Vince McMahon Netflix Series: What does it reveal?

A new Netflix documentary claims to ‘pull back the curtain’ on former WWE boss Vince McMahon – but does it succeed?

The six-part series Mr. McMahon – named after the alter ego character he played on screen in the mid-90s – covers his life, his decades-long career and the various scandals that followed him.

It features interviews with the 79-year-old himself, as well as members of his family, former wrestlers and associates.

But whether this tells us anything new about the real Vince McMahon is up for debate.

He withdrew from filming after a former employee accused him of sex trafficking, and some critics said that the series struggles with this missing element.

Others said it was still enough “honest portrait” and complete, based on what you already know.

But does this bring us closer to the truth?

McMahon got his own criticism early on.

He called the show “misleading” and accused its creators of taking “the predictable route of confusing the ‘Mr. McMahon’ character with the real me, Vince.”

The billionaire businessman resigned from WWE parent company earlier this year, when his ex-employee Janel Grant filed a sex trafficking lawsuit against him,

He is denied his accusations as “lies” and a “vindictive distortion of the truth”.

You won’t hear much about this case in the documentary, but the previous allegations are discussed.

WWE’s first female referee, Rita Chatterton, accused McMahon of rape, but on the show he insists “it never happened” and that it was “consensual.”

He withdrew his defamation suit against her and last year, reports say, paid him a multi-million dollar settlement.

He also calls the US government – ​​which sued him for illegally distributing steroids – the “biggest tyrants”.

McMahon was found not guilty in that case.

WWE has often been criticized in the past for its representation of women, particularly during its so-called Attitude Era between 1997 and 2002.

Matches became much less family friendly, with wrestlers frequently seen bleeding and female stars competing in “bra and panties” fights that ended when an opponent’s costume was ripped off.

Former WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus says roles for women are ‘too sexual’ and recalls being forced to get on her knees and bark like a dog before taking off her clothes .

“Women weren’t seen as wrestlers…” she says.

“A feast for the eyes, that’s kind of what they were back then,” she says in the series.

Anthony White – aka Tony Atlas – agrees with her that the segments haven’t aged well.

“We would have been considered in today’s society as one of the worst human beings living on Earth,” he says in the documentary.

“We abused women. They were like a toy to us.”

McMahon’s daughter Stephanie, who often featured in storylines written by her father – which she describes as “a little weird” – says “it was a different time in our business”.

McMahon’s current chief content officer and son-in-law, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, wonders how they “could get away with this kind of thing.”

In the documentary, McMahon says the trend “more or less followed what was happening in the entertainment business,” and that some of the highest-rated segments featured women.

Vince McMahon gained a reputation as a ruthless operator, and the documentary explores some of the events that helped build that image.

One of them was a famous stitch-up affair – or “screw,” in wrestling terms – involving legendary wrestler Bret “The Hitman” Hart.

During tensions over his move to rival company World Championship Wrestling (WCW), McMahon worked with others behind Hart’s back to change the scripted outcome of a 1997 match.

The Canadian ended up losing his championship title to Shawn Michaels in front of a home crowd in Montreal.

McMahon describes a similar job in 1985, involving former women’s champion Wendi Richter, as “show business…nothing personal.”

“And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for business.”

In the documentary, McMahon says he wanted Bret Hart to do the “right thing” for the company.

“To this day, I don’t regret anything.”

McMahon shares details about his own childhood, including how he was abused by his stepfather and how he first met his real father when he was 12 years old.

“I know that from a psychological point of view, if you are abused as a child, you tend to abuse,” he says, before adding: “It’s just an escape.”

His own position as a father is a theme the documentary returns to several times and it reveals that he was “harsh” on his own children, Shane and Stephanie.

Cast members also describe him as a father figure.

McMahon himself says: “I still haven’t really figured out who I am. »

Characters are the lifeblood of WWE, he tells documentarians – but is he playing a character himself?

We never really know.

“Sometimes the lines between fact and fiction are very blurred in our industry,” he says.

Critics say it’s a useful get-out-of-jail-free card, placing the blame on his alter ego, Mr. McMahon, a corrupt boss who abuses his power.

“Which is the character and which is me? I guess it’s maybe a mix and I would say one is maybe a little over the top,” McMahon says.

“I’m not sure which one.”

But when asked what traits he shares with the character, he replies: “None at all.”

Many of those close to him also seem unsure.

His son Shane says: “Mr. McMahon is an extension of Vince McMahon, but blown out of proportion.”

It’s a view shared by ex-champion Stone Cold Steve Austin, who says the character is “pretty close to Vince the man”, but “very exaggerated”.

Others, like Shawn Michaels, say there isn’t much difference between the two, and WWE manager Bruce Prichard says McMahon’s in-ring rants were similar to those he would speak in the boardroom.

Former superstar Hulk Hogan’s opinion is much more decided.

“Exactly the same person, not far off,” he said.

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