| 1 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mcmahondvd.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:350:'''[[{{Leitmotif}} NO CHANCE! 'Cause that's what you've got...]]''']] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | Vincent Kennedy [=McMahon=] Jr. (born August 24, 1945) is a third-generation ProfessionalWrestling promoter, and the former chairman and CEO of Wrestling/{{WWE}} as well as an American football executive, actor, sporadic wrestler, and the patriarch of the [=McMahon=] WrestlingFamily. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | [=McMahon=] is also the man who revolutionized professional wrestling forever by taking the World Wrestling Federation and turning it from a regional territory into a mainstream national promotion in the mid-1980s, where it enjoyed massive success and eventually turned into the multi-billion dollar empire we now know as World Wrestling Entertainment. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | He also has decades of on-camera experience in the promotion, first as a play-by-play announcer, and, after 1997, as [[RepulsiveRingmaster the evil boss character in charge of the promotion]]. The subtle shift in his performance deserves to be studied at Juilliard; while Vince [=McMahon=] wore bow ties and [[EyeTake bugged his eyes out]] a lot, ''Mr.'' [=McMahon=] led a family of super-villains, feuded with God himself, mocked Wrestling/JimRoss' declining health, attempted to run an American football league ''twice'', and dressed up as a judge so that he could throw Wrestling/EricBischoff in a garbage truck. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | [=McMahon=] stepped down from his position as CEO of WWE in June 2022 pending an internal investigation into a sexual misconduct allegation, with his daughter [[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon Stephanie]] taking over in what was meant to be only for the interim, before stating that he was retiring outright from the industry in July 2022. [[TenMinuteRetirement He changed his mind by January 2023]] and forced his way back into his executive chairman role in the WWE's Board of Directors ahead of upcoming media rights negotiations in 2024 and a potential sale of the company, claiming based on his position as majority shareholder that no media rights deals or company sales can be completed without his approval. However, by September 2023, when the WWE finalized its merge with Endeavor (the parent company to the [[UsefulNotes/UltimateFightingChampionship UFC]]) to form the new parent company TKO, [[KickedUpstairs he was reduced to a minority ownership position]] (marking [[EndOfAnAge the first time the WWE/F was primarily run by someone other than a McMahon]]) and was barred from any creative control[[note]](a decision personally made by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, who was fully aware of [=McMahon=] and his various scandals and controversies, determining him to be too much of a business risk)[[/note]], with day-to-day business being run by Nick Khan and all creative direction henceforth instead being headed by his son-in-law, Wrestling/TripleH. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Near the end of January 2024, [[https://www.wsj.com/business/vince-mcmahon-accused-of-sex-trafficking-by-wwe-staffer-he-paid-to-keep-quiet-0b19b21c?mod=hp_lead_pos2 McMahon was subject to yet another lawsuit by ex-employee Janel Grant]], who levelled further allegations of misconduct, including sex trafficking and rape. Within a day of the reports, [[https://deadline.com/2024/01/vince-mcmahon-resigns-rape-lawsuit-tko-group-holding-sex-trafficking-1235805961/ Vince would resign]] ''again'', leaving WWE and TKO once more. |
| 13 | ---- |
| 14 | !!"Vince didn't screw TV Tropes. TV Tropes screwed TV Tropes." |
| 15 | |
| 16 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[folder:A-F]] |
| 19 | |
| 20 | * AbortedArc: |
| 21 | ** He faked his own death in 2007 with the infamous limo explosion. This was quickly dropped for [[Wrestling/ChrisBenoit good]] [[RealLifeWritesThePlot reason]], as it would have been in very bad taste to continue the arc. The explosion ended up on the OMG! DVD though. |
| 22 | ** The storyline where he "sold" Raw to Donald Trump was supposed to last considerably longer than it did (a week). It was cut early due to stockholders who didn't understand Kayfabe panicking and the price of WWE stock dropping. According to some reports, similar reasons may have killed the "faked death" storyline as well, even if not for the above-mentioned reasons. |
| 23 | * AbusiveParents: Well he made his [[Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon son]] fight Wrestling/TheUndertaker and choked out his [[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon daughter]] with a pipe. |
| 24 | %%* AdamWesting: Any interview with him these days. [=McMahon=] has never done anything wrong, and he is a beacon of integrity, the sort of man who always treats people fairly and considerately despite his immense wealth and power. It's quite remarkable that he has never been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. |
| 25 | * AnswersToTheNameOfGod: Vince once started his own religion called "[[ParodyReligion McMahonism]]" and compared himself to God during a promo he cut while inside a church. He did this earlier in the 1990s, but that only lasted for one show. |
| 26 | * ArchEnemy: |
| 27 | ** Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, Wrestling/DGenerationX from 2006 onwards, and anyone who dares to "cross the boss." |
