Vince McMahon appeared on Byte This. I’m always interested in what Mr. McMahon has to say. You can watch the video for yourself here, but these are what I considered to be the finer points.
Vince on The Marine: “You don’t have to go to this film and… think. That’s what attracted me to the script. It’s more or less what we do in the ring, but on the silver screen.”
On Hollywood & WWE Films: “It’s what we do. We tell stories. It’s a logical extension of what we do.”
Vince refuses to talk about Stone Cold’s movie, he wants to talk about The Marine, since it’s opening soon. Oh shit, a preview. MUTE BUTTON TIME.
McMahon keeps making Grisham talk like a normal human and repeat everything he says, “Sincere. As if you mean it.” It’s hilarious. And he keeps blatantly not laughing at his jokes.
I’ve seriously got no insight into when McMahon is kayfabing and when he’s not. I’m not sure he does, either.
God, this movie is going to suck. Robert Patrick or no Robert Patrick, I’m not seeing this film.
McMahon wants more explosions in the Marine. Grisham: “And speaking of explosives…” McMahon: “Segue, right?”
On wwe.com, from that one press conference: “That’s for the compliment on the website, but I think it sucks.”
Vince’s elaboration: “I don’t think it’s as fan friendly/interactive as it should be. You have too many things about the same people. We have so many superstars, yet we cover the same people two, three times. Whether it’s John Cena, Mr. McMahon… why am I up there twice on the website this morning? Cena was up there like three or four times yesterday. Cena’s interesting, but we have many other interesting characters. There’s not enough sexuality in it. But don’t do it in a gratuitious way. Our Divas should be presented as they are, in a classy type way.”
McMahon: “I’m not a big sports fan,” but says he likes the ESPN website.
On Eric Bischoff: “I’ve not read the book. I’m told that it’s Eric’s point of view. I think he truly believes what he says in the book.”
More on WCW: “WCW lost 85 million dollars. That takes talent.”
“I have a certain amount of pride…” on whether he’d appear on WCW as a character, were the roles switched. “I always put my personal ego aside, which is tough for people to believe, and do the right thing for business.”
On wrestling: “It’s the business that I love. I’d always be in the wrestling business.”
They show footage of the Hulk Hogan/McMahon meeting that happened recently, which apparently concerned Vince appearing on an episode of Hogan Knows Best. A show I wasn’t entirely sure still existed.
Rumors about Hogan/Austin at WM 23: “You know, it’s an interesting on paper concept. I don’t think it’s a match that’ll ever be made. Let’s not forget Hogan’s injuries and Stone Cold’s injuries.”
On ECW:
Grisham: “How do you feel about ECW’s progress?”
McMahon: “Hmmm. Fair. Fair to good. Mostly fair. I think that we’re a long ways away from what it can be. I think that people become accustomed to seeing car wrecks. If you see a car wreck every week, or twice a week, or whatever. But after six weeks, then it’s just a car wreck.”
Grisham: “Then they want a train wreck.”
McMahon: “But then what comes after the train wreck?”
Grisham: “Then the world has to explode, I guess.”
McMahon: “Okay, then there’s no more world. There’s no more ECW after that, either. We’re interested in people. Fans like cage matches. But only if the people that are involved in those matches, you care about. If you don’t care about ’em, it’s just a stunt fest.”
On Angle: Losing Kurt is a big loss for WWE, he says, but his concern is over Kurt’s physical health. Kurt’s competitive streak will be his demise in this business, and he can’t say no. Talks about his deteriorating neck. And his additional injuries. Pretty sad stuff.
On TNA + Angle: “I certainly would.. would have wanted Kurt to take a lot of time off before getting back in the ring. He’s not doing that. I am upset about that, I’m not upset about the fact that the man wants to make a living for himself. We gave him a complete release.”
On Chris Benoit~~!!: “Chris has been training, that much I know. I’m not certain when Chris is going to make the big return. Whatever it is, it’s going to be a big return, he has been MISSED.” He talks about how Benoit needed time off and was smart enough to take it.
Fan question: “What happened to women being wrestlers and not just divas who know how to strip?”
McMahon: “Oooh. *wince* That’s a little harsh, but nonetheless, a good point. It’s not a better situation as time goes on if in fact you like women’s wrestling. There’s Trish… who retired… Lita, who’s an extraordinary competitior. As time goes on, there is no training facility specific to training women. I think from a Diva standpoint, the idea here, what I’m trying to do is for all three brands to have the sexiest women on television. Now, for a young male audience, what would the younger male audience and women as well.. what would they rather see? Women wrestling in the ring, or women involved in relationships? To answer that, you know, times have changed.”
Boooo. You all want women to wrestle, right? I mean, provided a few of them actually learn how, and once they do, actually get onto TV.
Some guy who wrote in said Stone Cold, the Rock, and Hulk Hogan are his three favorite wrestlers of all time & wanted to know who McMahon thinks will be the next one at that level.
McMahon says the next one “Might be Cena…. it might be Fit Finlay. You just don’t know. You don’t know who the audience, our fans, are going to push. Sometimes they don’t know. More often than not, they do know. It may be someone where I go… ‘what?’… It’s my job to determine what the audience wants and then give it to them.”
On Cryme Tyme:
Grisham: “Some say it’s stereotypical, even racist.”
