throughout his trial, McMahon maintained his innocence, and ultimately, he was acquitted
01:20:29of all charges.
01:20:30The steroid trial, while significant, did not directly address the ring boy scandal,
01:20:35leaving many to wonder about the true extent of the abuse and the culpability of the WWF's
01:20:40leadership at the time.
01:20:41In the aftermath, the WWF, under McMahon's continued guidance, worked to repair its image,
01:20:47implementing policies aimed at safeguarding its employees, fans and contractors.
01:20:53In 2021, newly released FBI documents revealed the agency's mishandling of sexual abuse
01:20:59claims against WWF ring announcer Mel Phillips, despite evidence including a video showing
01:21:04Phillips' misconduct, with the video's existence only becoming public through a 1993
01:21:09New York Observer report.
01:21:12Tepper spent hours on the telephone attempting to obtain a videotape that he suspected showed
01:21:18Mr Phillips, the former ring announcer, cavorting with some ring boys.
01:21:21Tape belonged to John Maloof, a former WWF employee, who eventually agreed to send it
01:21:26to NBC, having been convinced by Mr Tepper that airing it would help bring Mr Phillips
01:21:31the discipline he deserved.
01:21:33John Maloof originally hesitated to send a crucial tape after growing concern about Tepper's
01:21:38motives, suspecting a vendetta against Vince McMahon, and reported Tepper's aggressive
01:21:42attempts to secure the tape.
01:21:44This tape was previously sent to Titan's investigators in 1992, possibly in return
01:21:48for autographs.
01:21:50Investigations hinted at a potential bias in Pogrebin's reporting due to connections
01:21:54with Vince McMahon's defense.
01:21:56Titan Sports' lawyer Jerry McDevitt defended against releasing the tape, noting Maloof's
01:22:01insistence on its irrelevance to allegations against Phillips and concerns over misuses
01:22:06by Tepper.
01:22:07The tape showed Phillips with young males in a wrestling ring, deemed not explicitly
01:22:11sexual by FBI review, despite known allegations and testimonies at the time.
01:22:16Documents have since revealed the FBI's cautious approach towards investigating Phillips
01:22:20and the broader case against Vince McMahon, with WWE's lawyers downplaying the allegations
01:22:25as a misunderstanding of Phillips' behavior.
01:22:28Despite McMahon's legal victory, the ring boy scandal left a permanent scar on the wrestling
01:22:33industry.
01:22:34It exposed the potential dangers lurking behind the scenes, highlighting the need for oversight
01:22:39and huge accountability changes for all involved.
01:22:42For many, the scandal remains a dark chapter in the history of pro wrestling and WWF especially.
01:22:47A cautionary tale of what can happen when those in power fail to protect the most vulnerable.
01:22:59In February 2021, Tom Cole, a young man who had been at the heart of the ring boy scandal,
01:23:04ended his own life.
01:23:06My brother, Tom, committed suicide a couple of hours ago.
01:23:09Vince McMahon and his wife, Linda, let child molesters into their company years ago and
01:23:13did everything possible to cover up what they did to my brother.
01:23:16I hope you can sleep good at night, Vince.
01:23:18Our family suffers.
01:23:19Thank you.
01:23:20As the WWE evolved into a global phenomenon over the next 20 years, the scandal faded
01:23:25from the headlines, but it has not been forgotten.
01:23:28It serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance against exploitation and abuse,
01:23:32ensuring that the dazzling world of professional wrestling is safe for everyone involved, from
01:23:36the athletes in the ring to the young fans cheering them on.
01:23:40This style was designed to grab viewers' attention and keep them hooked by constantly
01:23:44offering surprising and engaging content.
01:23:47During the late 90s, there was a shift in audience demographics for professional wrestling.
01:23:51The audience began to skew older and sought more adult-orientated content.
01:23:56Crash TV catered to this change by providing edgier, more mature themes.
01:24:01The WWF was in fierce competition with World Championship Wrestling during this period.
01:24:05To differentiate itself and regain lost viewership, WWF adopted the Crash TV style under Vince
01:24:11Russo and Ed Ferrara's watch, which was more extreme and sensational than what WCW
01:24:17was offering.
01:24:18This time period saw a broader cultural shift towards more sensational and reality-based
01:24:23entertainment.
01:24:24Crash TV fit perfectly into this trend, offering a kind of soap opera for adults with its continuous
01:24:30storylines and larger-than-life characters.