| 28 | ** Wrestling/CMPunk earned his candidacy by making Vince '''''apologize''''' to him ''on live television''. |
| 29 | * AsHimself: On ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'' where he fought - and lost to - Austin, a RecurringCharacter on the show. |
| 30 | * AuthorAppeal: |
| 31 | ** It's historically proven that Vince [[PrejudicedForPecs loves big, muscular men]], and he will push them, regardless of talent. High-flyers tend to get the short end of the stick. It was even more apparent in the 80's, when those who had talent were free to coast on simple matches ([[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]]) or had zero skill in the ring ([[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior Warrior]]). As time went on, smaller--yet more talented--wrestlers were given chances, if only because nearly going to jail for steroid distribution had Vince scrambling to distance himself from the suggestion that his talent was on the gear. |
| 32 | ** Vince [=McMahon=] would rather sell a [[ToiletHumor fart joke]] than a body slam. WWE seems to float a feces-related angle (sometimes even involving the [=McMahons=]) once a year. |
| 33 | * AuthorAvatar: Vince's on-screen persona is just an exaggerated version of himself. |
| 34 | ** Wrestling/TedDiBiase, when presented with his Million Dollar Man gimmick, was reportedly told that it was the gimmick Vince himself would use if he were to become a wrestler. |
| 35 | * TheBadGuyWins: For someone who believes he should never be on the winning end of a feud, Vince came out on top of all of his feuds in 2003: Firing Wrestling/HulkHogan as "Mr. America,"[[note]][[RealLifeWritesThePlot Though this was out of necessity]] as Hogan left due to a contract dispute, so they cut the angle off.[[/note]] bullying one-legged Zack Gowan and winning their match at ''The Great American Bash'', masterminding Wrestling/BrockLesnar's FaceHeelTurn and eventual WWE Championship victory over Wrestling/KurtAngle (not to mention removing the aforementioned Gowan from WWE in the process by having Lesnar throw him down a flight of stairs), arranging for Wrestling/EricBischoff to invade [=McMahon=]'s house so Bischoff could force himself on ''[[Characters/WWEMcMahonFamily Vince's wife]]'' while letting him get off scot-free for it, defeating ''[[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon his own daughter]]'' in an I Quit Match in order to get her removed as Smackdown GM, and burying Wrestling/TheUndertaker alive with the help of Wrestling/{{Kane}}. True to a standard Vince arc, he was left a bloodied wreck despised by everyone around him by the end of it, but maintained all the power plays and victories he had gained unnegated, heavily downplaying the PyrrhicVictory aspect, especially due to portraying Vince at his most sociopathically petty and control obsessed anyway. |
| 36 | * BadassInANiceSuit: As part of his {{Workaholic}} lifestyle, he will hold booking meetings in his home and get all dressed up for them. |
| 37 | * BaldOfEvil: After he had his head shaved by Creator/DonaldTrump during Wrestlemania 23. |
| 38 | * BestServedCold: Vince has the elaborate vengeance plans of a 10-year-old. Case in point: WCW ''Night of the Champions''. Was there really ever any doubt? Everyone knows Vince stood by helplessly for 84 weeks as Wrestling/EricBischoff steamrolled him in the ratings, jeering and mocking him all the while. Vince ''could'' have taken the high road and let the promotion have its final day in the sun before the great changeover. Instead, he proceeded to make himself and Shane the focal point of ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'', turning what could have been Flair and Sting riding off in glory and turning it into one big [=McMahon=] love-fest / PPV ad. Not that Eric wouldn't have done the same, and worse. |
| 39 | -->'''Wrestling/BobHolly:''' Everybody backstage thought, 'We're going to have way too many guys now...' We were worried that we would get lost in the shuffle but we weren't job-scared. The guys who were job-scared were the ones who had walked out on Vince to go to WCW. |
| 40 | * BigBad: As a Heel. On the occasions that he is a Face, he's the BigGood. Since he's the boss of the entire company both on-screen and in real life, he's one of the few people who can be BOTH the BigGood AND the BigBad in any form of fiction, though he plays the BigBad a lot more often, and sometimes his face turn is just part of his EvilPlan and he's EvilAllAlong (such as him being the Higher Power to the Ministry of Darkness). |
| 41 | %%** He also played this role in USWA in 1993 while feuding with Jerry "The King" Lawler. |
| 42 | %%** He's currently this in the latest storyline, as he's only made one appearance since the L.A. screwjob, the night the recent PowerStable was formed, but since has remained behind-the-scenes while his [[Wrestling/TripleH son-in-law]] and [[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon daughter]] are tormenting employees on television. He's also the reason they turned heel, as they screwed Bryan to appease Vince. |
| 43 | * BlatantLies: If he starts a sentence with [[CharacterCatchphrase "In the interest of fairness..."]], it guarantees that whatever follows will be absolutely ''unfair'' to somebody involved. |
| 44 | * BlindWithoutEm: |
| 45 | ** Sometimes, Vince thinks the proceedings so important that he puts on his famous "cheaters" (reading glasses) to make sure he doesn't misread a cue card, or mis-dial a phone number. He does anyway. |
