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The Shakespearean tragedy of this tale
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is that the great success that has been
enjoyed by Vincent Kennedy McMahon
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was driven by
the over-compensatory behavior
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rebelling against the first miserable
12 years of his life.
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And escaping that abuse
has been his life pursuit,
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in creating an atmosphere...
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...in which he is untouchable
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and invulnerable to outside forces,
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and in control of his own destiny.
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What we know
about Vince McMahon's childhood
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we only know from Vince McMahon.
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Years ago, he did a Playboy interview
that talked about his upbringing,
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that talked about the physical abuse
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that he suffered
at the hands of his stepfather,
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and alluded to sexual abuse
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that he implied
was at the hands of his mother.
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I'm not big
at looking backwards at all.
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I don't know whether I'm afraid
to look back, like, "What's back there?"
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My childhood was what it was.
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It was difficult.
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I mean, there's fighting,
there's infighting, there's incest,
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and you don't like it,
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but I felt that as a kid, when you're
getting the crap beat out of you,
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once he stops, if you're still breathing,
you're still living, you win.
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I know from
a psychological standpoint,
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when you're abused as a kid,
the tendency is for you to abuse.
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I think sometimes that's just a cop-out.
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I've never subscribed to that.
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You know, anything rotten like that,
anything bad that happens to you,
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get rid of it.
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Will it come forward on occasion? Sure.
Will it hurt on occasion? Sure.
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But throw it the fuck back there,
and go forward.
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Sorry. I'm so sorry.
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Coming up next,
you will see for the first time ever
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Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon,
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the only two children
of Vince and Linda McMahon,
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talking about what it's like to have
their lives unfold before the cameras.
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I'm fascinated to know,
what was it like growing up as a McMahon?
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You wanna start? Go for it.
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Being Vince McMahon's son,
I grew up in a very interesting world.
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I always
wanted to be in the business,
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and the business
of the business, specifically.
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I start at a very early age.
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- One, two...
- Bleh.
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I remember being in the audience,
I remember being backstage.
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I was all over the place,
just soaking it all in.
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You know, I would sweep the ring.
I would take the guys' jackets back.
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One...
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And then I became
a referee and ring announcer,
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and you start earning your stripes.
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Shane and Mr. McMahon!
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My involvement as a performer
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started as a surrogate to my dad.
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Did you see Shane
holding the ropes for his daddy?
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If my dad pissed somebody off,
you couldn't get to the boss right away.
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You have to go through different layers.
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And it caught on,
and everybody was having fun,
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and we just ran with it.
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A tremendous
chorus of boos for the boy wonder,
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the heir apparent to the throne...
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And I loved it,
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getting the ability to go do something
I've always wanted to do
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since I was very little.
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- Shane!
- Shane McMahon!
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So that's how
the family dynamic started to grow
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and eventually became Vince's daughter.
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Let me jump in
for just one second, please.
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I have always wanted to be
a part of this company,
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and I'm so proud to be today.
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Growing up,
it was larger than life,
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and I could feel that as a kid.
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It was just the most exciting thing
to be a part of.
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Unbelievable!
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WWE
has always been polarizing,
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and when I was growing up,
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some people would love me
just because of who my father was,
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and some people
would not give me the time of day
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because of who my father was.
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Vince McMahon, flanked there
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by his young daughter, Stephanie McMahon.
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{\an8} When did it first
get broached about you being a character?
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It was after I graduated college.
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Just relax, no pressure.
Everything will be good.
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- You're gonna take it easy on me?
- Oh, without a doubt.
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A decision was made
in a very short period of time
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to give it a try and see how it went.
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- You're on!
- No!
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When Steph started to work
with us, it escalated incredibly fast.
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There was a storyline
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where Steph was getting married
to a talent named Test.
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But the writers,
they didn't know what the payoff was.
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There was never an ending to the story.
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So, I come up with an idea
and present it to Vince.
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You should take a look at this.
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"What if I was at
her bachelorette party, making her drink,
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and I end up getting married to her,
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like, at one of those
drive-thru things in Vegas?"
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He's like, "I love that."
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Oh my God!
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I hate you!
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And his line is,
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"And, Vince, it's not a question of if,
but how many times..."
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... how many times
did we consummate the marriage?
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My God. I cannot believe that.
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The first time we go back on TV
after this whole angle happens,
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the crowd turns on her,
and they're chanting "slut."
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Slut! Slut! Slut! Slut!
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And Vince, as they're going crazy for her,
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he looks at me and he goes...
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Meaning, like, "This is money."
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Slut! Slut! Slut!
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I've got
a big smile on my face 'cause that means
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the audience is participating.
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Anytime the audience is participating,
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they're loving what it is you're doing.
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Slut! Slut! Slut!
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So, Steph became this great heel.
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She was willing to do anything.
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She's always been,
"Whatever it is you want, Dad."
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She knew what I was trying to do.
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If anybody knows anything
about screwing, it's you!
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When I was younger in my career,
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I was just all on board
to do whatever he wanted.
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Unhand her! Look at this!
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I look back
on some of the stuff I did, and I'm like,
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"Oh my God. I can't believe I did that."
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Um... Yeah, for sure.
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Did you think it was weird
that your dad was having you do that?
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Um...
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Yeah, sometimes
I thought it was a little bit weird,
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but it was a different time
in our business.
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Slut! Slut! Slut! Slut!
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Of all the crazy stuff
that's happened in my life,
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from starting out as a fan to where I am,
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the family part of it
would probably be the craziest.
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- You are legally married.
- Mm!
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So, after this storyline
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where Steph gets married to me
secretly against her will,
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it became this whole thing,
the McMahon-Helmsley Era,
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and now we're running WWE.
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The McMahon-Helmsley Era.
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That's where I'm with her every day.
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And that's how
we get to know each other, really.
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I was not allowed to date our talent,
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but it was my dad who, ironically,
sort of pushed us together.
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Paul, who's
a wonderful human being,
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he and I were friends,
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and I would even lead and say,
"Steph, you need to find somebody,
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a real man, you know,
someone like Triple H."
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And then my brother would say,
"Not Triple H."
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And my dad would go,
"Oh yeah, no, of course. Not Triple H,
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but a guy just like him."
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Shane was very much against it.
Uh, vehemently so.
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- Let's go.
- You make me sick.
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Hey, brother-- Come on. Give me a hug.
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You know... [sighs] Storylines 101.
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"Don't date the boss's daughter."
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Shane came to me, said,
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"You're letting your daughter
date a wrestler?"
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"Shane, um, that's who I am."
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"I'm wrestling, I'm performing.
I don't know what you mean by that."
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And so, to me, it made sense for Stephanie
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to date and marry someone like Paul.
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As it's moving forward,
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there are moments in time
where it's Vince,
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and he's Vince McMahon-ing this,
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like, even as we're looking for locations
for the wedding at one point,
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he seriously suggests to us
holding it on pay-per-view.
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So, what if Stephanie and Paul's wedding
was live on pay-per-view?
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Wow. People would buy that.
It'd be awesome. It'd be great.
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And Steph said, "Uh... no."
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And when Steph says, "Absolutely not,"
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he's like, "Selfish."
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Like, "I can't believe you're selfish."
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{\an8} And then Vince
books Vince versus Steph,
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in, I believe, a street fight,
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six days before our legitimate wedding.
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He wants to humiliate his daughter!
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I remember my mom
actually threatening my dad
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that if I had a black eye
or a broken ankle for my wedding,
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that she would divorce him on the spot.
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Needless to say, I had no black eye.
I had no broken ankle.
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I may have gotten choked out in the match,
but that's different.
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Yeah, just craziness. Full-on craziness.
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What the hell kind of family
did I marry into?
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Uh?! Right?
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You guys
have got to be the head
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of the most dysfunctional family
on the planet!
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They create that
McMahon family soap opera,
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and the kids ended up being
very popular performers. Super popular.
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Where was Linda
during all this time?
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She was definitely
a big part of all of this.
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Linda McMahon!
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{\an8} Linda was
very important in the company.
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{\an8}World Wrestling Entertainment
is known as Vince McMahon's company.
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The name that you seldom hear
was that of Linda McMahon,
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and she is the Chief Executive Officer
of this company.
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There weren't a lot of titles,
okay, when I came on.
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It was, Vince was the boss,
Linda was the second boss.
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Linda handled the business.
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Vince handled the creative and the vision.
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So, my mom introduced me
to Linda, my wife.
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I think I was 16.
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Linda grew up
in a very middle-class family.
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Both parents worked, and nice houses.
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Not rich, but real middle-class,
and I was just sort of attracted to that.
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He had, kind of, you know,
the bad-boy reputation from high school,
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and so, you know,
I was the exact opposite.
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And, you know what? I liked it.
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Linda was, like,
17 when we got married, so very young.
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And I promised her I'd always love her,
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and I promised her
that there'd never be a dull moment.
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I've definitely lived up to that promise.
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- Oh my God!
- Oh no!
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00:12:00,136 --> 00:12:02,054
Oh my God!
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00:12:02,054 --> 00:12:05,599
This is gonna hurt me
a lot worse than it hurts you.
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Get her! What?
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My mom
never wanted to be on TV. Ever.
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She hated being on television.
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She'd say, "Vince, please don't put me
in this position. I'm not a good actress."
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Of the four of us, I'm probably
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the least comfortable
in front of the camera.
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And I'm not nearly as good at it
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{\an8}as Shane and Stephanie and Vince are.
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Congratulations, Triple H.
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She wasn't a good actress,
and she knew it,
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but Shane's involved,
Stephanie's involved, I'm involved.
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"We can use you as a character."
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So, without further ado,
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allow me to present my wife, Linda,
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accompanied by the beautiful Trish.
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I came
into the wrestling business
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in a little bit of non-traditional route.
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I was, um, doing fitness modeling.
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Fitness model, you know her
from the cover of Muscle magazine.
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{\an8}Trish Stratus.
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00:13:00,738 --> 00:13:03,991
As a fan growing up,
I was heavily into when Cyndi Lauper came,
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and she was with Wendi Richter.
That was like, "Oh my God!"
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00:13:06,368 --> 00:13:09,288
Seeing a female in the ring at my age
was very cool.
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But when I first started in 2000,
241
00:13:13,083 --> 00:13:15,961
the female role was overtly sexual,
I would say.
242
00:13:16,712 --> 00:13:18,506
Well, Trish.
243
00:13:18,506 --> 00:13:19,924
- Mr. McMahon.
- Uh...
244
00:13:19,924 --> 00:13:21,717
One of my
very first storylines
245
00:13:21,717 --> 00:13:23,636
was being paired with Vince McMahon.
246
00:13:23,636 --> 00:13:27,056
Knowing I was about to work with the boss,
and with Mr. McMahon,
247
00:13:27,056 --> 00:13:29,266
was a huge opportunity.
248
00:13:29,266 --> 00:13:31,352
I was super excited about it.
249
00:13:31,352 --> 00:13:32,478
Yeah.
250
00:13:32,478 --> 00:13:35,272
I don't think the storyline was pitched
like, "What's gonna happen
251
00:13:35,272 --> 00:13:36,816
is you're gonna be Vince's mistress."
252
00:13:36,816 --> 00:13:38,692
I've been very bad, Vince.
253
00:13:38,692 --> 00:13:40,277
I deserve a spanking.
254
00:13:40,861 --> 00:13:43,697
"And then you're gonna
eventually drug his wife."