01:24:32The shock value of Vince Russo's Crash TV, with its unexpected plot twists and controversial
01:24:38moments, helped to create a buzz around WWF programming, leading to increased viewership.
01:24:43The Jerry Springer Show, popular during the same time as the WWF's Attitude Era, shared
01:24:48several similarities with Vince Russo's Crash TV approach.
01:24:52Both the Jerry Springer Show and WWF Attitude Era thrived on controversy.
01:24:57Some taboo subjects were shown that were not typically addressed in mainstream entertainment.
01:25:02Both shows featured dramatic confrontations, where there were scripted physical altercations
01:25:07in WWF or the verbal and sometimes physical clashes on Jerry Springer.
01:25:11Each show relied on sensational storytelling techniques which exaggerated characteristics
01:25:16about a person and situations designed to evoke strong emotional responses from the
01:25:21audience.
01:25:22Both aimed to appeal to adult audiences, moving away from the more family-friendly content
01:25:26of the time.
01:25:27Both the WWF and the Jerry Springer Show blurred the lines between reality and fiction, making
01:25:32it part of their appeal.
01:25:33The audience was often left questioning what was real and what was scripted.
01:25:39Vince Russo's tenure in the WWF during the late 90s was a pivotal period in the history
01:25:44of professional wrestling, particularly in shaping what is famously known as the Attitude
01:25:48Era.
01:25:49Russo, who became the head writer for the WWF, brought a distinct creative vision that
01:25:53transformed the landscape of professional wrestling, leaving an indelible mark on the
01:25:58industry.
01:25:59The Attitude Era, largely attributed to Russo's creative influence, was characterised by a
01:26:03departure from the family-friendly programming of earlier years.
01:26:07Under Russo, WWF became edgier, embracing adult themes, controversial storylines and
01:26:12a more aggressive style.
01:26:13Russo's approach to storytelling was heavily influenced by popular culture at the time,
01:26:18drawing inspiration from the shock value and sensationalism of shows like the Jerry Springer
01:26:22Show.
01:26:24Russo infused WWF programming with a similar sense of unpredictability and excitement.
01:26:28This included the introduction of more complex and flawed characters, adult-orientated storylines
01:26:33often involving sex, violence and profanity.
01:26:36The shift helped WWF reclaim a significant portion of its wrestling audience, particularly
01:26:40young male viewers.
01:26:42One of Russo's most significant contributions at this time was the development of new stars
01:26:47and the evolution of existing characters.
01:26:50Under his direction, wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley
01:26:54became household names, their personas resonating with the audience's desire for anti-heroes
01:26:59and more relatable characteristics.
01:27:01Russo's storytelling also brought about iconic rivalries and moments, such as when
01:27:06Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin faced off, which became the cornerstone of
01:27:10WWF programming during this period.
01:27:13However, Russo's impact on professional wrestling is not without criticism.
01:27:17His reliance on shock value and controversial storylines often came at the expense of in-ring
01:27:21performance and traditional wrestling stories.
01:27:24Critics argue that Russo's approach devalued the athletic and technical aspects of pro-wrestling,
01:27:30focusing instead on short-term ratings boosts.
01:27:32This often led to convoluted storylines, abrupt character changes and a lack of long-term
01:27:37planning.
01:27:59It was around this time that World Championship Wrestling made a large offer towards Bret,
01:28:05promising a contract that financially far overshadowed his current WWF paycheck.
01:28:12But Bret was undecided, he was going to stay loyal to WWF even if he hadn't been treated
01:28:18the best in recent months in his opinion.
01:28:21Bret was an honourable man and wasn't going to turn his back on those who had paid his
01:28:26wages for so many years.
01:28:28At this point, Bret was offered a contract which would last longer than any other WWF
01:28:34fight ever signed and would be guaranteed a paycheck every month for 10 years.
01:28:40However, due to the previous conflicts with Shawn Michaels, his only stipulation is that
01:28:44he wouldn't drop the belt to HBK in Canada.
01:28:48This led to a situation where WWF's main champion was about to be out of contract and
01:28:54still in possession of its most important and historical belt.
01:28:58With WCW circling, Vince McMahon didn't want to lose one of his biggest stars and
01:29:04his biggest titles at the same time, so he made an industry-changing decision.
01:29:10One that not only changed the fate of Bret Hart, but those around him.