| 46 | ** Supposedly, the reason a spotlight is used to guide him on his way to the ring as of lately is because he isn't able to see otherwise, be it because of his age or for other reason. |
| 47 | * BringMyBrownPants: Vince wet his pants once after Stone Cold held a gun to his head, which turned out to be a fake gun. |
| 48 | -->'''"Stone Cold" Steve Austin:''' [=McMahon=] 3:16 says I just pissed my pants! |
| 49 | * BullyingADragon: He can make many cower before the control he has over the company, but all too often he'll overestimate just how much abuse his wrestlers will endure to keep their jobs [[WorthIt over kicking his ass]]. His biggest mistakes tend to involve trying to control certain wrestlers (e.g. ''Wrestling/TheUndertaker'') that he has no chance of controlling. |
| 50 | %%** Works both ways as well. Many employees found out the hard way to not "cross the boss" . |
| 51 | * ButtMonkey: |
| 52 | ** Forget the countless Stunners, Rock Bottoms, chairshots and other abuse he's taken ever since the first Stunner on the September 22, 1997 ''Raw.'' The guy ''sacrificed a freaking CORVETTE'' for the cause of Austin getting a laugh. |
| 53 | ** He could be this even when he was the generic announcer/interviewer. He once attempted to interview Ray "The Crippler" Stevens, who simply stood there as a perfect Smug Snake with CoolShades and BadassArmfold and was completely silent and never acknowledged Vince during the entire segment. |
| 54 | * CardCarryingVillain: Vince really enjoys being evil at times, and has acknowledged that he will probably go to Hell when he dies. Wrestling/EricBischoff once stated that the only being closer to being the Devil than him was Vince, who was standing right in front of him. Vince's reaction? A ''smile''. |
| 55 | * CaughtWithYourPantsDown: A literal example (and on a live edition of RAW, no less!) occurred when Torrie Wilson pretended to seduce Vince and his wife Linda caught him in his underwear. This was implied to be a scheme by Linda to get back at Vince for his philandering. |
| 56 | * CharacterCatchphrase: |
| 57 | ** As a heel boss: |
| 58 | *** YERRRRRRR FFFFFAIIIRRRRD!!!!! |
| 59 | *** STRAAAAAAAAIGHT TO HELLLLLLLLLL!!!! |
| 60 | *** Earlier in his run as a heel, he used "Vince didn't screw [X]. [X] screwed [X]." after "[[Wrestling/BretHart Bret]] screwed Bret" became an AscendedMeme. |
| 61 | *** [[MyNameIsInigoMontoya I'M VINCENT KENNEDY MCMAHON]], DAMMIT! |
| 62 | *** ''[[BigShutUp SHUUUUUUUUT UP!]]'' |
| 63 | *** "In the interest of fairness...," right before he'd announce something that was absolutely unfair to whoever was involved. |
| 64 | ** As an announcer (You can tell he was the biggest mark for his own product): |
| 65 | *** AHHNN BAAAAH LEEBABBLE! |
| 66 | *** WADDAMANOOVER! |
| 67 | *** WAAHH...TWOOO...HE GOT HI--[[NotQuiteDead nope, nope]] |
| 68 | *** We are SOLD OUT here with this capacity crowd! |
| 69 | *** BIIIIIIIG back body drop! |
| 70 | *** WHOAAAAA MYYYYYY HAHAHAHHA! |
| 71 | *** "''Anything'' can happen in the WWF!" |
| 72 | * ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Vince often betrays his employees, whether they be Faces, Mooks, or even TheDragon, whether it be because [[YouHaveFailedMe they failed him]], [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness they were no longer useful for him]], or because he feels that [[UngratefulBastard a major story is "ungrateful" to Vince, who believes he "created" them]]. Sometimes he just does it as part of an EvilPlan or even solely [[ForTheEvulz for shits]] [[ItAmusedMe and giggles]]. |
| 73 | * ClarkKentOutfit: Given that Vince usually appears in suits, it's always impressive to see just how buff he is under there. |
| 74 | * CompellingVoice: Vince's charisma and powers of persuasion are legendary. Even people who dislike him personally or have deep philosophical disagreements describe sitting down with Vince and agreeing with him as he explains point by point whatever lunacy he wants them to do on camera. It's been explicitly compared to the JediMindTrick. |
| 75 | * ComplexityAddiction: |
| 76 | ** Vince [=McMahon=] tends to simply screw wrestlers he's feuding with, even if it takes an EvilPlan to do so, rather than just simply fire them, despite the fact he fires others for lesser things. This is mainly because Vince prefers to torment anyone who stands up to him. |
| 77 | ** DoubleSubverted at one point during his feud with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the Wrestling/AttitudeEra, in which Vince finally fired him after Austin refused to make either The Undertaker or Wrestling/{{Kane}} the new champion. However, Austin wasn't too happy with this, and took Vince hostage the following night on RAW. Shortly after it was revealed Austin had been rehired by Vince's own son Shane, however at Survivor Series 1998 it was revealed that this was all just another master plan of Vince's as Austin was screwed out of the championship once again. When he fired [[Wrestling/MickFoley Dude Love]] after [[YouHaveFailedMe he lost to Austin at Over The Edge,]] he said that he won't fire Austin because he "just makes me richer" while Mick Foley just "made him sick". |
| 78 | ** Played straight with the Wrestling/MinistryOfDarkness arc where it was revealed Vince was behind the stable the whole time to get the World Title away from Austin. Nevermind that A.) Austin wasn’t even the Champion when the stable began and B.) part of the plan involved Vince turning face against his son Shane which included actively helping Austin retain the title when Shane was absolutely capable of screwing Austin out of the belt at the 1999 ''Backlash''. |