255
00:13:43,697 --> 00:13:45,825
You did double up
Linda's dosage, did you not?
256
00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:46,742
Sure did.
257
00:13:46,742 --> 00:13:49,870
It wasn't pitched like that.
I'd have gone, "What am I gonna do now?"
258
00:13:50,454 --> 00:13:51,705
It was something that evolved.
259
00:13:51,705 --> 00:13:54,124
It was like,
"Let's see where we can take this,"
260
00:13:54,834 --> 00:13:57,253
and, well, it took some interesting turns.
261
00:13:57,253 --> 00:13:58,587
Get this now.
262
00:13:58,587 --> 00:14:03,342
I kissed, uh, Trish Stratus
in front of my wife in a wheelchair.
263
00:14:03,342 --> 00:14:04,885
Oh, no-- Oh, my God.
264
00:14:04,885 --> 00:14:09,139
And the reason why we did that
was to show what a despicable heel I was.
265
00:14:09,139 --> 00:14:11,308
I mean, you can't get any more despicable.
266
00:14:12,434 --> 00:14:14,603
We were
very aware of what we were doing
267
00:14:14,603 --> 00:14:16,814
to provide fuel for our storyline,
268
00:14:16,814 --> 00:14:19,358
and Linda was super cool about it too.
269
00:14:19,358 --> 00:14:21,485
She was in on it.
You know, we were all in on it.
270
00:14:22,069 --> 00:14:24,738
There was a scene
where I lean over and I kiss Linda.
271
00:14:25,406 --> 00:14:27,199
And that came from Linda.
Like, she's like,
272
00:14:27,199 --> 00:14:30,369
"Oh, it would irk so many people if you
would lean over and kiss me on the head."
273
00:14:31,662 --> 00:14:34,957
What you must do is evoke emotion,
274
00:14:34,957 --> 00:14:38,002
whether it's anger,
whether it's happiness.
275
00:14:38,002 --> 00:14:42,631
Even sometimes disgust, if the bad guy,
you know, went a little too far.
276
00:14:43,299 --> 00:14:45,426
But it's always about emotion.
277
00:14:45,426 --> 00:14:47,344
Have a nice Valentine's Day, Linda.
278
00:14:48,512 --> 00:14:50,639
The on-screen affair with Trish.
279
00:14:50,639 --> 00:14:53,100
What was the family's reaction
to that one?
280
00:14:53,809 --> 00:14:57,271
I don't think our family
had an objection to it,
281
00:14:57,271 --> 00:15:00,399
because they knew I was a character.
282
00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:01,692
Trish was a character.
283
00:15:01,692 --> 00:15:04,737
So, as I recall, I don't think
anyone had a problem with it.
284
00:15:05,738 --> 00:15:09,700
If anything is mentioned about my mom,
usually, my first reaction is "no."
285
00:15:09,700 --> 00:15:13,579
You know, my mom's kind of sacred to me,
so, I didn't quite like that one.
286
00:15:14,163 --> 00:15:15,789
Shane said he was a little--
287
00:15:15,789 --> 00:15:17,666
- Oh, okay.
- You know.
288
00:15:18,250 --> 00:15:21,128
Well, Shane is a bit
more conservative than the rest of us,
289
00:15:21,128 --> 00:15:24,131
so, Shane may have had
a little bit of a problem with that,
290
00:15:24,131 --> 00:15:25,466
'cause he sometimes--
291
00:15:25,466 --> 00:15:28,260
"Wait a minute, 'cause, uh,
you're getting too close to real now."
292
00:15:28,260 --> 00:15:31,555
I'm thinking, "This is a storyline.
Characters entertaining the audience."
293
00:15:31,555 --> 00:15:33,265
"Just go with it."
294
00:15:40,606 --> 00:15:43,734
So, 15 years later,
um, I'll do interviews,
295
00:15:43,734 --> 00:15:47,279
we'll talk about the good old days,
and it-- It never fails.
296
00:15:47,279 --> 00:15:50,199
It will always be like,
"So, there was this time..."
297
00:15:50,199 --> 00:15:51,158
And I'm like, "Mm-hm."
298
00:15:51,742 --> 00:15:55,329
"...when you got on all four
and you barked like a dog."
299
00:15:55,996 --> 00:15:58,958
I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!
300
00:15:58,958 --> 00:16:00,334
You're sorry?
301
00:16:01,085 --> 00:16:03,587
Well, I'll tell you what,
if you're that sorry,
302
00:16:03,587 --> 00:16:06,590
then prove to me just how sorry you are.
303
00:16:08,050 --> 00:16:11,303
Get on your hands and knees like a dog!
304
00:16:11,303 --> 00:16:13,389
Oh, for God's sakes.
305
00:16:13,389 --> 00:16:15,891
The "bark like a dog" scene
obviously is very memorable,
306
00:16:15,891 --> 00:16:18,018
and it was really [chuckles] um...
307
00:16:18,018 --> 00:16:19,853
Yeah, I wish they never did that one.
308
00:16:19,853 --> 00:16:21,647
I used to have a female dog
309
00:16:21,647 --> 00:16:24,316
and that bitch
did everything I told her to do.
310
00:16:24,316 --> 00:16:27,444
- Now, damn it, get down! Get down!
- Aw, that's just too much.
311
00:16:27,444 --> 00:16:30,698
Bark like a dog. Come on.
Tell me you're sorry.
312
00:16:33,534 --> 00:16:36,829
With the "barking like a dog"
segment, they want me to be like--
313
00:16:36,829 --> 00:16:39,081
It was horrible,
314
00:16:39,081 --> 00:16:43,210
but that's exactly the feeling
we wanted you to feel. Don't you get it?
315
00:16:43,794 --> 00:16:49,049
If you're really, really sorry, Trish,
take your clothes off!
316
00:16:49,049 --> 00:16:51,093
Yes! Yea--
317
00:16:51,093 --> 00:16:52,678
I said take it off now!
318
00:16:53,303 --> 00:16:55,556
What kinda man is-- This is--
319
00:16:55,556 --> 00:16:57,391
That is an amazing
320
00:16:57,391 --> 00:17:01,520
"have your cake and eat it too"
kind of heel performance,
321
00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,691
because at the same time
that he's getting everybody to know
322
00:17:05,691 --> 00:17:09,486
that we're supposed to hate him,
he's giving them a titty show...
323
00:17:09,486 --> 00:17:11,697
Oh, you're sorry! You're sorry!
324
00:17:11,697 --> 00:17:14,241
Take your bra off and take it off now!
325
00:17:14,241 --> 00:17:16,493
...knowing that
he's bad for doing so.
326
00:17:16,493 --> 00:17:21,331
It doesn't get in the way of the pleasure
of watching her be humiliated.
327
00:17:23,042 --> 00:17:26,462
I thought the segment sucked
when I saw it, but you know,
328
00:17:26,462 --> 00:17:31,633
wrestling was very much for guys
and guys who fantasized over hot women.
329
00:17:31,633 --> 00:17:35,929
But also kind of hated them
because they could never get them.
330
00:17:35,929 --> 00:17:40,976
So, therefore, seeing hot women demeaned
was kind of cool to a lot of those guys.
331
00:17:41,977 --> 00:17:45,272
It's a very ugly way to say it,
but that's exactly what it was.
332
00:17:46,607 --> 00:17:49,902
We knew we were presenting
a sensitive scene to the fans.
333
00:17:49,902 --> 00:17:53,322
We knew that it was gonna be talked about,
and be interpreted and misinterpreted,
334
00:17:53,322 --> 00:17:54,531
but we were aware of that.
335
00:17:55,532 --> 00:17:57,618
And the thing is, when we did that scene,
336
00:17:57,618 --> 00:18:00,662
we knew the comeuppance would come
at WrestleMania, the grandest stage.
337
00:18:04,458 --> 00:18:07,127
Ultimately,
it played out at WrestleMania
338
00:18:07,127 --> 00:18:09,546
in a match with Shane against my dad.
339
00:18:11,673 --> 00:18:13,801
It was son versus father,
340
00:18:13,801 --> 00:18:17,805
and in one corner
was my girlfriend, Trish.
341
00:18:17,805 --> 00:18:19,139
Storyline.
342
00:18:19,139 --> 00:18:22,559
And in Shane's corner was Linda, my wife.
343
00:18:23,769 --> 00:18:27,189
I had to stand up for the abuse
that was going on with my mom.
344
00:18:27,189 --> 00:18:30,567
You know, I just couldn't take it anymore,
which would be accurate.
345
00:18:30,567 --> 00:18:33,904
And my sister taking the other side,
you know, like, cutthroat,
346
00:18:33,904 --> 00:18:35,030
very much like my dad.
347
00:18:36,073 --> 00:18:39,576
I was so nervous going into that match,
348
00:18:39,576 --> 00:18:42,329
because I've never
raised a hand to my father.
349
00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:44,540
It's always been one way.
350
00:18:45,833 --> 00:18:48,794
When I was younger,
my dad and I would wrestle.
351
00:18:49,670 --> 00:18:52,756
One time, my dad grabbed like,
all my rib meat.
352
00:18:52,756 --> 00:18:55,259
You know, he went in there,
on the skin and everything else.
353
00:18:55,259 --> 00:18:58,053
I went, "Oh!" and then as I peeled back,
he grabbed my hair in the back
354
00:18:58,053 --> 00:19:01,515
and then pushed me back, and I was like--
I was like, "You totally cheated."
355
00:19:01,515 --> 00:19:02,599
I go, "You can't do that."
356
00:19:02,599 --> 00:19:07,062
He says, "That's what I do in life.
I cheat, and I win."
357
00:19:07,062 --> 00:19:09,857
He goes, "Learn that lesson."
He says, "Sometimes you gotta cheat."
358
00:19:09,857 --> 00:19:11,984
And I was like, "All right."
359
00:19:13,235 --> 00:19:17,573
So before I went out in that match,
I started kind of panicking a little.
360
00:19:17,573 --> 00:19:19,616
I was like,
"Oh, I can't do it. I can't do it."
361
00:19:20,659 --> 00:19:24,163
I asked Shane to strike me,
and he's like, "I can't do it."
362
00:19:24,163 --> 00:19:25,873
"Slap me. You can do that."
363
00:19:25,873 --> 00:19:26,957
"No, I can't."
364
00:19:28,041 --> 00:19:29,084
"I can slap you."
365
00:19:30,627 --> 00:19:32,296
Slapping his own son.
366
00:19:32,296 --> 00:19:35,048
Bell rings. My dad hits me
with about four shots to the face.
367
00:19:35,048 --> 00:19:36,758
Like, right off the bat.
368
00:19:37,426 --> 00:19:39,928
I waffled him a couple of times,
and got his attention.
369
00:19:39,928 --> 00:19:42,389
And then he's like,
"Okay, no problem now."
370
00:19:42,389 --> 00:19:45,976
And I was like: "Oh! Ah!"
My eyes swelled up under immediately.
371
00:19:45,976 --> 00:19:48,812
I was like, "Well, this may be
a little easier than I thought."
372
00:19:50,147 --> 00:19:52,065
- My monitor!
- God!
373
00:19:52,065 --> 00:19:53,066
Shane, stop!
374
00:19:58,363 --> 00:20:00,032
That was my WrestleMania moment that year.
375
00:20:00,616 --> 00:20:03,994
I was able to stand up to Vince McMahon
and everything he stood for.
