Mr. McMahon (2024)

"I don't really regret anything in my life" - Vince McMahon

To whoever is reading this (likely no one), I have a confession to make: there will be times when reviewing things when I will not be able to be objective. When the subject matter is so close to my heart that all trace of journalistic integrity will be thrown out of the window in favour of just bleating on about how much I love something. This is the case with WWF wrestling. 

From the very first time my cousin and I snuck to a backroom at a family party and snuck a watch, I was absolutely hooked. My eight-year old mind was utterly blown by the sheer scale of these mammoth characters I saw on the screen. The noise, the colours, the sheer violence completely blew me away. I needed my next fix immediately. And so from about 1988 to 1992 I was wrestling and wrestling was me. I watched nothing else. I cared about nothing else. I practiced my wrestling moves wherever I could, humiliating my mother in public many times in the process. 

Of course, it wasn't just the action in the ring that was so captivating, it was the backstories. Like a steroid-fueled telenovela, the sagas playing out behind the scenes only made the action in the ring mean more. It was a soap opera and a sport all mixed up in some insane melting pot of madness. I could not get enough of it. I didn't even care that it was fake. It was too cool. So, excuse me if anything dipping back to that glorious time in all of our lives makes me a little misty-eyed and hyperbolic. 

The man responsible for all of this glory is one Vince McMahon. When I was an ultra-fan, he was sort of a shadowy figure behind the scenes. You didn't hear or see much about him, but you knew he ran the show. He was the suit, which us fans didn't really care about. Why would you when Hulk Hogan is screaming wild-eyed into the lens and therefore your very soul? However, this 4-part Netflix series shows that Hulk Hogan would very much not be Hulk Hogan without Mr. McMahon in the first place. Pretty soon McMahon came more and more to the forefront until he became the main antagonist in his own creation, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy beyond repair. 

From a seemingly tough upbringing, McMahon got into the business of wrestling at a young age through his father - a man who fully abandoned his family for many years, only to return and scoop up his impressionable son to show him the ropes, excuse the pun. Wrestling back then was very much a localised, minor-league attraction and territories were divvied out according to a gentlemanly code of conduct among the different regions. However, fueled by an almost superhuman desire for domination, young Vince decided to rip up these so-called agreements and set about creating one national wrestling superpower to rule them all. Bridges were burned but a legend was born. 

From there he forged an impossible path to take this ridiculous sport not only national but, inexplicably, global. Given the nature of the sport, that in itself is an incredibly impressive feat and anyone that gets to that level, from essentially nothing, is worthy of examination. The level of drive, determination, willpower and intelligence needed to create something as huge as the WWE (formerly WWF) is always an incredible sight to behold and while there were many factors in it's success, it is hard to argue that all of it is down to the power of this one person. But what drives Vince McMahon? How does one man achieve so much and become so ubiquitous in their field? The answer, as seems to be typical in these cases, is a double-edged sword - meaning the very thing that drives him is likely the very thing wrong with him. Everything, as the saying goes, comes with a cost. 

"I have no sympathy for people like that, so go die"

Controversies have followed the WWE for most of it's existence. From rampant steroid abuse, leading unfortunately to the premature deaths of many former athletes, to questions of abuse, mistreatment of women, mistreatment of men, mistreatment of just about everybody involved. Not to mention the question of simple poor taste. There has almost continuously been debates around the merits of this art form and it's chief curator. 

Here, McMahon is quite unapologetic about all of it. Unsurprising perhaps from a man who seemingly has no limits to how low he will stoop to get a reaction from a crowd. Do audiences really want massive-titted harlots battering each other with foldaway chairs? Vince McMahon would argue yes they do and all he's doing is giving them what they want. Are we really so base that this constitutes entertainment? Should we be aiming higher as a species? Part of me wants to say yes, but then there's a part of me that so utterly enjoyed watching the highlights that I'm not sure I can. For example, there was the storyline in which Vince is having a sordid affair his wife's carer, who is drugging his wife into a state of catatonia, only for the wife to suddenly snap out of this state when Vince, of all things, is about to bash their only son over the skull with a massive chrome dustbin in front of 19,000 people in the ring. During this moment of clarity she approaches her husband and kicks him in the balls. Upon watching this action unfold, I'm not sure I've ever been so happy in my entire life. Therein lies the struggle. 

The documentary itself interviews all the right people and asks all the right questions - let's face it, this has become bread and butter for Netflix at this point so you know it's going to be a quality piece of work. What impressed me most was the filmmakers dedication to remaining impartial. A very difficult thing for a documentary in 2024 to achieve. Especially one about a figure as controversial as Vince McMahon. 

At one point early on they pointedly show Vince leaving after an urgent news story about him breaks during filming. We now know that there have been many serious accusations thrown his way that you can google if you're interested. Is he guilty of what he's being accused of? That is for the courts to decide and this documentary, thankfully, takes pretty much the same viewpoint. They do show some things that one could call questionable but really without angle or emphasis. It is presented only as fact, leaving judgement to you the audience member. 

"I have to do something with my mind, or I'll get in trouble."

In general Vince comes across as an utterly self-assured, slightly terrifying, monolith of a man and the legacy he created is certainly a polarizing one. It begs many philosophical questions about ends justifying the means and so on. He is also responsible for creating what might be the strangest family on planet earth. There have been so many blurred lines in their lives between what's real and what is WWE drama that I'm not even sure they know what's what any more. That said, you can't help but smile while Shane, Vince's ne'er do well son, finally gets a hug from his Dad at the end. That is all he ever wanted. 

Which kind of sums up the man himself. He's a hard man. A somewhat ruthless man, a driven man to the point of intrigue, and a potential monster. I believe he's deep into his 70s when the show was being filmed and he still seems as active as ever. What the future holds for his dynasty, who knows? But this glimpse into the machinations of an empire and the emperor behind it is a continually intriguing one. For any wrestling fans out there it is likely a must watch. 

JB