| 79 | ** {{Subverted|Trope}} in 2003 during Vince's feud with Hulk Hogan. Vince ''tried'' a complex scheme to fire Hogan, but failed... so he simply decided to not book Hogan, and instead just pay him to stay home. [[CharlieBrownFromOuttaTown "Mr. America"]] would soon appear to avenge Hogan's honor, incensing Vince into another long feud to expose his disguise; however [[TooDumbToLive Mr America unmasked himself to be Hogan to the MSG audience,]] thus giving Vince, [[NoNonsenseNemesis now done playing games]], [[TheBadGuyWins the loophole he needed to fire Hogan]]. |
| 80 | ** Much in the same way, when feuding with Shawn Michaels, he chose not to fire him, and tried instead to force him to willingly sign his own retirement form. When Shawn refused, Vince still decided against firing him and just making his career a living hell. Unlike with Hogan however, even after countless times [[BullyingTheDragon this backfired on Vince]], even leading to a humiliating feud with the reformed D Generation X after he turned on Triple H as well, he ''never'' cut his losses and fired either of them, adamant he'd make an example out of them first. |
| 81 | ** The following dialogue between Wrestling/RandyOrton and Vince's daughter Stephanie in 2009 seems to indicate that this is just some pathological addiction of the entire [=McMahon=] family. |
| 82 | --->'''Randy Orton:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis FIRE. ME. NOW]].\ |
| 83 | '''Stephanie [=McMahon=]:''' Firing you... would be too easy. We have ''bigger'' plans. |
| 84 | ** Justified with Orton, as he'd won the ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble'' and was thus promised a world title match at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}}'', and had threatened to sue WWE and get a court order to stop ''[=WrestleMania=]'' from taking place if he was fired before the event. He changed tack and started demanding he be fired after realizing how much it would hurt the [=McMahon=] family to not have the event take place. |
| 85 | ** Sometimes this kind of thing comes back to bite Vince and the family as a whole in the ass, such as when Randy then turned the mini-feud he had going with the [=McMahon=]s around with a EvilPlan of his own in order to get his hands on the World Title, during the same storyline in which the above quotes took place! |
| 86 | * CorruptCorporateExecutive: "Mr. [=McMahon=]". One gets the strong impression that Vince would sell his own mother if it gave him a better percentage. |
| 87 | -->'''[=McMahon=]:''' Even my FAMILY! Even my [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment IMMEDIATE FAMILY]] bought it! |
| 88 | %%* CueTheFlyingPigs: |
| 89 | %%** CM Punk getting Vince to apologize - on LIVE TELEVISION - probably caused more "OH SHIT"s from the IWC than any match, spot, promo, or otherwise in the history of the wrestling industry. |
| 90 | %%** On the other hand, he ''did'' apologize by yelling '''"I APOLOGIZE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"''' in utter venom, Punk was satisfied, and justifiably so considering it was ''[[CardCarryingVillain Vincent Kennedy [=McMahon=]]]'', but if it were an older brother apologizing to his sister, one doubts that person's parents would be impressed. |
| 91 | * {{Cult}}: Vince was the "Higher Power" controlling Wrestling/TheUndertaker's Wrestling/MinistryOfDarkness. |
| 92 | * CurbStompBattle: |
| 93 | ** Most of Vince's fights with his wrestlers (especially his ''[=WrestleMania=]'' matches) are this since Vince isn't a wrestler and much of his in-ring talent involves being willing to take a brutal ass-kicking. |
| 94 | ** A notable exception being the street fight against Ric Flair at the 2002 Royal Rumble; the match was actually very even, with Vince dominating the first half. Giving his physique compared to Flair's, it was actually fairly believable. |
| 95 | ** When he faced CM Punk in late 2012, he actually had the upper hand for most of the match (partially because CM Punk had gotten cocky given Vince's above track record, and another because he had pushed Vince's {{Berserk Button}}s for far too long). |
| 96 | ** His [=WrestleMania=] "match" with Pat [=McAfee=] after Austin Theory’s match has him absolutely wipe the floor with him, delivering kicks and punches without [=McAfee=] getting any offense in. Of course, it’s all fun and games until Stone Cold arrives and stuns everybody (Vince included, [[ArchEnemy obviously]]). |
| 97 | * DealWithTheDevil: Whenever a wrestler aligns themselves with Vince, the commentators often call it this. The "Kiss My Ass" club is an entire bandwagon of wrestlers who did this. |
| 98 | %%* DelusionsOfEloquence: Even the most ardent [=McMahon=] marks raise an eyebrow or two at his "command of the English language". That man is the [[Film/ThePrincessBride Vizzini]] of pro wrestling. You're extemporaneous, but you're not trepidacious. |
| 99 | * DeterminedDefeatist: To his credit, when he vows to destroy you, he damn well means it, even if you're perfectly capable of dishing it back. Most of his ill fated matches are in fact booked by ''him'', willing to risk another beating just for an opportunity to get his hands on his enemy. |
| 100 | * DirtyOldMan: His affairs with Wrestling/TrishStratus and Wrestling/CandiceMichelle are only the most famous; who ''knows'' just how many he's had? |
| 101 | * DisproportionateRetribution: Like any traditional BadBoss, he thrives on this trope. Sometimes even so much as indirectly undermining his power and logic in the slightest manner is enough to ensure you spend the usually very short remainder of your career living utter hell. |