01:29:14I didn't want him to go to WCW with our championship, Vince McMahon said in an interview,
01:29:20so the request for Bret would be, ok let's drop this championship back to someone in
01:29:26WWF where it belongs, and that didn't happen, so I had to do what I had to do.
01:29:31It's no different than an actor in a television series who at the end of it refuses to die
01:29:37or refuses to do the job so to speak, what do you do?
01:29:45At the beginning of November, after countless hours spent on the telephone and in the office
01:29:50of Vince McMahon, Bret made his decision.
01:29:53One which must have felt like the ultimate gamble, as he took his pride and his creative
01:29:59control in his hand and signed with WWF's biggest rivals, WCW.
01:30:06To most WWF fans, wrestlers and backroom staff, this was the ultimate betrayal, a moment which
01:30:13saw Bret acting in his own interests, both in terms of his wrestling career and financially.
01:30:20Bret would continue on for the next month after sending a fax to Vince McMahon, informing
01:30:26him of his final decision on his way to receiving a guaranteed $3 million per year contract
01:30:33down in Orlando.
01:30:35Something which is said to have hurt the personal feelings of McMahon, who believed he'd always
01:30:40done right by Bret.
01:30:41Say what you will about Vincent Kennedy McMahon, but the businessman has assembled an empire
01:30:47through almost half a century, as the figurehead of the WWF and now WWE.
01:30:53The man is a billionaire and knows how ruthless one must be in order to steer such an enormous
01:30:59ship.
01:31:00Bret was still being elusive on the week leading into Survivor Series in 1997.
01:31:05He was heading towards WCW, but wasn't willing to give a solid answer when questioned about
01:31:11his plan for dropping the belt.
01:31:14McMahon was backed into a corner from his point of view, if Bret wasn't willing to
01:31:18operate in the way in which most benefitted his company, then McMahon must act in order
01:31:24to correct the company's course.
01:31:39Vince McMahon held a meeting at the hotel with Jim Ross, Jim Cornette, Pat Patterson
01:32:02and Michaels, reports are that at least two of the aforementioned names look extremely
01:32:08uncomfortable leaving that meeting, wrote respected wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer
01:32:13in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
01:32:16Shawn Michaels said to ESPN,
01:32:17I just recall up to that point there being a big scuttlebutt over what's going to happen
01:32:23with Bret leaving, and then of course was, I guess, an infamous phone call between myself,
01:32:30Hunter and Vince.
01:32:31I want to say it was just the week before.
01:32:33We had the meeting, and as everyone was leaving, Vince asked me, Hunter and Jerry Briscoe,
01:32:39a long-time agent and close confidant of Vince, to stay.
01:32:43We sat down and talked, Michaels wrote in his autobiography.
01:32:47Pat was in the room with us earlier, and he had no idea what was about to happen.
01:32:52He had a strong relationship with Bret, he wouldn't have done it, and Vince knew that,
01:32:57that's why he didn't tell Pat.
01:33:12It was agreed that to get the belt from Bret, some underhanded tactics would be needed.
01:33:17Reminiscent of the old-fashioned shoot wrestling events seen in the early days of the NWA,
01:33:23Sean was going to have to work out a way to win a match against Bret, without Bret
01:33:28being a part of the finish, and in a way which would ensure the belt changed hands at the
01:33:33upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view.
01:33:44Vince McMahon had agreed to split the issue with Sean, McMahon would take all of the blame
01:33:49for the incident from fans and the wrestlers in the locker room.
01:33:52However, the owner of the company wasn't the one who would be physically in the ring
01:33:57opposite Bret, and thus the final decision on how things played out laid at the feet
01:34:02of Sean Michaels.
01:34:05When the morning of the 9th of November 1997 arrived, wrestling fans around the world were
01:34:11still unaware that only a few hours later, the WWF and by extension the entire pro-wrestling
01:34:18universe was about to change.
01:34:21When the Montreal Screwjob occurred, I wanted to make sure that Bret saw me out at ringside
01:34:27and know that what I did was the right thing to do, at least from my standpoint.
01:34:33A truly villainous move on your average show, but when the ref Earl Hebner signalled that
01:34:38Bret Hart had submitted, the arena deflated with confusion.
01:34:42Bret clearly hadn't tapped out or shouted that he submitted, he hadn't made any gestures
01:34:47toward the officials and was only in the hold for a second or two, he knew instantly
01:34:52that he'd been screwed.
