The controversial kingpin of WWE is the subject of a new Netflix documentary series called Mr. McMahon. From director Chris Smith (Tiger King) and fellow EP Bill Simmons, the project delves into Vince McMahon’s rise and fall as he brought pro wrestling into the zeitgeist. Despite helping put sports entertainment on the map, the former chairman’s legacy has been shrouded in scandal amid sexual misconduct and trafficking allegations.
A Wall Street Journal report from 2022 that the chief executive paid more than $12 million to four women to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity sent shockwaves. The dominos continued to fall with McMahon ultimately resigning. In January, former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit accusing McMahon of trafficking, abuse, and sexual assault. There is also an ongoing Department of Justice investigation into the allegations.
Prior to his resignation, McMahon sat down for interviews that peeled back the curtain and gave rare access. Journalists, family members, colleagues, and some of the biggest names in the industry also gave their perspectives to make up more than 200 hours of conversations to pull from. After seeing an early cut of the project, McMahon released a public statement calling it a “misleading account” with the producers using “editing tricks”… to support a “deceptive narrative.” Ann Callis, attorney for Grant, who did not participate in the docuseries, responded that she “hopes it shines a bright light on his abhorrent and criminal actions….”
McMahon purchased what would become WWE from his father and then transformed it into a global billion-dollar brand. He survived a steroid trial, faced backlash from parental groups for “Attitude Era” content, took the company public, and founded the XFL, needless to say, there is a lot to dig into.
Journalist Dave Meltzer has been there for it all as publisher and editor of the Wrestling Observer newsletter for more than 40 years and counting. Before Mr. McMahon dropped, Here Meltzer reflects on his run-ins with McMahon, his experience being interviewed for the docuseries, and the finished product.
WWE
What were your first impressions when you found out a docuseries was in the works on Vince McMahon?
Dave Meltzer: It was on the investor conference call with Nick Khan where he mentioned Netflix, and WWE were going to have this landmark documentary on Vince McMahon. I don’t know if I really thought anything of it other than, okay, it’s an interesting subject. I was thinking it was going to be WWE propaganda. The WWE story of Vince McMahon, which I’ve heard a million times. I guess that is what I was expecting. At the time, this is 2019. Who would have predicted what was going to happen in 2022, 2023, and 2024? It’s like what I was thinking then about Vince McMahon and five years later is a completely different story.
As you’re watching the first couple of episodes, what are your impressions?
The story is what the story had to be. There is no way around it. I think if you are a hardcore wrestling fan, there is nothing majorly new you’re going to discover. There are a few minor things here and there you’ll learn from the statements of Vince and other people. The overview is what you would expect. They cover everything they should cover. You could argue some things should have been covered more, some less. I think they went too much into storylines rather than the actual examination of Vince himself for everything. A lot of WWE storylines like, “This is what happened here.” Not in a lot of depth either. Overall, they covered what they needed to cover. Before I ever saw it and from what I’ve seen, my thoughts are kind of the same. The people who hate Vince McMahon will think it’s too easy on him and the people who love Vince McMahon will think it’s a hatchet job. So I think in that sense they probably did a good job.
What was it like being interviewed for this?
It was no different than Dark Side of the Ring or something like that. They were very prepared. They knew all the stories. I don’t think I told them anything they didn’t already know. They were very professional and absolutely knew their subject. There were a couple of sessions that were hours in length. We talked about everything that happened in WWE over 40 years. It was a lot. Everything from Jimmy Snuka to the last interview I did right before the Janel Grant lawsuit came out. It was after The Wall Street Journal broke the story after Vince resigned before coming back. Although a lot of the stuff I did when Vince came back is kind of not applicable because we’re talking about how Vince survived another one when in fact he didn’t survive another one when it was all said and done. My last interview, which at the time was the most noteworthy, was probably not stuff that should be in because time changed everything. I did not talk to them after the lawsuit, which I thought I would and it didn’t happen.
Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan (Netflix)
Is there anyone that was on there who surprised you they were on there?
Kay Koplovitz and Bonnie Hanner, mostly Kay Koplovitz. One thing that was new to me was Kay Koplovitz, whether it was true or not I don’t know, but that if Vince got convicted in the 1994 trial they would have dumped wrestling [on USA Network]. It would have changed history in a big way if that actually happened. The reality is he wasn’t going to be declared guilty.
How would you describe your interactions with Vince over the years?
Usually, it was cordial. Occasionally, we fought. We had some great arguments. For the most part, we didn’t argue. We just talked about business. If I look back on my discussions with Vince, they were mostly when he was the most vulnerable. When Vince was on top of the world, we rarely talked. When it was something bad like when Linda [McMahon] was running for office and Luna [Vachon] died or Lance Cade, he would call me up right away.
During the WCW period when the war was going on with WWE. When the “Monday Night War” was going on, I probably heard a lot then. That era is probably more than any other era. It was always business. We had similar interests in the business of wrestling. Sometimes we disagreed. Sometimes we agreed. Sometimes he asked for advice on things. Sometimes he suggested angles he would do. Once he would start and stop at times. It was mostly to get his side of the story out during certain situations in time.