| 102 | %%* TheDogWasTheMastermind: Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and more than half of the 1990s he was well known to the [=WWF=] audience... as [[http://caq.fr/actualite/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/roddy-piper-vince-mcmahon.jpg one of the ringside commentators.]] Not many fans knew that he was actually the Boss. |
| 103 | * TheDreaded: Many have OhCrap reactions when they learn of Vince's arrival, since it usually means someone is going to be fired or worse. |
| 104 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Vince's earliest participation around the ring was as a commentator in the 70's, and while rather loud and cheesy (as were most wrestling commentators at the time), he's virtually unrecognizable compared to the ridiculously theatrical, often [[CardCarryingVillain cartoonishly vile]] persona he would develop later down the line and become famous for. |
| 105 | -->'''Website/{{WrestleCrap}}:''' Vince as a good guy commentator was fine. He was a goofball with his constant “Whatamaneuver!“, but the dude always had oodles of charisma. Unfortunately as a lead commentator, his natural heel charisma was all bottled up. Suffice to say that was corrected in the late 90’s. |
| 106 | * EnemyMine: |
| 107 | ** Wrestling/TripleH was such a gigantic {{jerkass}} in the Attitude Era that at one point ''Steve Austin'' willingly aided him in a match against Hunter and helped Vince win the then-WWF title. |
| 108 | ** He also had a truce with Steve Austin when he saved Stephanie from the Ministry of Darkness. Subverted, of course, in that Vince was in on it all along. |
| 109 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: One storyline had Mankind blackmail Vince into giving him a title shot by attacking Shane and refusing to stop unless Vince gave him a WWE title match against the Rock. Vince was clearly anguished by his son's pain and granted the request. |
| 110 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: |
| 111 | ** Vince was horrified to see that Wrestling/BrockLesnar tossed Zack Gowen, one-legged wrestler, down a set of stairs. Vince pleaded with Brock not to do it, without success. |
| 112 | ** He was also aghast when [[Wrestling/KevinNash Diesel]] used Mad Dog Vachon's prosthetic leg as a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFyCQlbO7VA weapon]]. |
| 113 | * EvilAllAlong: Vince was the Higher Power of the Corporate Ministry, and his brief face run was just part of his EvilPlan to get the title off of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. |
| 114 | * EvilIsHammy: Vince is a LargeHam regardless of alignment, but he really enjoys playing the [[EvilOverlord evil dictator-like boss of WWE]]. |
| 115 | * EvilIsPetty: Thrives on this when in BadBoss mode. If you betray or mock him, he'll dismantle your career and livelihood. If you even just indirectly insult him or undermine his power over you, he'll probably do ''worse''. |
| 116 | %%* EvilOverlord: Of WWE, until his son-in law Triple H took the reins. |
| 117 | * EvilPlan: Vince pulled quite a few of these, especially in his early days as the evil boss character. Examples include the Survivor Series 1998 screwjob(which was a Kayfabe remake of the Montreal Screwjob a year earlier, only replacing Bret Hart and Wrestling/ShawnMichaels with Mankind and [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson The Rock]], and the whole Ministry of Darkness/Corporate Ministry/Higher Power plot. |
| 118 | * EvilSoundsDeep: Vince’s deep, gravelly voice is instantly recognisable and the subject of countless impressions and parodies. |
| 119 | * FaceHeelTurn: Vince used the Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob to turn himself into the BigBad of his own company. The turn itself was very slowly building over a year's time, beginning with seemingly small conflicts and frustrations voiced by his wrestlers, starting with Wrestling/JimRoss and Wrestling/BretHart delivering anti-[=McMahon=] promos during the fall of 1996; these were characterized in a way that fans were able to laugh these off. However, more subtle hints were dropped in 1997 during subsequent conflicts between [=McMahon=] and Hart, and after [=McMahon=] was attacked for the first time by a man who would become his nemesis for the next several years: Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin. During his last several weeks as lead play-by-play announcer in the fall of 1997, [=McMahon=]'s formerly babyface commentary style began a slow tweener-to-heel-leaning shift, and the transformation was complete the night after the Montreal Screwjob, when [=McMahon=] delivered his famous "Bret screwed Bret" promo. |
| 120 | * FamilyBusiness: Vince is a third-generation wrestling promoter, just like his father and grandfather. |
| 121 | * FauxAffablyEvil: After his initial FaceHeelTurn following the Montreal Screwjob, Vince tried to come across as a BenevolentBoss and ReasonableAuthorityFigure in order to mask his true BadBoss and CorruptCorporateExecutive self, and tried to justify his actions to the fans and employees such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. During his feud with Austin however he soon gave up on this and became the [[CardCarryingVillain card-carrying]] BigBad that he's famous for now. |
| 122 | * {{Flanderization}}: |