376
00:20:03,994 --> 00:20:06,079
I mean, I remember
working with him on that moment.
377
00:20:06,079 --> 00:20:08,457
He's like, "Do not hold back."
378
00:20:08,457 --> 00:20:10,292
And I did not.
379
00:20:10,292 --> 00:20:15,339
Vince, now just realizing
his sedated wife, Linda, is here!
380
00:20:18,050 --> 00:20:23,055
During the match with Shane,
Linda slowly stood up.
381
00:20:26,433 --> 00:20:29,353
Right into the McMahon family jewels!
382
00:20:29,937 --> 00:20:32,439
It was a huge bop,
and we had to finish after that.
383
00:20:32,439 --> 00:20:36,485
Wait a minute.
Vince is in one corner, Shane in another.
384
00:20:36,485 --> 00:20:38,946
The audience loves it
when it looks like it's real.
385
00:20:39,696 --> 00:20:40,906
Oh my God!
386
00:20:40,906 --> 00:20:43,992
Sometimes it is real.
These are real-life McMahons.
387
00:20:44,743 --> 00:20:47,788
When you build up the tension,
you build up these characters,
388
00:20:47,788 --> 00:20:51,250
and then you have the resolution
of that story, ah, it feels so good.
389
00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:54,419
Shane McMahon
has defeated his father
390
00:20:54,419 --> 00:20:58,215
in a hellacious street fight
here at WrestleMania!
391
00:21:03,011 --> 00:21:05,347
For Vince,
nothing was off-limits.
392
00:21:06,932 --> 00:21:09,351
What's real? What's not real?
It doesn't matter.
393
00:21:09,351 --> 00:21:12,813
If it's gonna draw money,
if it's gonna draw interest,
394
00:21:12,813 --> 00:21:16,733
anything that makes his business stronger
is open for him.
395
00:21:16,733 --> 00:21:20,654
I want you to give your mother a message,
and that is that soon,
396
00:21:20,654 --> 00:21:25,617
after this divorce is final,
there's gonna be a new Mrs. McMahon.
397
00:21:25,617 --> 00:21:30,455
A voluptuous Mrs. McMahon that
can keep up with my sexual prowess.
398
00:21:30,455 --> 00:21:31,415
Uh-huh.
399
00:21:32,749 --> 00:21:36,461
Vince was a master
of blurring storylines.
400
00:21:36,461 --> 00:21:41,008
He would twist something that started out
with a piece of reality,
401
00:21:41,008 --> 00:21:44,428
and then just take it step by step
402
00:21:44,428 --> 00:21:48,682
into a place where you didn't know
what to believe, what you didn't believe.
403
00:21:49,558 --> 00:21:52,060
You owe me... Sable.
404
00:21:53,395 --> 00:21:55,647
And when people like you owe me...
405
00:21:58,442 --> 00:22:01,653
I generally... collect.
406
00:22:03,405 --> 00:22:05,073
Sable is probably one of the,
407
00:22:05,073 --> 00:22:08,368
as far as pure successes in marketing
for a short period of time,
408
00:22:08,368 --> 00:22:11,913
{\an8}she's one of the more
underrated characters they ever had.
409
00:22:12,456 --> 00:22:15,292
I mean, she was an absolute ratings draw.
410
00:22:15,959 --> 00:22:17,169
Sable'd get on the air,
411
00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:20,130
half a million people would tune in
during her segments.
412
00:22:20,630 --> 00:22:23,091
The only one I remember
who'd do better was Austin.
413
00:22:24,343 --> 00:22:29,681
But she left at the peak of her popularity
and sued the company.
414
00:22:29,681 --> 00:22:30,849
In this corner,
415
00:22:30,849 --> 00:22:34,269
former World Wrestling Entertainment
women's champion Sable.
416
00:22:34,269 --> 00:22:36,480
Her opponent, Vince McMahon.
417
00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,733
At the center of this feud
is a $110 million lawsuit
418
00:22:39,733 --> 00:22:42,402
that included
charges of sexual harassment.
419
00:22:42,402 --> 00:22:45,614
So they were asking you
to do things you didn't want to do?
420
00:22:45,614 --> 00:22:46,907
- Yes.
- More or less. Okay.
421
00:22:46,907 --> 00:22:49,993
They were making me do things
I did not want to do, so...
422
00:22:50,660 --> 00:22:54,373
Sable sued you,
the WWE, for $110 million,
423
00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:58,168
alleging amongst other things,
she felt degraded.
424
00:22:58,752 --> 00:23:01,713
I don't think I asked her to do anything
that was degrading at all.
425
00:23:02,506 --> 00:23:04,383
To another lawsuit,
who was Sable,
426
00:23:04,383 --> 00:23:07,427
and how did she factor
into the organization?
427
00:23:07,427 --> 00:23:10,597
Yeah, I don't remember much about Sable
in terms of the lawsuit.
428
00:23:10,597 --> 00:23:14,142
You don't remember any
of the allegations that came out of that?
429
00:23:14,142 --> 00:23:16,019
No, I don't. It's kind of a blur.
430
00:23:16,019 --> 00:23:18,522
All I know is she came back to work, so...
431
00:23:19,898 --> 00:23:25,237
Stephanie McMahon, I want you to meet
your new assistant, Sable.
432
00:23:25,237 --> 00:23:27,280
Whoa!
433
00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,908
Does Sable's body make you forget
434
00:23:29,908 --> 00:23:33,620
that Sable sued our company
for millions of dollars?
435
00:23:33,620 --> 00:23:35,705
That Sable jumped on the bandwagon
436
00:23:35,705 --> 00:23:37,833
of any person
who's trying to sue our company?
437
00:23:37,833 --> 00:23:39,459
It's all about money to her.
438
00:23:39,459 --> 00:23:41,294
That's all Sable cares about.
439
00:23:41,294 --> 00:23:44,548
And what did Sable sue for?
Sue you, sue me?
440
00:23:44,548 --> 00:23:46,967
She sued us for sexual harassment!
441
00:23:47,884 --> 00:23:52,222
The thing with Vince
is that Vince will do anything
442
00:23:52,222 --> 00:23:55,684
if he thinks it's right for business,
including hiring someone who sued him.
443
00:23:55,684 --> 00:24:00,063
Well, I guess there are
a couple of ways to thank you.
444
00:24:01,356 --> 00:24:03,066
Why don't we start with this?
445
00:24:04,526 --> 00:24:07,654
When you brought her back,
there was a storyline with your character
446
00:24:07,654 --> 00:24:09,114
where there was an affair.
447
00:24:09,114 --> 00:24:10,073
With who?
448
00:24:10,073 --> 00:24:11,158
With Sable.
449
00:24:11,158 --> 00:24:12,367
- Me?
- With you.
450
00:24:13,994 --> 00:24:16,580
- Storyline.
- Storyline.
451
00:24:16,580 --> 00:24:18,206
God.
452
00:24:19,499 --> 00:24:21,460
Because it's in the ring,
453
00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:25,922
we can be entertainingly appalled
by whatever he says or does,
454
00:24:25,922 --> 00:24:28,425
but we have plausible deniability,
455
00:24:28,425 --> 00:24:32,262
because it's just wrestling,
it's just a performance.
456
00:24:32,262 --> 00:24:36,141
We take for granted that Vince McMahon,
in constructing Mr. McMahon,
457
00:24:36,141 --> 00:24:39,269
has pulled from his own personal story
458
00:24:39,269 --> 00:24:41,271
in order to appeal to us.
459
00:24:41,271 --> 00:24:44,941
Do you remember in 2001,
you did that Playboy interview?
460
00:24:45,650 --> 00:24:46,485
Yes, right.
461
00:24:48,153 --> 00:24:51,656
And you talked in that one
about different affairs.
462
00:25:00,665 --> 00:25:04,711
I was curious why
you would even go there in that article.
463
00:25:05,253 --> 00:25:08,715
In that article,
I felt like I was very straightforward.
464
00:25:08,715 --> 00:25:11,218
Uh, I wasn't playing a character then.
You know?
465
00:25:11,218 --> 00:25:13,970
It was a very straightforward,
honest reaction
466
00:25:13,970 --> 00:25:15,764
to the questions that were asked.
467
00:25:24,606 --> 00:25:27,901
Did you feel like some
of these storylines that came up later,
468
00:25:27,901 --> 00:25:30,820
that you were incorporating
those elements from your life?
469
00:25:30,820 --> 00:25:32,864
Or was that totally unrelated?
470
00:25:32,864 --> 00:25:34,574
Uh, totally unrelated.
471
00:25:34,574 --> 00:25:37,452
You know, again, me as a human being,
generally speaking,
472
00:25:37,452 --> 00:25:39,079
is not who that character is,
473
00:25:39,079 --> 00:25:42,499
although sometimes, people think
it's the same thing, jokingly,
474
00:25:42,499 --> 00:25:44,751
uh, but, nonetheless, no.
475
00:25:47,796 --> 00:25:53,009
Vince McMahon has had
one truly monogamous relationship
476
00:25:53,009 --> 00:25:54,678
in his entire life,
477
00:25:54,678 --> 00:25:57,931
and that's with
the business that he built.
478
00:25:58,848 --> 00:26:03,770
That's his passion.
That's his love. That's his master.
479
00:26:04,521 --> 00:26:06,523
Vince doesn't own the business.
480
00:26:07,148 --> 00:26:09,693
This business owns Vince McMahon.
481
00:26:10,318 --> 00:26:17,200
And he super serves it with his heart
and his passion and his life.
482
00:26:18,451 --> 00:26:21,788
And if that hurts his wife's feelings,
Stephanie's feelings,
483
00:26:21,788 --> 00:26:26,876
Shane's feelings, his father's feelings,
or his own feelings...
484
00:26:28,461 --> 00:26:29,921
those people be damned.
485
00:26:34,009 --> 00:26:36,219
With wrestling's
popularity soaring,
486
00:26:36,219 --> 00:26:38,513
the owners
of World Wrestling Entertainment
487
00:26:38,513 --> 00:26:43,101
put their heads together, and they've
decided to sell stock in their circus.
488
00:26:43,602 --> 00:26:46,354
The WWE is going public.
489
00:26:48,023 --> 00:26:49,941
Going public
meant a number of things.
490
00:26:50,734 --> 00:26:56,072
It made us legitimate,
but the primary reason is simply business.
491
00:26:56,656 --> 00:26:59,951
The amount of money
that was available to the company,
492
00:27:00,869 --> 00:27:03,955
it allowed us
to go into the casino business.
493
00:27:06,291 --> 00:27:08,501
It allowed us
to go into the restaurant business.
494
00:27:08,501 --> 00:27:10,086
Wrestling fans went wild
495
00:27:10,086 --> 00:27:13,465
at the opening of a new restaurant bar
in New York's Times Square.
496
00:27:13,465 --> 00:27:16,051
{\an8}We're right in the middle of it.
That's where we belong.
497
00:27:16,926 --> 00:27:18,845
To have that investment,
498
00:27:18,845 --> 00:27:22,474
you can move it around,
you can reinvest in yourself, naturally,
499
00:27:22,474 --> 00:27:23,767
which we've always done,
500
00:27:23,767 --> 00:27:27,520
and you can look at other things
that might be of value.
501
00:27:29,064 --> 00:27:33,151
Welcome, everybody,
once again, to WCW!