McMahon: “Come on, it’s the opposite of racist. Go to dot com on the family page and you’ll see exactly what we’re doing here. It’s fun. That’s what we’re selling, it’s fun. I don’t know how it could be racist and I don’t know how our company could be racist. Cryme Tyme is a RIOT. It’s basically a take off on Kill Whitey. Is someone going to take exception? Sure. If I’m not pissing somebody off in the world, I’m not doing my job. If it goes too far, you can pull back. Katie Vick is an example of that. Which I thought was hilarious, but the fans didn’t like it.”
SHELLY INPUT!: My biggest problem with Cryme Tyme is that it SEEMS like something that Mr. McMahon thinks is just SO FUNNY. When I watch the little videos I can just HEAR him cackling and it drives me CRAZY. I’ve always said it seems like something he thinks is hilarious, and that’s why it’s there, and now I have validation for this belief. Thanks. Also, I couldn’t find the WWE family page (since I go there so often, and all), so if you could link me (& all the IP readers, perhaps at the FORUM!?) to this so-called explanation of Cryme Tyme, I’d be grateful.
The WWE magazine “speaks to who we truly are, in print.”
On the HHH & Steph PPV wedding suggestion: “Ah hahaha. I haven’t watched the DVD. I was ribbing when I said … I THINK I was… I’m quite certain.. I was ribbing.”
McMahonTV vs. McMahonReality: “Some of this is Mr. McMahon, some of this is Vince McMahon, but I think there are parallels. Some would say that I’m very much in real life Mr. McMahon. I don’t see myself that way, really, but there might be, you know, some parallels. I don’t know.”
On the Bob Costas interview: “That wasn’t Mr. McMahon in TV character. I’m extremely proud of WWE and our audience, and I defend WWE fans and our organization to the hilt. And when someone makes disparaging comments or is insulting to our audience and to our company, I’m sorry, I just have to say something. I boil over when that happens, and I don’t give a damn if it’s Costas, I could care less who’s making the comments, but if you really want to piss me off, disparage our audience. Costas is lucky that he’s not 6’4 and 300 lbs, because then it would’ve got very interesting. I would’ve jumped him, I know I would. That wasn’t Mr. McMahon, that was me.”
SHELLY INPUT!: The Costas interview was gold. I was so proud of McMahon for being ultra-defensive of this business that I, too, love, when so many people make fun of it.
He’s very proud of the XFL. “A lot of fun, and a good business venture. I take chances in life.”
No Mercy: McMahon knows who MVP is going to face and won’t tell us.
On the Fatal Four-Way: G: “Do you root for certain guys?”
M: “Um. I mentioned Fit Finlay earlier. I think Fit is, like, a throwback. I think he’s got a little age on him, but that’s GOOD. Fit’s a tough, rugged bastard. And if you’ve been in the ring with Fit Finlay, you don’t come out the same. And he’s got that little leprechaun which is a RIOT, and of course he’s IRISH, hmmm. That’s pretty much my answer on that one.”
Please let Finlay win the title, Mr. McMahon. You know you want to.
On live shows: “If it’s live, nothing can go WRONG. Except, maybe, your [Grisham’s] performance today. We’ll talk about that later.”
“My favorite part of what I do is not being an in-ring talent. My favorite part of what I do is the creative, and working with superstars, and trying to get the best out of them and motivate them.”
McMahon says the biggest event isn’t WM, it’s going overseas to see the troops. “A lot of people don’t go over and thank the troops. It doesn’t matter your politics or anything. It matters if you support our men and women of the armed forces.”
“I don’t think I regret anything… no, yeah, I do regret some things in my personal life. Business-wise, I don’t think I regret anything business-wise.”
“I don’t think… this sounds like I’m selling out, I don’t think I have a favorite match. I tend personally to enjoy, my personal opinion is.. matches with Benoit and Finlay.. I like the art of what we do, the physicality of what we do.”
Release of Superstars & if & when it hurts: “Kurt, most recently. Many times it has not been me letting the superstars go, many times it’s been that they were leaving us, and that has hurt on numerous occassions.”
On Triple H: “I have not seen him at family functions since Unforgiven. I guess maybe the first family function might be Thanksgiving. And I would love to stuff the turkey with Triple H.”
More Grisham bashing at the wrap-up: “Do you think before you roll that footage of The Marine? It’s like, if you’re doing a sell.. if you’re trying to sell three things at one time, which is what you’re trying to do, that doesn’t work. . . One of the arts of communication is direct communication. Maybe we should leave with something about No Mercy. But that’s not what we’re going to do because you’ve already got this set up.”
Grisham: “Okay, our director is queing up some No Mercy footage…”
McMahon: “We have a director?”
Grisham: “Casana.”
McMahon: “Casana is the producer.”
Grisham: “Okay, I’m being told the director is a blind squirrel looking for a nut.”
McMahon goes off on involvement: “This is America for Christ sakes. Don’t just be told what to do, throw your opinion in there. Question. Motivate. Get in the game of life. Go do what you think is right for you and right for the product. Moreover, what’s right for the audience.”
Grisham: “So I should go kill myself…”
McMahon: “I think you have some talent… You’ve gotta bring it down a little bit, be a little more real, a little more sincere.”
