Over the years, we’ve got to see the best and worst of Vince McMahon. We’ve enjoyed the wonders of his genius as we cheered for our heroes and booed our villains. With the highs, we also suffered the lows as storylines we hated were played out, seemingly extended longer than they needed to be just to annoy us, to get a reaction out of us. We’ve heard us tell us one thing never to do or what’ll never happen in his company — only those other promotions — then he turns around and does those same things. In the end, we’re left to question whether we can trust Vince McMahon’s word.
It’s a great question that’s asked at some point of all people, great and small. We look at what they’ve accomplished with either reverence or loathing, only falling in the middle occasionally. Into this stew of mankind and opinions Vince McMahon has found himself regularly.
Everyone has an opinion on what’s being done and what we’re seeing. It’s expected as we all like different people and storylines for different reasons. Vince McMahon and WWE creative are hedging their bets, or so we’d like to believe. More than a few reports have come out from former and current employees that the creative team is writing strictly for McMahon. If he doesn’t like it, it doesn’t get done.
Honestly, if this is true, it makes sense. He runs the WWE. He’s earned the right. The problem there is the having him and the rest of the McMahons standing in center ring and claim they’re going to give the WWE Universe (the fans) and then seemingly ignore than fans’ wishes.
Vince McMahon’s word to fans is questionable
While we willingly go into WWE events with a sense of disbelief, but there’s only so much we can have. Sure, McMahon bought himself some leeway with his Mr. McMahon character that he’s kept alive for the last twenty or so years, but at what point will he and his family accept we can’t take them at their word?
What makes this funny or painful, depending on your point of view, is that he’s a firm believer in keeping his word and showing loyalty to those that have been good to him. It’s an old school approach to life that speaks more of his character than anything else, but when compared to the business world, it’s an approach that doesn’t always work.
This has left him in a lurch a couple of times with his talent, but that’s something we’ll cover in the next article, Vince McMahon’s Loyalty Demands.
How fans react
What this does for the company in fans eyes is a mixed bag. There are and always will be those that defend every move McMahon and the WWE make no matter how pointless, arrogant, or stupid it is. As before, he’s earned that loyalty, though for many, it could be they don’t see a lot of the other promotions, and those they do aren’t as flashy. It could simply be they’ve watched WWE their entire lives and it’s what they know and like. There are thousands of reasons for this, and each is legitimate.
For others, this give McMahon and the WWE a huge black eye and tells us they don’t give a rip about the fans. While that probably isn’t true, it’s the perception, and perception is nin-tenths the reality.
To be fair, like most, we grew up on the WWE. We watched it as children, then teens, and into our adulthoods. Some of us took breaks along the way for various reasons and are finding our way back to something we love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hl1pbXJe9A
When we see this happen, we remember the Mr. McMahon character. We also remember the straight-laced commentator Vince McMahon that often spared with Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan over what was right and wrong.
What it comes down is can accept Vince McMahon’s word?
One thing that I can say is him and his family lying to us is tame compared to some of the other events in and out of the ring that we’ll read about shortly. Another thing that’s been proven again and again is Vince McMahon knows what it takes to succeed in business.