| 123 | ** Vince's character has degenerated more and more into self-parody in recent years, becoming more cartoonishly evil as time went on, as he seemingly grows increasingly desperate to feud with ''someone'' but can't seem to decide on who. By the time his feud with DX happened in 2006, Vince came across less like a serious threat and more like a [[Film/AnimalHouse Dean Wormer]][=/=][[Franchise/{{GIJOE}} Cobra Commander]] hybrid. Of course, this may be one of the few examples of a writer [=flanderizing=] ''his own character.'' |
| 124 | ** Vince's ''walk'', initially it was a semi-confident stride. Now it's a full blown comical strut. |
| 125 | * {{Foil}}: |
| 126 | ** Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin. You won't see a better hero/villain combination this side of Batman and The Joker. Austin is an irreverant, violent redneck from the south who couldn't care less about following rules or respecting authority. Vince is the besuited businessman from the suburbs of Greenwich, Connecticut and ''is'' the authority Austin refuses to obey and makes the rules that Austin refuses to follow. |
| 127 | ** Considering the [[MessianicArchetype religious aspect of his character]], Shawn Michaels proved a great foil for Vince's SatanicArchetype after the former returned to WWE as a born-again Christian and a consummate, perennial [[{{face}} babyface]]. |
| 128 | * FreudianExcuse: A few of his more subtle Heel feuds are in fact started because his employees, even supposed Faces, are genuinely complacent, disrespectful or downright volatile towards him, sometimes at ''very'' inopportune times. Just his replies of extreme DisproportionateRetribution can easily make them the lesser of two evils. These are of course also overshadowed by cases Vince ''thinks'' he's a mistreated employer but is just insanely petty. |
| 129 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: |
| 130 | ** During the submission match between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Bret Hart at ''[=WrestleMania=] 13'', Wrestling/JerryLawler mentioned the possibility of [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Bret submitting to his own move, the Sharpshooter]], in which Vince replied "Hey, it can happen!!" [[Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob Guess what move was used against Bret at ]]''[[Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob Survivor Series]]''[[Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob [= =]later that year when Vince called for the bell.]] In fact, the whole storyline leading up to ''[=WM13=]'' can be considered this, from Bret accusing Vince of screwing him to even shoving him down after losing a match, and that Bret's paranoid complaining about getting "screwed" simply fell under TemptingFate. |
| 131 | ** It happened again in 1999, when during an Inferno match between The Undertaker and [=Kane=], Wrestling/MichaelCole mentioned that The Undertaker was answering to a "Higher Power", in which Vince replied "Well tonight he's answering to me!!" [[HijackedByGanon Vince would later be revealed to be the Higher Power all along]]. |
| 132 | ** [[http://youtu.be/bEIqKSpwM0Q This interview]] with Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin in 1996 after Stone cold attacked Wrestling/BrianPillman, Stone Cold's line. "You're the boss why don't you do something to me?". Come 1998. |
| 133 | |
| 134 | [[/folder]] |
| 135 | |
| 136 | [[folder:G-L]] |
| 137 | * GroinAttack: Needless to say, this has happened more than a few times. Most infamously at [=WrestleMania X-Seven=], when Linda rose from her wheelchair and kicked him square in his "grapefruits". |
| 138 | %%* {{Heel}}: Vince [=McMahon=] is probably the quintessential heel manager. |
| 139 | * HijackedByGanon: |
| 140 | ** He turned out to be the 'Higher Power' that the Ministry of Darkness answered to, revealing that the entire Ministry of Darkness gimmick was all a scheme against Steve Austin at the expense of [=McMahon=]'s own family. It later became the Corporate Ministry. |
| 141 | ** Happened again with the [=McMahon=]-Helmsley storyline, though done much differently, as he didn't mastermind the whole thing. This time he simply hijacked it by pulling a FaceHeelTurn against The Rock by costing him the main event of Wrestlemania, which led to both of Vince's kids, who had been {{The Starscream}}s up to that point, loyally returned to his side, and Triple H, whom he had been genuinely feuding with for months, became his new [[TheDragon Dragon]], and the direction of the storyline changed into a Rock vs Vince feud, with Vince doing everything to try and keep the title away from the Rock and Rock having to overcome the odds Vince stacked against him, similar to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin before. |
| 142 | ** When the Wrestling/NewWorldOrder was revived in 2002, he revealed that he (in kayfabe) had orchestrated the whole thing in the first place to destroy WCW, as had been inferred when the angle began back in 1996. His plan now was to destroy the WWF because Flair owned half the company. |
| 143 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: |
| 144 | ** Vince tries to pull a screwjob on CM Punk to keep him from walking out of Chicago with the WWE Title but all it does is distract John Cena, who had Punk locked in an STF for the second time in the match and thus likely ''poised to tap'', and instead let Punk win the title. Then Vince goes on the fricking headset and [[CallingYourAttacks calls for]] Wrestling/AlbertoDelRio, ''right in front of Punk'', to [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase that he won that night on Punk to take the WWE title]]. Naturally, the only guy other than [=Edge=] who's actually cashed in on people twice would see this coming, dispatch Del Rio with a swift roundhouse kick, blow Vince a goodbye kiss on the guardrail, and run off into the throng of cheering Chicagoans with Vince's most precious title belt. |