01:34:54In this moment, Bret lost the WWF championship to Sean Michaels, but that wasn't the reason
01:35:00that Hart tried to wrestle Sean to the mat after the bell, shot straight over to loom
01:35:07over Vince McMahon who had made the call ringside, then Bret spat in his face.
01:35:14A disgusting display of aggression from Bret as he brought up a vile wad of phlegm and
01:35:20delivered a sharp shot of his own, spitting to outside the ring like a sniper, landing
01:35:25in the hair and eye of his boss.
01:35:27Bret knew that he'd been betrayed, barring some run-ins with wrestler's biggest wanker
01:35:32Hulk Hogan, the industry famous backstabbing Bret had up to this point managed to avoid,
01:35:38in part due to his own decisions had finally caught up to him.
01:35:42As Vince McMahon wiped the gauze from his brow, all hell broke loose, only to find himself
01:36:04face to face with Vince McMahon.
01:36:07I think Vince gambled that I was going to take the high road and say a few words to
01:36:11him and then I would walk out and grab my stuff and leave the dressing room and that
01:36:15would be the end of it and he could say at least I confronted him.
01:36:20Somewhere in that conversation I said, if you're still here after I get dressed, I'm
01:36:24going to punch you out.
01:36:26Vince feeling that he needed to let Bret calm down before he could explain himself made
01:36:31his way into his office where he says he awaited Hart and his family for a discussion.
01:36:36Vince said straight to me, this is the first time I've ever had to lie to one of my talents.
01:36:42I said, are you kidding me?
01:36:44Then I rattled off on every finger about 10 different lies he'd told me in the last
01:36:49week.
01:36:50Vince told me, what I did to you today won't hurt you, you'll still get all the money
01:36:55you're supposed to get from WCW.
01:36:58This only served to further confuse and anger Bret and led to a moment which is still a
01:37:03hot topic for debate, with many wrestlers and WWE staff having separate accounts of
01:37:09what took place.
01:37:11However, the facts are that Bret Hart and Vince McMahon agree on one thing.
01:37:16As tensions boiled over, Bret could no longer be restrained and delivered a furious punch
01:37:21towards his boss, one that landed with an echoing thud.
01:37:26I could have hid Vince McMahon said, I could have not gone out to the ring at all, I could
01:37:31have left the building and I could have done a lot of things.
01:37:35Bret gave me one punch, right to the temple on the left side.
01:37:53It was, we need something here, it's here, it's logical, let's use it as a bridge to
01:37:59get where we need to go.
01:38:01Mr McMahon at that time was never going to be that long character, you say that now,
01:38:06you look at the McMahon character and what defined Monday Night Raw in so many ways,
01:38:12which were the Steve Austin and Vince McMahon era, at this point we were only using Vince
01:38:17as the bridge to get us where we needed to go.
01:38:21Following the screwjob, Vince McMahon became a staple of the storylines moving forward,
01:38:26taking the final step from behind the scenes, real life owner of the company, to the fictional
01:38:31Mr McMahon, a tyrannical and all powerful boss who sought total control over the wrestlers
01:38:38under his employ and would stop at nothing to see his favourite wrestlers named as champion.
01:38:44He was 100% evil and 100% entertaining, a massive reason as to why WWF exploded in popularity
01:38:51around this time.
01:38:53No chance, that's what you've got.
01:38:56Up against a machine too strong, greedy politicians buying souls from us are puppets, we'll find
01:39:02their place in line, go tie a string around your finger now boy, because it's just a matter
01:39:07of time, because you've got no chance in hell.
01:39:11According to composer Jim Johnson, the idea behind his theme song, No Chance In Hell,
01:39:16was he's got the power, the money, and he was pretty much the only game in town, rather
01:39:21than a song about one man, I wanted it to be about the man.
01:39:28Following his real life feud with Bret Hart, Vince moved on to a rivalry which many consider
01:39:34to be the greatest of all time, as the owner of the company came face to face with the
01:39:38most popular pro wrestler in the history of WWE, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who said,
01:39:44I guess it came along at the right time and right place.
01:39:47It was just an aggressive time, Vince was ready to go for it.
01:39:52Over the next few years, the pairing of these two men were at the peak of their entertainment
01:39:56powers would provide wrestling fans with some of the most iconic and beloved moments of
01:40:01all time, such as when Stone Cold used some large machinery to fill Vince's Corvette
01:40:06to the brim with concrete, smashing out the windows and creating quite the mess, or when
01:40:11Vince McMahon was resting in hospital with an injury when a masked Steve Austin burst
01:40:15onto the scene and delivers a swift beating to his boss.