502
00:27:33,151 --> 00:27:38,573
Kidman and The Franchise
take their personal vendetta to the ring...
503
00:27:38,573 --> 00:27:40,492
...in a Viagra-on-a-pole match.
504
00:27:41,076 --> 00:27:44,871
By 2000,
WWE had taken firm control
505
00:27:44,871 --> 00:27:47,666
of the Monday Night Wars against WCW.
506
00:27:48,166 --> 00:27:49,876
We would just kind of laugh at it.
507
00:27:49,876 --> 00:27:52,837
- Oh my goodness!
- Mouth is full of Viagra.
508
00:27:52,837 --> 00:27:55,006
It was a long, slow, painful decline.
509
00:27:56,925 --> 00:28:00,095
It was a lot of different people
in charge,
510
00:28:00,095 --> 00:28:01,805
and it just hit rock bottom.
511
00:28:01,805 --> 00:28:03,348
A dozen Twinkies there!
512
00:28:03,932 --> 00:28:06,476
It felt like
WCW wasn't even trying.
513
00:28:08,770 --> 00:28:12,399
{\an8} From a war perspective,
the guys fought as hard as they could,
514
00:28:12,399 --> 00:28:14,234
but I don't think you can win a war
515
00:28:14,234 --> 00:28:17,195
if you don't have the right people
in the war room
516
00:28:17,195 --> 00:28:18,905
making the right decisions.
517
00:28:19,489 --> 00:28:21,074
Get the hell out of my office.
518
00:28:21,074 --> 00:28:24,577
And just... I dare you.
Get it right. I dare you.
519
00:28:24,577 --> 00:28:27,247
Did Eric Bischoff
do a lot of things right? Perhaps.
520
00:28:27,247 --> 00:28:29,165
Did he do a lot of things wrong? Yes.
521
00:28:29,165 --> 00:28:31,668
He was the boss, but he dropped the ball.
522
00:28:32,711 --> 00:28:35,171
It would be easy
for someone to say, "Look at Eric."
523
00:28:35,171 --> 00:28:38,717
"He went from being really successful,
and he let that success get to his head."
524
00:28:38,717 --> 00:28:40,719
I understand why someone would say that,
525
00:28:40,719 --> 00:28:44,180
but it's also someone who has no idea
526
00:28:44,180 --> 00:28:46,683
what was really going on
behind the scenes.
527
00:28:47,517 --> 00:28:51,396
The birth of the largest media
and entertainment company in the world.
528
00:28:51,396 --> 00:28:55,442
The $7.5 billion merger
of Time Warner and Turner Broadcasting
529
00:28:55,442 --> 00:28:56,901
has been completed.
530
00:28:57,736 --> 00:29:00,363
Things had gotten
so bad internally at WCW
531
00:29:00,363 --> 00:29:02,866
because of the AOL-Time Warner merger,
532
00:29:02,866 --> 00:29:06,619
where I was sitting in a room full of
12, 14 executives I'd never met before
533
00:29:07,203 --> 00:29:09,164
telling me how I was
gonna produce wrestling
534
00:29:09,164 --> 00:29:11,458
when none of them
had ever watched the product.
535
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,209
Oh my God!
536
00:29:13,209 --> 00:29:18,465
None of those executives
wanted WCW as a part of AOL-Time Warner.
537
00:29:18,965 --> 00:29:20,967
{\an8}Wrestling was lowbrow entertainment,
538
00:29:20,967 --> 00:29:22,802
despite the fact
that it was hugely popular.
539
00:29:22,802 --> 00:29:25,388
Is this an end of an era?
540
00:29:25,388 --> 00:29:27,348
The narrative
is that the merger comes,
541
00:29:27,348 --> 00:29:29,142
and these people don't want wrestling.
542
00:29:29,142 --> 00:29:31,811
It's a crutch.
WCW was putting out a terrible product.
543
00:29:31,811 --> 00:29:33,897
Guerilla warfare
in a swimming pool!
544
00:29:33,897 --> 00:29:35,607
Here comes Buzzkill!
545
00:29:35,607 --> 00:29:36,649
Number 69...
546
00:29:36,649 --> 00:29:39,819
I remember being told specifically
if our ratings were what they were
547
00:29:39,819 --> 00:29:41,362
and we weren't losing so much money,
548
00:29:41,362 --> 00:29:43,156
they were fine.
549
00:29:43,156 --> 00:29:45,617
When it became a big money-losing company,
550
00:29:45,617 --> 00:29:48,203
yes, they wanted to sell it
for obvious reasons.
551
00:29:48,203 --> 00:29:50,038
And so that opened the door to Vince.
552
00:29:50,038 --> 00:29:51,956
You listen to me, all right?
553
00:29:51,956 --> 00:29:54,042
The company
got a call from Turner to say,
554
00:29:54,042 --> 00:29:56,586
"Hey, we're thinking about selling this.
Are you interested?"
555
00:29:57,545 --> 00:29:58,797
The answer is yes.
556
00:29:58,797 --> 00:30:00,340
And in about three days,
557
00:30:00,340 --> 00:30:02,592
the whole landscape
of the business changed.
558
00:30:03,718 --> 00:30:05,887
I often think about Ted Turner.
559
00:30:05,887 --> 00:30:09,182
And he said,
"Yeah, when it comes to the competition,
560
00:30:09,182 --> 00:30:10,975
I'm going to squish him like a bug."
561
00:30:13,478 --> 00:30:14,604
That didn't happen.
562
00:30:16,648 --> 00:30:19,859
Vince bought the company
for $2.5 million,
563
00:30:19,859 --> 00:30:23,363
which he probably recouped
a million times over.
564
00:30:23,363 --> 00:30:26,574
It was frickin' buying Manhattan for $24.
565
00:30:27,158 --> 00:30:29,702
I was lucky
to be on the charter plane
566
00:30:29,702 --> 00:30:31,871
the night he purchased WCW.
567
00:30:31,871 --> 00:30:33,706
We had a celebration on that flight.
568
00:30:35,166 --> 00:30:39,462
I remember the plane ride
was pure insanity.
569
00:30:40,338 --> 00:30:41,589
But the next day?
570
00:30:42,423 --> 00:30:44,050
Business as usual.
571
00:30:44,634 --> 00:30:47,303
It was done very quietly
from a corporate level.
572
00:30:48,304 --> 00:30:54,227
But the way we communicated
the purchase of WCW to the entire fan base
573
00:30:54,227 --> 00:30:56,104
was live on air.
574
00:31:02,527 --> 00:31:03,611
Imagine that.
575
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,699
Here I am on WCW television.
576
00:31:08,908 --> 00:31:10,201
How can that happen?
577
00:31:11,244 --> 00:31:12,912
Well, there's only one way.
578
00:31:12,912 --> 00:31:15,373
You see, it was just a matter of time
579
00:31:15,373 --> 00:31:21,296
before I, Vince McMahon,
bought my competition.
580
00:31:21,296 --> 00:31:25,383
That's right. I own WCW.
581
00:31:25,383 --> 00:31:27,760
In the negotiation,
one of the things I wanted
582
00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,264
was two live shows
on different networks to crossover.
583
00:31:31,890 --> 00:31:33,766
{\an8} We did a live simulcast,
584
00:31:33,766 --> 00:31:36,561
{\an8}WCW's last Nitro in Panama City,
585
00:31:36,561 --> 00:31:38,271
and WWE was in Cleveland.
586
00:31:38,271 --> 00:31:40,565
And that was the big reveal.
587
00:31:40,565 --> 00:31:43,151
{\an8} The winner
of the Monday Night Wars,
588
00:31:43,151 --> 00:31:44,652
{\an8}ladies and gentlemen,
589
00:31:44,652 --> 00:31:46,738
Vincent K. McMahon!
590
00:31:46,738 --> 00:31:49,032
The audience
was shocked, you know?
591
00:31:49,032 --> 00:31:52,493
And we were able to pull this off
without it breaking beforehand.
592
00:31:53,161 --> 00:31:55,371
Obviously, you all know
593
00:31:56,039 --> 00:31:59,626
I have acquired WCW.
594
00:32:04,380 --> 00:32:07,634
I was tempted to watch it,
but I couldn't get myself to do it.
595
00:32:07,634 --> 00:32:09,010
It would be like...
596
00:32:10,303 --> 00:32:12,972
finally admitting that I was really beat,
597
00:32:12,972 --> 00:32:14,891
and I couldn't get myself to do it.
598
00:32:14,891 --> 00:32:18,019
You have to grab your competition
by the throat,
599
00:32:18,019 --> 00:32:21,397
and you've got to
squeeze the life out of your competition.
600
00:32:21,898 --> 00:32:23,983
Just like I did to WCW!
601
00:32:28,863 --> 00:32:31,908
It's not like
I get this great joy by winning.
602
00:32:32,450 --> 00:32:35,912
This is really arrogant to say...
I expect to win.
603
00:32:36,704 --> 00:32:41,250
So there's not this huge euphoria of,
"Yeah. I won. Way to go."
604
00:32:41,250 --> 00:32:43,086
That doesn't happen.
605
00:32:43,086 --> 00:32:45,171
It's gratifying,
but I'm onto the next thing.
606
00:32:46,381 --> 00:32:49,550
That was a tremendous high
because they took him to the brink,
607
00:32:49,550 --> 00:32:52,929
and he emerged victorious out of it.
608
00:32:53,846 --> 00:32:55,807
But, on the one hand,
it was a little bittersweet,
609
00:32:55,807 --> 00:33:00,395
because Vince thrives under pressure
and thrives under healthy competition.
610
00:33:00,395 --> 00:33:02,313
I think that brings out the best in him.
611
00:33:03,606 --> 00:33:06,067
Something is missing
when you don't have that anymore.
612
00:33:06,067 --> 00:33:10,488
So, you know, it's a new challenge now,
like starting a football league.
613
00:33:10,989 --> 00:33:14,450
Fans with football fever
about to have their craving satisfied.
614
00:33:14,450 --> 00:33:15,994
There's a new game in town...
615
00:33:15,994 --> 00:33:19,163
WWE mastermind Vince McMahon.
616
00:33:19,163 --> 00:33:22,166
He's taking his marketing genius
from the ring to the gridiron.
617
00:33:22,166 --> 00:33:28,297
Today, we are confident
in announcing our new brand, the XFL.
618
00:33:29,007 --> 00:33:33,386
I announced out of nowhere that
there's going to be a new football league.
619
00:33:33,970 --> 00:33:35,972
Not being prepared,
not in the football business,
620
00:33:35,972 --> 00:33:37,640
not knowing much about football,
621
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,519
but there's an opportunity
to play football when the NFL is not.
622
00:33:41,519 --> 00:33:44,939
McMahon says it will be
the most exciting game in town.
623
00:33:44,939 --> 00:33:48,568
A brand-new football league, and one
with a decidedly different attitude.
624
00:33:48,568 --> 00:33:51,154
A league
where players must train harder
625
00:33:51,154 --> 00:33:53,406
and push themselves to the extreme.
626
00:33:53,406 --> 00:33:54,866
That was his idea.
627
00:33:55,533 --> 00:34:00,580
Take the sport and put more
of a WWE flare and spin on it.
628
00:34:00,580 --> 00:34:04,667
Cameras and microphones on players
and coaches, in the locker room.
629
00:34:05,376 --> 00:34:08,337
I wanted football
that people could really relate to.