| 145 | ** Then the next night on Raw, he tries to go through with his promise to fire John Cena (''the biggest star in the company'') for losing the match. [[DisproportionateRetribution Despite the fact it was his own fault this even happened in the first place.]] Before he can say the word, however, Triple H arrives to make the bittersweet announcement that the Board of Directors has decided to kick Vince out of power and put Hunter in his place. [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat Really, Vince has no one to blame but himself.]] |
| 146 | * HumiliationConga: Happens to him on a semi-regular basis, but he seems to get humiliated annually at ''[=WrestleMania=]''. |
| 147 | ** DX put him through ''many'' during their feud with him. |
| 148 | ** The entire ''Money in the Bank 2011'' WWE Championship storyline with CM Punk and John Cena leading to Mr. [=McMahon=]'s dismissal from power in favor of Triple H was the ''ultimate'' HumiliationConga for the character. |
| 149 | ** The "[=McMahon=] Family Reunion". Triple H had [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall editorial comments]] and TakeThatKiss with Stephanie. |
| 150 | * ICallHimMisterHappy: One hidden camera segment had Vince at a urinal, whipping it out with his famous introductory "Andre The Giant!" |
| 151 | * ILied: "Hey Wrestling/ZackRyder, RAW's in Long Island tonight, and you've got a big night ahead! You're gonna be the star of the show out there tonight--PSYCHE! It's actually your Superstars script, buddy." |
| 152 | * IntimateOpenShirt: He hears about a woman outside his office waiting to see him. Assuming it's Candice Michelle, he unbuttons his shirt and drops his pants. When it turns out to be Momma Benjamin, cue OhCrap and rapid buttoning of the shirt. |
| 153 | * InsistentTerminology: In kayfabe and in real life, Mr. [=McMahon=] has some... particularities over what talent in WWE are allowed to say, sometimes for rather arbitrary personal reasons. |
| 154 | ** "Sports Entertainment" or "Live Entertainment", not "ProfessionalWrestling", and he apparently gets very upset if you mention the "W" word in his presence. This also means his talent are "superstars", not "wrestlers" (and "divas" for women's champs), which nearly caused Wrestling/JoeyStyles to burst a capillary with rage. |
| 155 | ** Even worse, he's taken to calling it "Live Entertainment" as of 2010. |
| 156 | ** Instead of fans, it's the "WWE Universe". |
| 157 | ** They're "championship titles", NOT "belts". Wrestling/CMPunk referenced this during a ''Series/JimmyKimmelLive'' sketch in which he met a young Wrestling/JohnCena fan. Apparently belts are only the replicas you buy in stores. |
| 158 | %%* IronicEcho: "Nobody's bigger than [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} this business]]." First said by Vince to John Cena, then said by Triple H to Vince as the latter was removed from a position of power in the company. |
| 159 | * ItRunsInTheFamily: The whole [=McMahon=] family, including the in-laws. [[WrestlingFamily Vince is a third-generation promoter]]. His kids are fourth-generation promoters, and have shown themselves to be as reckless and borderline crazy as he is. |
| 160 | %%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Again, noted in Mick Foley's autobiography. At one point during the Attitude Era, 80s-era wrestler Tony Atlas was brought onto the roster for a short time at a point when he was having financial difficulties. Mick recalls that he had wondered aloud why he wanted to bring in Atlas, since he had never been a true main eventer even at his peak and that most casual fans didn't recall him. Someone later told him, "Sometimes, Vince does things just to be nice." One of his old wrestlers was having problems, so he gave him a helping hand. |
| 161 | %%** A better (dare we say defining?) example would come in the wake of Wrestling/EddieGuerrero's death from complications involving a prior drug addiction. As noted, Eddie had completely recovered from drugs at the time and had openly thanked the company for sending him to treatment and for saving his life, so his sudden death due to complications years after the fact hit everyone especially hard. Since Eddie was his family's sole provider, leaving behind a wife and children, Vince gave his widow Vickie a job as a backstage performer, guaranteed pretty much for life for as long as she needed it. Years later, she is one of the best heel manager types in the business and has stated that her late husband would have loved the fact that she was now involved in the business that he gave so much for. |
| 162 | %%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4NFIBaHnl4 Following 9/11]], he gave out a speech on how he was upset with what happened, and he gave his own [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech You Suck]] speech to the terrorists who attacked New York, basically seeing that America WILL NOT BACK DOWN. |
| 163 | %%* JokerImmunity: Vince falling prey to ''Raw''[='s=] notoriously explosive set. |
| 164 | %%** ''[[http://www.wrestlecrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/munnay26b.jpg "Mr McMahon Presumed Dead at the Scene After Being Blown Up Inside His Limo, news at 11:00"]]'' |
| 165 | %%** '''[[http://www.wrestlecrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/burlap03.gif I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS, PAUL]]''' |
