The Man Who Created the WWE: Who is Vince McMahon?

By Arslan Saleem June 17, 2024 01:10

credit. Ethan Miller/Getty

Vincent Kennedy McMahon, Jr., popularly known as Vince McMahon, is an American professional wrestling impresario who has significantly shaped the world of wrestling and turned it into a massively lucrative industry. Born on August 24, 1945, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, McMahon is the son of a wrestling promoter, and his influence on wrestling has been profound

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Early Career

In the 1970s, McMahon started his career as an in-ring announcer for his father's Capitol Wrestling Corporation He bought the company in 1982 and created even more impact to the sport by adding pizzazz, rock music, celebrities, and also choreographed fights, making wrestlers more into heroes for children. He made major changes and transformed wrestling into a mainstream form of sport putting the company on top of the wrestling group in the mid-1980s.

WWE and Cultural Impact

McMahon rebranded his franchise as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002 after being sued by the World Wide Fund for Nature. WWE transcended into a pop culture juggernaut, with its array of programs like the RAW Is Tank and the SmackDown, outdrawing its competition more than two to one, with merchandise, music, video games, action figures, and even its own magazine and pay-per-view event, WrestleMania.

Career Growth and Challenges

In 2000 McMahon got into the gridiron business by announcing the formation of the Extreme Football League (XFL) to go head-to-head with the National Football League (NFL). His efforts to get people excited were not enough to save the XFL, as it ultimately went defunct after just one season. He went wider still in 2009 by going easier on the raunch and having the violence crossbreed with cartoon. That said, in 2022, the WWE launched an investigation after McMahon was accused of misconduct; he temporarily stepped down from his role as Chairman and CEO in June 2022 only to return as Executive Chairman in January 2023.

The Unmaking of America

The book "Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America" by Abraham Josephine Riesman provides insights into McMahon's pivotal role in shaping American professional wrestling since the 1980s. It underscores his ascent to mainstream dominance and the subsequent solidification of WWE's influence in professional wrestling, culminating in its rebranding as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its domination of the industry and cultural imagination.

In the End

The positive effects of Vince McMahon in professional wrestling are pretty evident. His groundbreaking vision and revolutionary creativity have led WWE to become a massive money maker. Vince helped WWE eclipse the boundaries of the industry, ultimately transforming it from a wrestling company to a global media business. Despite the success, his career was not without its share of controversies, showing the ups and downs of the entertainment business. But his impact on the sport and its cultural significance would remain etched in professional wrestling history.
In the end, Vince McMahon's tale is one of determination, creativity, and an enduring will that can influence an industry and change the world.