630
00:34:08,337 --> 00:34:10,423
You know,
make characters out of everybody.
631
00:34:10,423 --> 00:34:12,467
We can follow that from a TV standpoint,
632
00:34:12,467 --> 00:34:16,637
tell those stories so that you'd be
more interested in the characters.
633
00:34:16,637 --> 00:34:18,765
I think it's gonna be successful
for a lot of reasons.
634
00:34:18,765 --> 00:34:23,102
We understand America.
We understand what America wants to watch.
635
00:34:23,102 --> 00:34:25,730
In my view, this can't fail.
636
00:34:27,023 --> 00:34:30,151
From a sold-out stadium
in Las Vegas,
637
00:34:30,151 --> 00:34:32,612
week one of the XFL.
638
00:34:32,612 --> 00:34:38,242
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the XFL!
639
00:34:40,078 --> 00:34:41,412
XFL is bold!
640
00:34:42,455 --> 00:34:43,748
Whoa!
641
00:34:47,043 --> 00:34:51,047
The first week of XFL ratings
were awesome, huge.
642
00:34:51,047 --> 00:34:53,591
And from my standpoint, it was a success.
643
00:34:53,591 --> 00:34:57,095
Curiosity-seekers made
the first night of the XFL a success
644
00:34:57,095 --> 00:35:00,515
with a TV rating more than double
what advertisers were told to expect.
645
00:35:01,182 --> 00:35:03,976
I think the answer to,
"Are people willing to experiment
646
00:35:03,976 --> 00:35:06,896
with a McMahon-led football league?"
was a resounding yes.
647
00:35:07,730 --> 00:35:09,232
Everybody wanted to see it.
648
00:35:09,232 --> 00:35:13,736
It was just that when they did see it,
the quality of play was bad.
649
00:35:14,695 --> 00:35:17,115
Larry, on the Hitmen offense,
from their 45--
650
00:35:17,115 --> 00:35:18,324
They got a piece of it!
651
00:35:18,324 --> 00:35:20,743
Not even swatted away, lost it!
652
00:35:21,661 --> 00:35:25,581
The XFL had opened with a splash
because there was heavy promotion.
653
00:35:26,082 --> 00:35:29,710
The football was not of high quality,
but that didn't bother me.
654
00:35:29,710 --> 00:35:35,258
It was the whole WWE sensibility
that surrounded it.
655
00:35:36,717 --> 00:35:40,263
I thought it was just
head-bangingly stupid.
656
00:35:40,263 --> 00:35:41,389
And crude.
657
00:35:41,389 --> 00:35:44,892
I love America!
It's the land of milk and honeys!
658
00:35:44,892 --> 00:35:48,437
People think I'm a little
buttoned-up about these things,
659
00:35:48,437 --> 00:35:51,399
but everything has its place.
660
00:35:51,399 --> 00:35:53,276
If there's some wit surrounding it,
661
00:35:53,276 --> 00:35:55,778
if there's some element
of art or cleverness
662
00:35:55,778 --> 00:35:57,822
{\an8}or high craft surrounding it,
663
00:35:57,822 --> 00:36:00,825
then I don't give a fuck. Okay?
664
00:36:00,825 --> 00:36:02,326
I don't give a fuck.
665
00:36:02,827 --> 00:36:05,037
But this had none of that.
666
00:36:05,037 --> 00:36:08,833
{\an8} Any question about the fan
demographic the XFL's trying to appeal to?
667
00:36:08,833 --> 00:36:12,712
Name the team Memphis Frustrated Males
Who Still Live With Mom.
668
00:36:13,296 --> 00:36:16,424
NBC thought they
really had a handle on the press,
669
00:36:16,424 --> 00:36:18,467
and the press
would treat us kindly.
670
00:36:18,467 --> 00:36:22,096
All the NBC executives
responsible for creating the XFL
671
00:36:22,096 --> 00:36:25,433
will be thrown to their deaths.
That's right.
672
00:36:27,143 --> 00:36:28,936
The XFL was a disaster.
673
00:36:30,313 --> 00:36:32,690
By the time Vince sat down with me,
674
00:36:32,690 --> 00:36:35,651
it had already recorded the lowest ratings
675
00:36:35,651 --> 00:36:39,030
in the history
of American prime time television.
676
00:36:39,030 --> 00:36:43,367
XFL ratings are down 75% from week one.
677
00:36:43,367 --> 00:36:45,745
I said to Vince
in the green room beforehand,
678
00:36:45,745 --> 00:36:47,914
"There are gonna be
some tough questions here."
679
00:36:47,914 --> 00:36:50,833
"I think they'll be fair, but tough."
He said, "Fine."
680
00:36:50,833 --> 00:36:54,921
I thought I was gonna go on
and talk about the XFL and be friendly.
681
00:36:54,921 --> 00:36:58,090
I was told that's what it was gonna be.
Costas started baiting me.
682
00:36:58,090 --> 00:37:00,593
The pregame show, especially week one.
683
00:37:00,593 --> 00:37:01,510
We don't have those.
684
00:37:01,510 --> 00:37:03,346
One of the most mindless things I've seen.
685
00:37:04,430 --> 00:37:06,849
Bob did his job. He did it well.
686
00:37:06,849 --> 00:37:07,850
He got me.
687
00:37:07,850 --> 00:37:11,103
- Wanna let me finish for a second, pal?
- I'm asking you the question.
688
00:37:11,103 --> 00:37:14,398
Then shut your mouth
and let me answer the question.
689
00:37:14,398 --> 00:37:15,942
I'll be happy to answer.
690
00:37:15,942 --> 00:37:18,736
And I find myself
getting closer and closer.
691
00:37:18,736 --> 00:37:21,280
I could feel my hands just visualizing
692
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:24,325
what would it be if I had my hands
wrapped around his little neck.
693
00:37:24,325 --> 00:37:26,911
You don't know what you're talking about.
694
00:37:27,411 --> 00:37:30,164
The Mr. McMahon character is,
in some sense,
695
00:37:30,164 --> 00:37:33,417
an exaggeration of traits that Vince has.
696
00:37:33,417 --> 00:37:36,462
So, maybe in that moment,
some of it melded.
697
00:37:36,462 --> 00:37:38,923
- Would you let me finish?
- Absolutely.
698
00:37:38,923 --> 00:37:41,592
What I'm going to say there, pal.
With a big smile, okay?
699
00:37:41,592 --> 00:37:44,929
- This is amusing me.
- It's amusing you. You're amusing me.
700
00:37:44,929 --> 00:37:47,139
I was angry at myself too,
because I was set up,
701
00:37:47,139 --> 00:37:50,101
and I should have seen it coming,
and I didn't, like an idiot.
702
00:37:50,101 --> 00:37:53,688
- It's not WWE enough for that crowd.
- Right.
703
00:37:53,688 --> 00:37:57,024
And it's not good enough football
for the sports-minded crowd.
704
00:37:57,608 --> 00:38:01,487
I'm an entrepreneur.
I'm what makes this company.
705
00:38:01,487 --> 00:38:05,908
I'm what makes my company,
and this country, go round and round.
706
00:38:05,908 --> 00:38:07,702
I take risk.
707
00:38:07,702 --> 00:38:12,999
The first season of the XFL,
it turns out, will be the last.
708
00:38:12,999 --> 00:38:15,626
The league never took off
with the audience,
709
00:38:15,626 --> 00:38:17,169
or certainly with the critics.
710
00:38:20,006 --> 00:38:23,759
The XFL failed
because it wasn't a good product.
711
00:38:24,302 --> 00:38:26,137
You know, in its best years,
712
00:38:26,137 --> 00:38:32,101
the WWE, on its own terms,
was a very good product.
713
00:38:32,727 --> 00:38:34,478
This was not a good product.
714
00:38:35,187 --> 00:38:38,024
I think the XFL
folding after for one year stung.
715
00:38:38,024 --> 00:38:40,693
I mean, you know,
Vince went all out on it.
716
00:38:40,693 --> 00:38:43,487
The XFL logo that people were seeing,
717
00:38:43,487 --> 00:38:46,907
it was Vince holding the XFL ball
and looking in the camera.
718
00:38:48,034 --> 00:38:48,951
Shit.
719
00:38:50,077 --> 00:38:51,245
That was the shit.
720
00:38:51,996 --> 00:38:54,582
During that time,
it was not good.
721
00:38:55,291 --> 00:38:58,461
One after another
after another after another.
722
00:38:59,086 --> 00:39:03,716
World Wrestling Entertainment
cannot use "WWF" anymore.
723
00:39:03,716 --> 00:39:07,553
It got body-slammed today
by the World Wildlife Fund.
724
00:39:08,429 --> 00:39:10,389
When this lawsuit was filed,
725
00:39:10,389 --> 00:39:13,184
we tried to fight it,
as we do most lawsuits.
726
00:39:13,184 --> 00:39:15,895
And it looked like, "Wait.
We're not gonna win this thing."
727
00:39:16,479 --> 00:39:20,483
They had, in fact, used the initials WWF
long before we did.
728
00:39:21,067 --> 00:39:25,988
So it changed from WWF to WWE
because we were entertainment.
729
00:39:27,698 --> 00:39:31,285
It wasn't necessarily a good thing
that we had to change our name.
730
00:39:31,285 --> 00:39:34,288
I didn't want to change,
but you can't do anything about it.
731
00:39:34,288 --> 00:39:37,666
Once something is closed,
you have to move on.
732
00:39:39,668 --> 00:39:41,087
Whenever there's a failure,
733
00:39:42,213 --> 00:39:44,465
and there've been
a lot of failures in my life,
734
00:39:45,508 --> 00:39:48,594
if you allow it to fester, like,
"I wish that would have worked."
735
00:39:48,594 --> 00:39:52,181
"If I'd have done this, that would've
worked," it'll drive you nuts.
736
00:39:52,681 --> 00:39:55,643
Let it freaking go,
and think about something positive,
737
00:39:55,643 --> 00:39:58,604
and work at something positive,
not anything that's negative.
738
00:39:59,980 --> 00:40:06,570
Vince, you know, one of his, again,
many axioms is, uh, "Don't sell."
739
00:40:07,405 --> 00:40:09,573
So it's not like he was moping around.
740
00:40:09,573 --> 00:40:11,742
If you went to work the next day
741
00:40:11,742 --> 00:40:15,704
after XFL was finally
officially not coming back,
742
00:40:15,704 --> 00:40:17,206
you'd never know it.
743
00:40:17,206 --> 00:40:20,501
His focus was, "Okay.
What do you got for Raw? Let's do it."
744
00:40:22,545 --> 00:40:25,172
I remember a conversation
with Vince in one of the arenas.
745
00:40:25,172 --> 00:40:26,549
He pulled me aside and goes,
746
00:40:26,549 --> 00:40:29,218
"I have this idea
about bringing Hulk Hogan back,
747
00:40:29,218 --> 00:40:33,013
and I'd love for you guys to
headline WrestleMania. What do you think?"
748
00:40:33,013 --> 00:40:38,102
And I immediately said,
"I fucking love it."
749
00:40:38,811 --> 00:40:39,937
Icon versus Icon.
750
00:40:42,356 --> 00:40:43,732
- How are you?
- Good, brother.
751
00:40:43,732 --> 00:40:44,817
When I went back
752
00:40:44,817 --> 00:40:49,822
after we spent nine or ten years being
a big thorn in Vince's side with WCW,
753
00:40:50,489 --> 00:40:52,700
and trying to put him
out of business, basically,
754
00:40:53,784 --> 00:40:56,745
we did not talk about the past.