What were your thoughts about the McMahon allegations when The Wall Street Journal story broke?
That’s a tough one. I always thought that once #MeToo happened, and even more when it happened in wrestling. I can’t say I expected something to happen to Vince, but I knew there was a possibility. The reality is everyone in wrestling from that era was a sitting duck. It’s a completely different business. When you look back 30 years and the jokes people told, what was said, or things you put on television. Even the way people wrestled. There is so much stuff in WWF you look back and think, “How did this stuff get on the air? It’s garbage.” At the time, it was what they were doing. There was sexism. At the time I thought it was exploitative as hell, but it was drawing ratings. Wrestling back then there was no morality. It was all a business and what worked. There was no limit. It still is to a degree, but what worked then would not work now. The stuff they did then would run off sponsors today. It’s not because they are more moral now. It’s that the business climate and nature of the business has changed. A lot of stuff was done then and the lifestyles of the business if viewed by today’s eyes would be viewed horribly.
Some of it would be viewed horribly then, but it was kept under wraps. As far as Vince, you do hear stuff. Did I think it would get out? I didn’t think it would. When the first stories broke, I thought he would have to leave. He didn’t leave right away. Evernetly he did. Then when he left I thought that was it. He was done. Then he came back, and I was surprised. Then the lawsuit came out, I read the lawsuit and thought he was done. There is no coming back from this lawsuit unless very quickly he is able to prove the lawsuit is bullsh*t. We’ve had a lot of months, and we haven’t had any of that proved at all. I know his side was that once she gets in a deposition it would fall apart. That was January. Now we’re in September. I don’t think they want to go to deposition to begin with. I think they’re trying to get it settled in arbitration and get the lawsuit thrown out. I know Vince in some way wants to vindicate his reputation at this stage of his life because how much longer is he going to live? Does he want to be remembered largely for this negative stuff? The negative stuff is pretty overwhelming right now.
Netflix
You and McMahon were both once on with Phil Donahue in 1992 on a show centered on drug and sex scandals WWE faced. How do you look back on that given what we’re seeing unfold today?
It’s crazy because I didn’t know he was going to be there until an hour before the show. They invited him and did not expect him to accept. He didn’t accept and the day of he ended up coming. It was a very interesting day looking back. There are some clips in the doc. Not much, but a little. They don’t go into the details of the show though. The details of the show are interesting enough they could have done something more. There were crazy stories told on that day.
Were you surprised there wasn’t a ton of follow-up after that appearance?
No, because wrestling was considered beneath coverage then. I was shocked Donahue covered it. Inside Edition and those people did follow up. Most of your mainstream news media ran from teh story. They wouldn’t touch it because it was wrestling. Living through the [Joe] Paterno story and Vince story, there are some similarities. At the time Vince nor Paterno did stuff themselves, but their underlings did. They were aware of it but looked the other way. It’s almost identical. Look what happened to Paterno. Nothing happened to Vince. He did sweat. There was certainly negative publicity but look at the difference in coverage. Paterno got maybe 200 times the coverage Vince got. It was the same situation where Paterno was forced to resign and VInce ran for what was 31 or so more years in power.
What do you make of something you reported on in that Vince tried to buy the docuseries to prevent its release?
I guess it’s his MO. He tried to do the same thing with the Wrestling with Shadows and Beyond the Mat. There were a lot of attempts. He really tried with Wrestling with Shadows to get the one scene out where he is walking unsteadily after Bret Hart punched him. He was okay with everything else. That was the one he was really adamant of anyone seeing. Vince did turn down later interviews on this one. He did multiple interviews with him, but after the bad stuff happened they had more things scheduled and Vince canceled them. I think Vince had to know.
There was no other way to do it than the way they did it. People are going to say this is a hit piece. There is no other way of doing this. Any way else, and you’re not telling the story. For the ones that think they didn’t go hard enough against him, a lot of it was him building the company and stuff. That’s factual stuff too. You can’t tell the story of Vince while being a hundred percent negative and a hundred percent positive. You have to tell both sides. The viewers will use their own subjective framework, which is the position they had with Vince going in. I think most of the reaction will be negative toward Vince. And it should be. I do think people are going to come out of it with the framework they went into it more than not.
The timing is so interesting of the docuseries’ release considering it’s on Netflix, which will be the home of WWE Raw starting in January.
Yeah. That was really interesting. When this started in 2019, the idea WWE would be on Netflix was not there whatsoever. That really broke in 2023 before there were really serious talks. It is an interesting coincidence this thing airs now, but they don’t go after WWE. It’s pure Vince. It isn’t that WWE was always great. They look at a lot of the decisions and products of WWE in different eras. It does at times come across as negative, but it’s also the past. They look at it as a creature of the past.
What kind of impact do you think this docuseries will have?
I don’t think it will change the course of pro wrestling history at all. It may change the way some people view pro wrestling history. I can see that. Certain aspects of it. As far as Vince, I think it will probably be the defining thing for now on his reputation because things will happen later. Vince right now is living for his reputation and it’s tough. He is trying to change that reputation and it’s a pretty tough one to change right now. Too much came out.
Mr.McMahon is streaming on Netflix
