Vince McMahon Netflix documentary: What we learned about the longtime WWE promoter

Vince McMahon, the long-time CEO and chairman of WWE, is the greatest promoter in the history of professional wrestling and has also been accused of sexual misconduct on multiple occasions.

The docuseries “Mr. McMahon,” which premiered on Netflix on Wednesday, covers all of this in six episodes, tracing McMahon's rise in professional wrestling through his exit from the business due to his legal problems.

“Mr. McMahon” is the character he has played on television for years, but some say the role reflects the 79-year-old McMahon's true identity: a power-hungry boss who will do anything to stay on top.

In over six hours of footage and interviews with McMahon (who canceled his final interviews after a lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant was uncovered during filming), his family, former and current WWE wrestlers, critics and more, “Mr. McMahon” takes a look at the life of perhaps the most polarizing figure in wrestling.

The athleteChris Vannini and Jason Jones watched the entire docuseries. Here's what they think.

What did you learn or discover after watching?

Vannini: If you know McMahon even superficially, you'll learn a lot. The docuseries touches on pretty much every known scandal involving McMahon, going back decades. It wasn't just the well-known 1990s steroid trial or the Chris Benoit double murder/suicide. It covered the Ring Boy scandal, which I didn't know much about until a few years ago. It covered molestation allegations against WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson, who died in 2020. It covered Rita Chatterton's rape allegations against McMahon, all of the publicly known details surrounding Grant's current lawsuit and the federal investigation, and more. (In a lawsuit filed earlier this year, Grant accused McMahon and others of sex trafficking, physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and negligence. In May, Grant agreed to stay her lawsuit after the Justice Department asked her to do so until a federal investigation was complete.)

It's also the first time McMahon gets to know himself on camera. His interviews are by far the most interesting part, for better or for worse. Until this docuseries, pretty much everything known about McMahon's childhood came from a single 2001 Playboy interview in which he talked about growing up in an abusive household. It was riveting to hear McMahon describe that situation and how it seemed to lay the foundation for everything that would come in the future, from business to family to relationships and more. Longtime wrestling manager and promoter Paul Heyman describes McMahon as someone who spent his entire life trying to amass enough power to always be in control.

And that's exactly what happened. Until he wasn't anymore.

If you're a diehard wrestling fan, you probably won't learn much more than that. Seemingly half of the docuseries is basic WWE history, touching on topics like Hulkamania, the Montreal Screwjob, the Monday Night Wars between WWE and WCW, and other stories told a thousand times. But this is also intended for a casual audience.

Jones: I was a kid during most of WWE's rise, and I wasn't aware of some of the early scandals at the time. The candor of WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas, speaking not only about Patterson, but the treatment of women in general, was surprising, but a necessary part of the docuseries.

McMahon reflected in his interviews in a way I had never seen before. But what interested me most was the father-son relationship he explored. First, McMahon talked about his own father.

Shane McMahon's relationship with his father was fascinating. We hear Shane talk about wanting Vince's approval and how it is similar to the way Vince seeks the same validation from his father. As a fan, I always wondered why Shane took so many risks in the ring. Being part of the McMahon family, it never seemed reasonable that he was willing to get thrown out of cages. But he was all about impressing his father. Shane wanted to buy and run UFC to prove to his father that he should be next in line to run the company. Vince refused and even says that if Shane wanted to buy UFC, he should have used his own money.

That Shane didn't run the family business is well known, but it was fascinating that Shane didn't want his sister Stephanie to date wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque, despite Vince's support. Levesque is now WWE's Chief Content Officer, overseeing talent relations, weekly television products, and more. Shane's comments on why he left the company were news to me. Heyman tells a great story about a falling out between Vince and Shane before the younger McMahon left as well.

Despite Vince's bravery, Hulk Hogan's move to WCW seemed to really hurt his feelings. Hogan said he was forced to testify against McMahon in 1994, but that he was moving to a rival company hit McMahon hard.

What was the most surprising thing?

Vannini: I was really touched by pretty much everything involving Shane McMahon. You can tell that his relationship with his sons is intentionally much stronger than his relationship with Vince and the relationship Vince had with his own father. In the WrestleMania 32 docuseries, there is a scene where Shane hugs his sons after his match and Vince watches. Vince and Shane then hug and Shane says it was one of the few times he got a real hug from his father. The impact of the father-son relationship and how the son deals with what he gets is a theme that runs throughout the series. It really seemed like Shane wanted to break the cycle of bad father-son relationships in the family.

It was also interesting to see how much they delved into the succession plan – or lack thereof: why Shane left the company, the feelings when he came back, and why Vince didn't pass on him. Atlas says Shane is too nice to be the boss. Maybe he was right. Or maybe that idea was the whole problem.

Jones: Benoit's name has not been heard on WWE television for over 17 years. I was not expecting to see Benoit mentioned by name, let alone Vince and other talent talking about him. WWE has done everything they can to remove him from WWE media. His matches can still be found online, but not much else.

“Mr. McMahon,” a chronicle of the rise and fall of the controversial WWE founder, premieres on September 25.

Featuring interviews with Vince McMahon before his retirement and some of the biggest names in wrestling. From Tiger King Executive Producer Chris Smith and Bill Simmons. pic.twitter.com/DFYYRN1a9z

— Netflix (@netflix) 5 September 2024

What was the most disappointing aspect?

Vannini: I would have liked to see more reactions from wrestling stars to the recent allegations against McMahon.

Almost all of the interviews were conducted before news of Grant's lawsuit broke in January. Interviews about alleged hush money payments and lawsuits come from the reporters involved, which is certainly a good thing. But you get the feeling that everyone said nice things about McMahon and suppressed their worst thoughts because they were still worried about the power he wielded. How do these people really feel now that he no longer has that power?

The show also lays out pretty much all of the allegations from Grant's lawsuit against McMahon. He is the focus of the show, but is only one of the defendants in the lawsuit. John Laurinaitis, another former WWE executive, and the company itself are also accused in the case. McMahon may no longer be with WWE, but the story will be with us for some time to come.

Jones: Nothing was actually said about Chyna (Joanie Lauer), who Levesque was dating when he started working on camera with Stephanie McMahon, which led to their real-life relationship and marriage. The series is about women in the wrestling business and how they changed the industry, and that doesn't happen without Chyna, who died of a drug overdose in 2016.

Throughout the series, the elder McMahon is referred to by many as a father figure. I wanted to know more about this, aside from his actual children. Longtime WWE employee Bruce Prichard spoke about how McMahon made sure his wife got the best cancer treatment and he credits him for her still being alive, despite being given only four years to live over 20 years ago.

Mark Calaway (aka Undertaker) clearly idolizes McMahon. In the days leading up to the premiere of the docuseries, wrestling legend Mick Foley spoke about not wanting to let allegations tarnish the good memories that working for Vince has created for many people until all the facts are out. It's clear that McMahon has had a positive influence on many people. I just wanted to learn more about how and why to understand that loyalty.

Would you recommend it?

Vannini: Absolutely. It seems pretty clear that when McMahon agreed, he thought this would be his memoirs, where he could tell his stories his way and control the storyline like he always had in wrestling. But this series doesn't sugarcoat his past. It shows you all the business success with all of his personal behavior, and the two will forever be intertwined in McMahon's legacy.

Jones: Absolutely. Even without much discussion of the ongoing legal battle involving Grant, there is a lot to learn. The McMahon family dynamic is worth watching in and of itself. I wonder what would have happened if there had been one final meeting with McMahon. With the legal battle looming, this could be the last time we hear from McMahon outside of the court proceedings.

(Photo by Vince McMahon: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)