755
00:40:58,164 --> 00:41:01,208
He's caused me, Hogan has,
a great deal of frustration,
756
00:41:01,208 --> 00:41:03,919
and there were times
that I wished I could choke him.
757
00:41:05,546 --> 00:41:08,174
But you can't hold grudges in business.
758
00:41:08,174 --> 00:41:12,219
My philosophy is
despite what has happened personally,
759
00:41:12,219 --> 00:41:13,679
what does the audience want?
760
00:41:15,514 --> 00:41:17,308
All they want is to be entertained.
761
00:41:17,308 --> 00:41:21,020
So, naturally, you swallow your pride
and eat a nice plate of caca
762
00:41:21,020 --> 00:41:23,481
and bring him back, and there you go.
763
00:41:25,065 --> 00:41:26,942
This is so special, J.R.!
764
00:41:26,942 --> 00:41:30,738
This is so unique!
This truly is a dream match!
765
00:41:30,738 --> 00:41:33,199
But thinking back
on that WrestleMania,
766
00:41:33,199 --> 00:41:36,327
I have goosebumps now, covering my body,
767
00:41:37,077 --> 00:41:41,290
because that crowd was on fire.
And we felt it.
768
00:41:42,249 --> 00:41:44,668
There was this iconic moment,
if you watch that,
769
00:41:44,668 --> 00:41:47,505
where they start absorbing
the crowd reaction
770
00:41:47,505 --> 00:41:51,091
and simultaneously
start looking to their left and right.
771
00:41:51,675 --> 00:41:53,552
That wasn't rehearsed or talked about.
772
00:41:53,552 --> 00:41:56,055
Those were just two legends
knowing to do that
773
00:41:56,055 --> 00:41:59,225
in the heat of the moment,
and that became the most memorable thing.
774
00:42:00,434 --> 00:42:02,603
It was two eras colliding.
775
00:42:03,562 --> 00:42:07,358
And neither individual knew
the way the audience was gonna react.
776
00:42:07,358 --> 00:42:08,359
I didn't.
777
00:42:08,859 --> 00:42:11,403
They were just ready
for whichever way it went.
778
00:42:13,447 --> 00:42:16,033
I'm supposed to be the bad guy.
He's the good guy.
779
00:42:18,994 --> 00:42:20,829
But The Rock started punching me,
780
00:42:20,829 --> 00:42:23,082
and they started booing him
out of the building.
781
00:42:25,668 --> 00:42:27,336
The script had to be changed.
782
00:42:29,296 --> 00:42:31,924
The moment we stepped
in the ring, the crowd let us know.
783
00:42:34,510 --> 00:42:39,139
"We love you, Rock, but tonight,
Hogan is the reason why you're here."
784
00:42:40,015 --> 00:42:46,188
I had to shift on the fly
and nuance my way through this match.
785
00:42:47,481 --> 00:42:49,316
We didn't change the finish.
786
00:42:50,359 --> 00:42:51,944
I still went over that night.
787
00:42:52,570 --> 00:42:55,406
But the real winner was Hulk Hogan.
788
00:42:59,827 --> 00:43:03,664
Do you think Vince
ever trusted you after going to WCW?
789
00:43:06,625 --> 00:43:10,796
I think I probably got
a higher level of trust now...
790
00:43:10,796 --> 00:43:11,839
...than I ever have.
791
00:43:13,882 --> 00:43:16,051
I think there's a certain level of comfort
792
00:43:16,051 --> 00:43:19,805
to know that I can't rip the shirt off
and put 100,000 people in the building.
793
00:43:22,141 --> 00:43:23,892
Every decision he makes
794
00:43:23,892 --> 00:43:26,437
is with an eye towards
what's good for business.
795
00:43:27,605 --> 00:43:29,481
Bringing people back that he's fired,
796
00:43:29,481 --> 00:43:32,192
bringing back people
who've testified against him in court,
797
00:43:32,192 --> 00:43:34,778
people who've gone on interviews
and blasted him,
798
00:43:34,778 --> 00:43:38,032
and still bringing them back
if he thinks it helps the company.
799
00:43:38,616 --> 00:43:43,078
Allow me to introduce you
to the new general manager of Raw,
800
00:43:43,078 --> 00:43:45,372
Eric Bischoff!
801
00:43:45,372 --> 00:43:47,666
I cannot believe this!
802
00:43:47,666 --> 00:43:50,836
People go, "I'm afraid
to burn my bridge with Vince,"
803
00:43:50,836 --> 00:43:53,172
and I go, "You know, if you do,
804
00:43:53,172 --> 00:43:56,800
you have a better shot of going back than
if you don't." That's how Vince operates.
805
00:43:58,302 --> 00:44:00,220
Do you think
it's a control thing?
806
00:44:00,220 --> 00:44:01,972
It's a challenge.
I think it's a challenge.
807
00:44:03,140 --> 00:44:04,600
If you knock him,
808
00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:07,811
he's going to want to prove at the end
that you'll come back to him.
809
00:44:07,811 --> 00:44:09,730
Thank you, thank you. Love you.
810
00:44:09,730 --> 00:44:10,773
Five weeks...
811
00:44:11,857 --> 00:44:13,859
I don't think my personal feelings
812
00:44:13,859 --> 00:44:16,528
have ever got in the way
of doing good business.
813
00:44:20,741 --> 00:44:23,911
There's one thing I've learned
from the Montreal Screwjob.
814
00:44:23,911 --> 00:44:26,997
There's nothing sweeter
than a good double-cross.
815
00:44:27,706 --> 00:44:29,041
I'm in business.
816
00:44:30,542 --> 00:44:32,044
And business comes first.
817
00:44:36,882 --> 00:44:38,592
From a general
public standpoint,
818
00:44:38,592 --> 00:44:41,929
the hottest period they ever had
was '98 to 2002,
819
00:44:41,929 --> 00:44:46,767
when they were taking over from WCW
and then killing WCW.
820
00:44:46,767 --> 00:44:50,729
And then after that, after WCW went down,
the whole business went down.
821
00:44:51,522 --> 00:44:54,900
During the periods with no competition,
wrestling's a lot less interesting,
822
00:44:54,900 --> 00:44:58,612
and as far as the creative end,
they fell from their peak.
823
00:44:59,697 --> 00:45:03,367
At that time, I'm riding
the lightning bolt, I'm on fire,
824
00:45:03,367 --> 00:45:06,620
but I was frustrated
with the creative process.
825
00:45:07,871 --> 00:45:10,791
There were times when Steve
was presented an idea,
826
00:45:11,375 --> 00:45:13,293
and he would go,
827
00:45:13,293 --> 00:45:15,087
"I'd never say this."
828
00:45:15,087 --> 00:45:16,213
"I don't like it."
829
00:45:16,213 --> 00:45:17,715
"I don't like the creative."
830
00:45:17,715 --> 00:45:20,551
{\an8}Steve, lay it all on the line.
Give us the bottom line.
831
00:45:20,551 --> 00:45:22,678
{\an8}Bottom line is everything sucks.
832
00:45:22,678 --> 00:45:25,222
{\an8}I'm not happy with the direction
Stone Cold is going.
833
00:45:25,222 --> 00:45:27,516
{\an8}Ain't happy with the direction
of the company.
834
00:45:27,516 --> 00:45:29,977
Things were not good at that point
for Vince and I.
835
00:45:30,644 --> 00:45:35,107
But I also had a lot of injuries,
and I decided I've had about enough.
836
00:45:35,107 --> 00:45:40,362
Probably be in the best of my interest
to ride off into the sunset.
837
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:44,116
He was a huge star, and he's gone.
838
00:45:44,867 --> 00:45:47,327
It's a very malleable product,
the WWE.
839
00:45:48,036 --> 00:45:49,913
Stars leave all the time.
840
00:45:49,913 --> 00:45:54,460
Someone like The Rock,
because he took off in the movies.
841
00:45:56,170 --> 00:45:58,046
The Rock, him and Austin
842
00:45:58,046 --> 00:46:02,509
were probably 1 and 1A as far as
being the top names in the company.
843
00:46:02,509 --> 00:46:04,845
Both of them were gone by 2004,
844
00:46:04,845 --> 00:46:07,514
and so now it's time to make new stars.
845
00:46:09,516 --> 00:46:13,187
So, there was an infamous promo where
Vince was addressing the Raw roster...
846
00:46:13,187 --> 00:46:17,399
More than any one quality that makes me
the successful man that I am,
847
00:46:18,317 --> 00:46:20,778
I would have to say that one quality is...
848
00:46:21,695 --> 00:46:23,822
And he said, "Ruthless aggression."
849
00:46:24,406 --> 00:46:26,450
...ruthless aggression.
850
00:46:27,659 --> 00:46:31,288
He gave a speech
to the entire cast of performers,
851
00:46:31,288 --> 00:46:33,957
he'd be like, "Guys, we are searching."
852
00:46:33,957 --> 00:46:37,711
"This is the time.
I need someone with ruthless aggression."
853
00:46:37,711 --> 00:46:42,758
Who has enough ruthless aggression
to make the necessary sacrifices?
854
00:46:42,758 --> 00:46:47,054
I'm looking for someone who's gonna,
like, "Okay. I'm the fucking guy."
855
00:46:47,054 --> 00:46:51,558
Who among you wants to become a superstar?
856
00:46:52,851 --> 00:46:55,979
At that time,
I was new and up-and-coming talent,
857
00:46:55,979 --> 00:46:59,107
so I wasn't there
for the on-camera speech,
858
00:46:59,107 --> 00:47:00,984
but three days after that,
859
00:47:00,984 --> 00:47:04,988
I was at a television taping
where The Undertaker couldn't make it.
860
00:47:05,906 --> 00:47:09,618
Come on, guys. There's gotta be somebody
back there that wants to seize the moment.
861
00:47:09,618 --> 00:47:10,786
They needed somebody.
862
00:47:10,786 --> 00:47:14,873
And one person in the production meeting
was like, "How about John Cena?"
863
00:47:15,874 --> 00:47:18,544
And that's how I got
my first televised match.
864
00:47:18,544 --> 00:47:22,172
This is John Cena.
We've heard a little bit about him...
865
00:47:22,172 --> 00:47:27,177
It was against Kurt Angle,
a marquee performer in the WWE.
866
00:47:27,177 --> 00:47:30,806
What is the one quality that you possess
867
00:47:31,723 --> 00:47:33,267
that makes you think
868
00:47:34,268 --> 00:47:37,104
that you can walk out here
and come into the ring
869
00:47:37,104 --> 00:47:39,439
and face the very best in the business?
870
00:47:39,439 --> 00:47:42,192
John Cena basically says,
"Why am I gonna beat you?"
871
00:47:42,192 --> 00:47:44,695
"Because of ruthless aggression."
872
00:47:46,029 --> 00:47:48,907
Ruthless aggression.
873
00:47:48,907 --> 00:47:49,908
Whoa!
874
00:47:50,659 --> 00:47:53,620
So that kind of spawned
the next few years or so,
875
00:47:53,620 --> 00:47:57,958
and it became, after the fact,
known as the Ruthless Aggression Era.
876
00:47:59,877 --> 00:48:02,588
This was an era that was
coming off of pushing the envelope
877
00:48:02,588 --> 00:48:05,132
and transitioning
to an era of more realism.