01:40:19We saw Austin 3-16 ride a beer truck to ringside and use the hose to soak both Shane and Vince
01:40:25in the ring, images of that night will ring out forever.
01:40:29Austin said, I have loved Vince and I have hated Vince.
01:40:32We have fought each other in the ring and out of the ring for real.
01:40:36He's a man of his word and a man of integrity.
01:40:38If he tells you he will do something, he will do it, he wouldn't ask you to do anything
01:40:42that he would not do and he will give anybody and everybody an opportunity to get to the
01:40:47top.
01:40:48All you've got to do is be hungry enough and willing to walk through fire to get to
01:40:52the top.
01:40:53He'll give you that opportunity.
01:40:54So I don't know if I've told you anything you wouldn't know about him, but he's a man
01:40:58of his word, he's a man of honour.
01:40:59I respect him a lot."
01:41:01Back in 1994, fans wanted change.
01:41:04They were sick of the cartoonish presentation style within WWE at the time and pay-per-view
01:41:10buys and show attendance began to dwindle.
01:41:18Heading in the complete opposite direction, thankfully, WWE decided to paint the blue
01:41:23bars black in the later part of the 1990s.
01:41:27In fitting with their brand becoming more adult-focused, less colourful and taking a
01:41:31step away from the perceived neon 90s, the black barred version of the WWE steel cage,
01:41:37although only used sparingly, has a real nostalgia to it looking back, and is perfectly
01:41:42fitting with the feelings of change present in the Attitude Era at the time.
01:41:47A famed moment inside this black cage happened at a St Valentine's Day Massacre pay-per-view
01:41:52during a steel cage match between Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1999.
01:41:58The match also saw the debut of The Big Show who burst through the ring canvas and threw
01:42:02Stone Cold powerfully towards the steel cage wall.
01:42:07The force of the throw sent Steve Austin through the cage, landing both feet on the
01:42:11floor and in a moment emblematic of why I love wrestling, won the match and foiled Vince
01:42:16McMahon's plan to have the newly signed Big Show change the tides of the bout.
01:42:23Combined with the rest of the successes during this period, Vince McMahon found himself atop
01:42:28the wrestling mountain, the owner of the Monopoly and deliverer of one of WWF's most fondly
01:42:35remembered characters.
01:42:36He was the king of the grappling globe and reaping the rewards, worth hundreds of millions
01:42:41of dollars at this point, a happy and healthy family at his side through all of his glory.
01:42:47However, as we will soon find out, some of that money was being used for nefarious and
01:42:52allegedly shady purposes.
01:42:55That family was hiding secrets from one another and from the world, which would eventually
01:43:00come to light.
01:43:01The character of Mr. McMahon and the real person behind the mask seemingly began to
01:43:07collide, as this once great icon finds out first hand what happens when you fly too close
01:43:15to the sun.
01:43:18By the turn of the millennium, the World Wrestling Federation had become the single Monopoly
01:43:23within the grappling universe, absorbing their competitors in WCW and a buyout of ECW later
01:43:32and Vince McMahon was at the helm of the single largest entity that the pro-wrestling industry
01:43:37had ever witnessed.
01:43:39However, with all this success, all the world had its eyes on Vince McMahon's company,
01:43:46the worst possible time then, for one of the darkest and most ill-fated days in all of
01:43:52pro-wrestling history to occur.
01:43:55I was bitter towards Vince, especially after the screw job, and I didn't like a lot of
01:44:00what happened with my brother Owen's horrible accident, but I do believe in retrospect,
01:44:06when we look back, that Vince had probably very little to do with what happened to Owen,
01:44:10like he barely even knew what was going on there.
01:44:30In Kansas City, Missouri, the WWF were running through their usual smooth operations of what
01:44:53at the time seemed like another evening of hard-hitting action and over-the-top personalities.
01:44:59But Vince McMahon was no more than what fans had come to expect at the time.
01:45:03By the time the event was over, the fans in attendance and at home, the WWF staff and
01:45:09all of the wrestlers were involved in a moment that none will soon forget, one which will
01:45:15live in infamy for all of pro-wrestling's existence.
01:45:45In the weeks that followed, online forums and newsrooms were alight with controversy
01:45:58over the manner in which the events had unfolded leading up to Owen Hart's death.
01:46:03The speculation revolved around WWF's use of a less safe version of the harness and
01:46:08cable which Hart was using at the time.