878
00:48:05,132 --> 00:48:07,384
They were showcasing guys' ability.
879
00:48:07,384 --> 00:48:10,137
Guys like Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle.
880
00:48:10,137 --> 00:48:12,180
They were using people's real names.
881
00:48:12,180 --> 00:48:16,518
Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton,
Chris Benoit, Bautista.
882
00:48:16,518 --> 00:48:18,937
It was a phase of realism.
883
00:48:19,605 --> 00:48:23,442
So I had to be John Cena,
and I really didn't know who I was.
884
00:48:24,610 --> 00:48:27,029
{\an8}And I didn't have personality.
885
00:48:27,029 --> 00:48:29,197
I just kept being this guy.
886
00:48:30,073 --> 00:48:31,241
It was uninteresting.
887
00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:33,911
You suck, John Cena!
888
00:48:33,911 --> 00:48:37,247
Like, I almost got fired
for being that bad.
889
00:48:38,290 --> 00:48:40,125
Frustration by John Cena.
890
00:48:40,125 --> 00:48:42,419
But when you kinda knew
you were on your way out,
891
00:48:42,419 --> 00:48:44,379
I really wanted to have a little more fun.
892
00:48:45,255 --> 00:48:49,217
Some of the guys just happened
to be rapping on the back of the tour bus,
893
00:48:49,843 --> 00:48:52,763
and I got up in my seat,
made my way to the back,
894
00:48:53,347 --> 00:48:57,059
and for five minutes,
I shredded everybody.
895
00:48:57,809 --> 00:49:00,354
I didn't realize
that Stephanie McMahon was on the bus.
896
00:49:00,354 --> 00:49:02,397
She said,
"Would you like to do that on TV?"
897
00:49:03,774 --> 00:49:05,609
I said, "Fuck yes, I would."
898
00:49:06,526 --> 00:49:09,279
♪ Besides open mic
One thing that gets me boiled ♪
899
00:49:09,279 --> 00:49:11,990
♪ Is an old-school 30-man battle royal ♪
900
00:49:11,990 --> 00:49:14,701
♪ I'mma witness
I'mma make my impression ♪
901
00:49:14,701 --> 00:49:17,871
♪ Show Vinnie Mac
That I got ruthless aggression... ♪
902
00:49:17,871 --> 00:49:19,498
John had the ability to rap.
903
00:49:20,082 --> 00:49:20,916
Bingo.
904
00:49:20,916 --> 00:49:25,754
Instead of being someone that you
might want to cut from the roster,
905
00:49:25,754 --> 00:49:30,509
it was like, "Hang on. This is different.
This is very different."
906
00:49:30,509 --> 00:49:34,972
John Cena, the Doctor of Thuganomics.
907
00:49:34,972 --> 00:49:38,767
He went out there
balls to the wall and did it so well.
908
00:49:39,643 --> 00:49:43,063
All of a sudden, he was a huge star,
and the audience loved him.
909
00:49:43,772 --> 00:49:49,236
...for the new WWE Champion,
John Cena!
910
00:49:49,236 --> 00:49:51,571
Cena! Cena! Cena!
911
00:49:51,571 --> 00:49:53,198
When you become popular,
912
00:49:53,865 --> 00:49:57,327
and the audience understands you
and reacts to you,
913
00:49:58,161 --> 00:50:01,999
that's when you begin
to garner Vince's attention.
914
00:50:02,749 --> 00:50:04,626
You kinda remind me of myself.
915
00:50:04,626 --> 00:50:06,586
You come out here,
you say what's on your mind.
916
00:50:06,586 --> 00:50:09,172
You don't give a damn
about anybody else, do you?
917
00:50:09,673 --> 00:50:13,010
That's when our relationship
really began to... to pick up.
918
00:50:14,052 --> 00:50:17,597
Vince taught me a ton about the business
and how to perform.
919
00:50:18,598 --> 00:50:23,270
As the rap persona, I took so many things
that I saw and didn't like
920
00:50:23,270 --> 00:50:25,981
and crafted them into this character.
921
00:50:27,524 --> 00:50:30,986
It's the same thing Vince did
with Mr. McMahon.
922
00:50:34,990 --> 00:50:38,243
In terms of getting heat
with my character, Mr. McMahon,
923
00:50:38,744 --> 00:50:41,455
one of my problems
and one of my assets in life
924
00:50:41,455 --> 00:50:44,958
is when I think about doing something,
I go try it.
925
00:50:44,958 --> 00:50:46,960
What's that?
926
00:50:48,587 --> 00:50:54,009
Blessed be the name
of Vincent Kennedy McMahon!
927
00:50:55,177 --> 00:50:57,220
The highway to hell!
928
00:50:57,220 --> 00:50:58,513
No!
929
00:50:59,306 --> 00:51:01,183
Was there a point
during that time
930
00:51:01,183 --> 00:51:05,187
where you got a script or something
and were just like, "This is too far"?
931
00:51:05,187 --> 00:51:06,104
Yeah.
932
00:51:06,104 --> 00:51:08,690
I screwed your brains out.
933
00:51:08,690 --> 00:51:10,776
Vince would make me do it anyways.
934
00:51:11,359 --> 00:51:13,862
There was a bit of a concern
amongst performers
935
00:51:13,862 --> 00:51:17,365
that if you didn't do what you were asked,
that you would get punished,
936
00:51:17,365 --> 00:51:22,204
and, yeah, it did happen to some
on occasion, sometimes.
937
00:51:23,121 --> 00:51:25,791
There was one time
where I was the champion at the time,
938
00:51:25,791 --> 00:51:29,961
and then suddenly I was in a scene where
I was gonna be making out with a female,
939
00:51:29,961 --> 00:51:33,507
which I didn't think
my character wanted to do.
940
00:51:35,550 --> 00:51:39,096
Was it a coincidence that
I lost the championship the next week?
941
00:51:39,096 --> 00:51:43,308
...Stratus. Will it be enough?
Yes, it is! We got a new champion!
942
00:51:43,308 --> 00:51:44,893
Maybe.
943
00:51:44,893 --> 00:51:46,978
Maybe I got punished. I'm not sure.
944
00:51:47,479 --> 00:51:49,022
The new women's champion...
945
00:51:49,022 --> 00:51:52,109
You said there were
a few times that you said no.
946
00:51:52,109 --> 00:51:54,736
Do you remember
some of the things you said no to?
947
00:51:55,487 --> 00:51:56,446
Yes.
948
00:51:56,446 --> 00:51:57,531
Um...
949
00:51:59,616 --> 00:52:01,785
Yeah. There were a couple, but...
950
00:52:02,369 --> 00:52:06,039
Yeah, I'm... not going to tell the one.
951
00:52:08,125 --> 00:52:12,212
So, one of my storyline ideas
was that Stephanie gets pregnant,
952
00:52:12,879 --> 00:52:16,591
and I think...
...I was the one who impregnated her.
953
00:52:16,591 --> 00:52:18,135
My character.
954
00:52:18,135 --> 00:52:20,053
I think it was something like that,
955
00:52:20,053 --> 00:52:22,848
and it was like, "No."
That one didn't make it.
956
00:52:25,225 --> 00:52:29,020
Steph has
Mr. McMahon the character,
957
00:52:29,604 --> 00:52:32,149
Vince McMahon the boss of WWE,
958
00:52:32,899 --> 00:52:34,651
and her father.
959
00:52:35,152 --> 00:52:37,612
It's hard to separate.
960
00:52:41,241 --> 00:52:44,995
I call him "Vince"
in business, and I call him "Dad" at home.
961
00:52:44,995 --> 00:52:48,039
My father is different than my boss.
962
00:52:48,623 --> 00:52:51,001
My boss can be tougher than my dad.
963
00:52:51,001 --> 00:52:56,631
He expects results. He demands results,
especially from his family.
964
00:52:57,424 --> 00:53:01,052
Vince, he didn't
wanna do total nepotism.
965
00:53:01,052 --> 00:53:04,055
It wouldn't reflect good on Vince
or on Shane and Stephanie,
966
00:53:04,055 --> 00:53:07,184
so he had them in the trenches
working various jobs
967
00:53:07,184 --> 00:53:09,811
before they came on
in prominent positions.
968
00:53:09,811 --> 00:53:11,855
And he was tough on them.
969
00:53:11,855 --> 00:53:14,107
When Shane and Stephanie
were pitching ideas,
970
00:53:14,107 --> 00:53:15,400
he'd flat-out reject them.
971
00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:17,194
He'd flat-out say they sucked.
972
00:53:17,903 --> 00:53:20,280
He wants to hold them
to a higher standard.
973
00:53:20,780 --> 00:53:23,366
Would you say your dad
was tough on you growing up?
974
00:53:23,366 --> 00:53:26,786
My dad was definitely tough on me
growing up. Still is to this day.
975
00:53:27,287 --> 00:53:32,292
I was harder on my kids in the business
than anybody else.
976
00:53:33,418 --> 00:53:36,713
I guess it's because I wanted them
to be better than everybody else.
977
00:53:36,713 --> 00:53:40,091
Their last name is McMahon,
so step the hell up.
978
00:53:40,091 --> 00:53:41,635
One, two...
979
00:53:41,635 --> 00:53:44,679
Always a higher standard.
You know, I represent him,
980
00:53:44,679 --> 00:53:48,516
and it's very important
to represent him correctly.
981
00:53:48,516 --> 00:53:49,893
Mariss, come down here.
982
00:53:49,893 --> 00:53:51,436
- Attagirl.
- One, two--
983
00:53:52,270 --> 00:53:55,607
He was certainly
easier on me than Shane, for sure,
984
00:53:55,607 --> 00:53:58,276
but I didn't challenge him
the same way my brother did.
985
00:53:58,276 --> 00:54:02,280
I think there's a unique relationship
with fathers and sons.
986
00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:03,615
Father and son!
987
00:54:03,615 --> 00:54:04,866
Wait a minute.
988
00:54:04,866 --> 00:54:09,162
People send you articles
and books or whatever on family business.
989
00:54:09,162 --> 00:54:12,457
I've never seen one that was like,
"Dad was great."
990
00:54:12,457 --> 00:54:14,251
"Got along great with my dad,
991
00:54:14,251 --> 00:54:16,544
then he gave me the business,
and it went great."
992
00:54:16,544 --> 00:54:18,296
"We got along great till he passed..."
993
00:54:18,880 --> 00:54:20,423
Doesn't happen. It's tough.
994
00:54:20,423 --> 00:54:22,217
Shane, what are you doing?
995
00:54:24,010 --> 00:54:26,221
You gotta look no further than Shane.
996
00:54:26,221 --> 00:54:28,348
You never cared about me!
997
00:54:28,348 --> 00:54:30,642
I couldn't do anything right for you!
998
00:54:30,642 --> 00:54:32,143
Nothing is ever right!
999
00:54:32,143 --> 00:54:35,146
My business deals,
no matter how much money I made you,
1000
00:54:35,146 --> 00:54:37,565
was never good enough for you!
1001
00:54:37,565 --> 00:54:41,611
What the McMahon family has about it
is a lot of people don't know
1002
00:54:41,611 --> 00:54:45,073
the internal dynamics
of what goes on in real life.
1003
00:54:45,073 --> 00:54:48,285
Like, "Is it that cutthroat
behind the scenes?"
1004
00:54:48,285 --> 00:54:50,453
The only thing I ever wanted from you--
1005
00:54:50,453 --> 00:54:53,915
The only thing I ever wanted
is for you to be proud of me!
1006
00:54:53,915 --> 00:54:55,417
Of me!
1007
00:54:56,960 --> 00:55:00,380
But I finally figured it out.
That's never ever gonna happen,
1008
00:55:00,380 --> 00:55:02,340
because it's never been about me.
1009
00:55:02,340 --> 00:55:05,552
It's always been about you! You, Dad!
1010
00:55:06,219 --> 00:55:09,055
But you don't
peel back that curtain all the way,
1011
00:55:09,055 --> 00:55:12,267
because why would you ever
straighten that out? Let people talk.
1012
00:55:12,267 --> 00:55:14,936
This is about family business.
1013
00:55:14,936 --> 00:55:18,481
This is about us, Dad.
This is about you and me.
1014
00:55:18,982 --> 00:55:22,277
Oh, no, no, no.
This is not family business anymore.
1015
00:55:22,277 --> 00:55:25,447
This is my business.
1016
00:55:26,239 --> 00:55:29,784
I would suggest
that you get the hell out of here,
1017
00:55:29,784 --> 00:55:31,661
whether you're my son or not.
1018
00:55:31,661 --> 00:55:33,455
Right now.
1019
00:55:35,582 --> 00:55:37,917
I never really quite understood
1020
00:55:37,917 --> 00:55:41,463
where Shane fit into everything
over the years.
1021
00:55:41,463 --> 00:55:46,426
Sometimes he was being embraced.
Sometimes he was completely invisible.
1022
00:55:46,426 --> 00:55:49,012
I never understood what was going on,
1023
00:55:49,012 --> 00:55:53,183
but I always felt he was a bit
of the black sheep of the family,
1024
00:55:53,183 --> 00:55:55,935
and I never knew what the actual story was
1025
00:55:55,935 --> 00:55:59,397
behind what happened
with his relationship with his dad.
1026
00:56:00,982 --> 00:56:04,611
Shane absolutely
wanted to be the next McMahon,
1027
00:56:04,611 --> 00:56:06,529
and he always figured he would be.
1028
00:56:06,529 --> 00:56:11,659
At one point, he wanted his dad
to buy him a company that he could run
1029
00:56:11,659 --> 00:56:15,497
and prove that he was
the next generation McMahon promoter
1030
00:56:15,497 --> 00:56:17,665
before he takes over WWE.
1031
00:56:18,666 --> 00:56:20,460
Let's get it on, baby.
We've been...
1032
00:56:20,460 --> 00:56:23,922
At the time, the UFC,
they got in some financial problems
1033
00:56:23,922 --> 00:56:28,426
and came to us and said,
"Would you like to purchase the UFC?"
1034
00:56:29,177 --> 00:56:32,597
I go, "This is cool."
I said, "Dad, let's go for this one."
1035
00:56:33,723 --> 00:56:36,434
I felt we could really grow that brand,
1036
00:56:36,434 --> 00:56:39,938
because it's tailor-made for what we do.
1037
00:56:39,938 --> 00:56:42,982
We have a production team,
live events team, merchandising team.
1038
00:56:42,982 --> 00:56:45,610
We have all of it just ready to go.
1039
00:56:45,610 --> 00:56:47,695
So, to me, it was plug-and-play.
1040
00:56:48,530 --> 00:56:51,241
When it was presented
in terms of buying UFC,
1041
00:56:51,241 --> 00:56:53,535
I didn't like that business model,
1042
00:56:54,411 --> 00:56:57,622
{\an8}because our business model
is you create characters,
1043
00:56:57,622 --> 00:56:59,582
{\an8}much like Disney or someone else,
1044
00:56:59,582 --> 00:57:01,543
{\an8}and we can use them forever,
1045
00:57:02,377 --> 00:57:06,005
{\an8}as opposed to a boxer/UFC.
1046
00:57:06,005 --> 00:57:09,259
Once you're beat,
hurt or something, your career is over.
1047
00:57:09,259 --> 00:57:11,845
{\an8}This is the real deal.
There's no acting involved.
1048
00:57:11,845 --> 00:57:14,597
There's no way these guys
could act this good.
1049
00:57:15,265 --> 00:57:17,725
We're in show business. That's a sport.
1050
00:57:18,226 --> 00:57:21,479
So anyway,
he thought about it and passed and...
1051
00:57:22,230 --> 00:57:25,150
He passed on the opportunity,
and that was that.
1052
00:57:26,484 --> 00:57:28,570
Would it have been
a good investment?
1053
00:57:28,570 --> 00:57:32,073
Hindsight's always 20/20. I think it
would've been an excellent investment.
1054
00:57:33,783 --> 00:57:37,620
{\an8} Ten years later or something,
UFC was sold for a lot of money,
1055
00:57:37,620 --> 00:57:42,041
and Shane, I think, wants to take credit
for the idea of buying UFC.
1056
00:57:42,041 --> 00:57:44,961
Shane really thought that's the way to go.
1057
00:57:44,961 --> 00:57:48,631
So, if that's the way you think, "Shane,
take your money and put it in."
1058
00:57:48,631 --> 00:57:51,634
Which didn't work-- It wouldn't work, but...
1059
00:57:51,634 --> 00:57:54,762
'Cause it would take a huge investment,
and Shane only had a little,
1060
00:57:54,762 --> 00:57:57,015
so that's not a good investment.
1061
00:57:58,683 --> 00:58:02,812
Most definitive moment
I've ever seen between Vince and Shane
1062
00:58:03,396 --> 00:58:06,566
was a creative argument
that happened one night.
1063
00:58:06,566 --> 00:58:11,070
Shane had an idea
that he really believed in,
1064
00:58:11,070 --> 00:58:13,198
and Vince totally disagreed with it.
1065
00:58:13,698 --> 00:58:17,285
And with most things
that happen with Vince,
1066
00:58:17,827 --> 00:58:21,164
once they start to escalate,
they escalate really fast.
1067
00:58:22,123 --> 00:58:26,336
And Vince finally turned to Shane,
and he said, "Not while I'm alive."
1068
00:58:27,170 --> 00:58:30,089
And Vince, who was eating something,
1069
00:58:30,089 --> 00:58:32,675
took his knife and handed it to Shane,
1070
00:58:32,675 --> 00:58:36,888
and he says,
"Right there. Come on. Right there."
1071
00:58:36,888 --> 00:58:41,726
"If you want this so bad,
stick the dagger right here,
1072
00:58:42,268 --> 00:58:44,896
because that's what
you're gonna have to do
1073
00:58:44,896 --> 00:58:46,814
to make that decision."
1074
00:58:47,398 --> 00:58:50,235
"And if you don't
stick the dagger right here,
1075
00:58:51,194 --> 00:58:53,488
then I'll know
you're not man enough to do it,
1076
00:58:53,488 --> 00:58:56,366
and I have to take that
into consideration as well."
1077
00:58:56,866 --> 00:58:59,702
"Or you can buy me out...
1078
00:59:00,912 --> 00:59:02,956
the way I bought out my father."
1079
00:59:03,498 --> 00:59:05,625
"And if I don't get out of your way,
1080
00:59:06,668 --> 00:59:09,337
be prepared to get rid of me
1081
00:59:09,337 --> 00:59:12,340
the way I would have
had to get rid of my father
1082
00:59:12,340 --> 00:59:15,677
when he wasn't doing things
my way at all."
1083
00:59:20,265 --> 00:59:24,227
It was a really hard decision
for me to leave the only thing that I love
1084
00:59:24,227 --> 00:59:27,230
and the only business
I ever wanted to work in my life,
1085
00:59:27,230 --> 00:59:30,775
but my dad, especially then,
was strong at the helm,
1086
00:59:30,775 --> 00:59:34,320
and I was like, "If this is the time
for me to go try certain things,
1087
00:59:34,320 --> 00:59:35,613
then that's the time."
1088
00:59:37,282 --> 00:59:38,950
The reason why Shane left...
1089
00:59:38,950 --> 00:59:41,452
Shane wanted to take the chair,
so to speak,
1090
00:59:41,452 --> 00:59:43,454
and thought it was time for me to leave.
1091
00:59:44,706 --> 00:59:48,793
Shane had a lot of value,
but it wasn't his company.
1092
00:59:48,793 --> 00:59:49,794
It was mine.
1093
00:59:50,295 --> 00:59:53,881
It's so difficult for family business.
Damn, it's difficult.
1094
00:59:54,465 --> 00:59:57,385
It was almost like
we were opposed on everything,
1095
00:59:57,385 --> 00:59:59,178
and we grew apart.
1096
00:59:59,846 --> 01:00:02,098
Just weren't seeing eye-to-eye
on certain things.
1097
01:00:02,098 --> 01:00:04,183
But he's the boss.
1098
01:00:04,684 --> 01:00:07,228
When he says to paint something blue,
we're painting it blue.
1099
01:00:07,979 --> 01:00:12,567
And I was just like, "I can either
stay in here and watch us implode,
1100
01:00:12,567 --> 01:00:15,653
or it's time to step back."
1101
01:00:15,653 --> 01:00:19,782
He's my dad, you know?
I'm not gonna jeopardize that.
1102
01:00:19,782 --> 01:00:21,868
So I decided to step away.
1103
01:00:24,412 --> 01:00:27,790
So I thanked him and gave him a hug,
and that was it.
1104
01:00:28,916 --> 01:00:31,502
Everyone has
to understand their place.
1105
01:00:31,502 --> 01:00:35,131
And when a family member thinks,
"Wait a minute. I've got this..."
1106
01:00:35,131 --> 01:00:38,885
Get to stepping! This is my show!
I'm running things here!
1107
01:00:39,886 --> 01:00:41,721
...they don't quite have the vision...
1108
01:00:41,721 --> 01:00:42,930
I have the power!
1109
01:00:42,930 --> 01:00:45,933
...as someone who's grown
and created a business.
1110
01:00:46,934 --> 01:00:49,812
They have a different vision,
and it may work.
1111
01:00:49,812 --> 01:00:52,690
But you know what?
We're gonna go with my vision.
1112
01:00:53,691 --> 01:00:58,029
Nothing that Shane McMahon
planned has gone right for him tonight!
1113
01:00:58,029 --> 01:01:01,032
I would advise anyone,
don't bring your family into the business.
1114
01:01:01,032 --> 01:01:01,949
It's brutal.
1115
01:01:01,949 --> 01:01:04,243
Somewhere along the line,
it's going to explode.
1116
01:01:06,621 --> 01:01:09,582
Over decades,
McMahon turned the WWE
1117
01:01:09,582 --> 01:01:12,835
into a billion-dollar
entertainment juggernaut.
1118
01:01:13,920 --> 01:01:17,423
{\an8}But recent events indicate
that leadership could be changing.
1119
01:01:17,423 --> 01:01:19,676
{\an8} New bombshell allegations
of sexual abuse.
1120
01:01:19,676 --> 01:01:22,136
{\an8}- I mean, this is damning.
- Insane!
1121
01:01:22,136 --> 01:01:24,555
Are they gonna
jettison Vince? I don't know.
1122
01:01:24,555 --> 01:01:27,058
The future of this company
hangs in the balance.
1123
01:01:27,058 --> 01:01:31,646
This most recent scandal
is going to shock everyone.