| 166 | %%** Justified as Vince is the owner of WWE in both RealLife and Kayfabe, and has said he would run the company until the day he dies. Given the nature of the business and how even the biggest names can be released or quit the company, Vince is pretty much the only person in WWE who officially has this. |
| 167 | %%* KavorkaMan: The Vince character is basically this, thanks to the aphrodisiac powers. An illegitimate son angle had Vince confessing to losing his virginity at such a young age that everyone else in the room was creeped out. |
| 168 | %%* {{Kayfabe}}: His blood would test positive for it if such a thing was possible. |
| 169 | %%* KnightOfCerebus: |
| 170 | %%** When he shows up, it's usually for something important. Especially if he's at his most evil as a heel. |
| 171 | %%** Most people have accepted that Stone Cold was the greatest character in wrestling. In hindsight, Vince is the 2nd greatest character in wrestling. (Hard for a product to not drop when you lose the #1 ''and'' #2 greatest characters of all time.) Vince coming out with a mic was something to look forward to during Attitude. The crazy thing is that Vince is so great at manipulating a crowd directly, but [[TheCobblersChildrenHaveNoShoes has no idea how to do it]] through anyone else. |
| 172 | * LargeHam: The largest. As a Heel, he takes it straight into EvilIsHammy. But in any case, Mr. [=McMahon=] the character is just as over-the-top and expressive as the most animated of his wrestlers. Not a single promo goes by where Vince isn't shouting at the top of his lungs at some point or another. |
| 173 | -->"'''''YOOOOOUUUUU'RE FFFFFFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEDDDD!!'''''"\ |
| 174 | "[[BigShutUp SHUT UP!]]"\ |
| 175 | "STRAIGHT TO HEEEEEEEEELL!"\ |
| 176 | "Welcome everyone! To WRRRRRRRESTLEMANIAAAAAAAAAA!"\ |
| 177 | "IT'S ''[[DramaticUnmask ME]]'', AUSTIN! IT'S ''ME'', AUSTIN! IT WAS ME ALL ALONG, AUSTIN!!\ |
| 178 | "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MO-NAYYY, ''IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MO-NAYYY!''" |
| 179 | * LaserGuidedKarma: Vince has gotten this several times, and it's always glorious. One of the most notable examples was when he forced everyone from Jim Ross to Trish Stratus to literally kiss his ass...only for them to get payback when the Rock forced him to kiss Rikishi's 400-pound ass while they watched. |
| 180 | * LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Way back in 1997 a ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers New York Post]]'' writer named Phil Mushnick targeted professional wrestling. He hated the sport, hated the fans, wasn't content to change the channel and wanted to take away people's rights. Wrestling/JimCornette spoke his mind on the issue and after another segment where fan opinions were voiced Vince read out the address to send Mr. Mushnick their opinion, before stating he can think of a letter to send himself. At the time few knew Vinnie Mac ran the WWF and as owner he would rightly have a few choice comments to make. |
| 181 | * LouisCypher: Vince was the "Higher Power" of the Ministry, a Satanic cult, and branded himself a counterpart at war with God in "[[ParodyReligion [=McMahonism=]]]". As well, during the [=McMahonism=] storyline, Vince imitated Triple H's water-spitting entrance using holy water, then turned to his son Shane and said, "That kind of burns a little!" giving a hint of actual demonic influence. No wonder Shane asked him off-screen after that if he was going to Hell. |
| 182 | -->'''Wrestling/JimRoss:''' Some say he's the devil himself. |
| 183 | [[/folder]] |
| 184 | |
| 185 | [[folder:M-R]] |
| 186 | %%* MadArtist: If ProfessionalWrestling can be considered a form of art. |
| 187 | %%** Well, Wrestling/MikeQuackenbush considers it one, and Wrestling/ColtCabana's {{Podcast}} is titled ''The Art of Wrestling.'' |
| 188 | * MajorInjuryUnderreaction: ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble'' 2005 initially ended with the mother of all botches when the remaining wrestlers, Wrestling/JohnCena and Wrestling/{{Batista}}, were accidentally [[DoubleKnockout eliminated at the exact same time]], with Vince stomping down into the ring to act as damage control. However, after catching his knee on the ring while entering, he ended up tearing one of the quads in his legs, and -- while forced to do so sitting down -- spent the next minute barking orders at the wrestlers and refs on a [=1v1=] reset, almost assuredly masking the pain he was in. Once the matter was settled, he refused assistance in getting out of the ring and stood up on his own, [[BlackComedy tearing his other quad]]. |
| 189 | * TheManBehindTheMan: Vince was the "Higher Power" masterminding the Ministry of Darkness/Corporate Ministry. |
| 190 | %%* MathematiciansAnswer: One of his favorite ways to justify any of his actions is to say, "Because I'm Vince [=McMahon=], damn it!" |
| 191 | %%* MeanBoss: Many fans of WCW and Wrestling/{{ECW}} see him as this due to their treatment of the [=InVasion=] angle (dedicating [[BestServedCold a year and half]] and [[MoneyToThrowAway millions of dollars]] to humiliating his "major acquisitions", all for his personal jollies), his disfavoring of smaller wrestlers, rampant {{nepotism}}, and various other reasons. |
| 192 | %%** A sentiment by no means limited to fans of those two departed promotions. |
| 193 | %%* MilkingTheGiantCow: We can all agree that VKM nWo is best nWo. "'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5SgALuf4FI#t=450s A LETHAL DOSE OF POISON!]]''' |
| 194 | * MrAltDisney: [=McMahon=] has always wanted to be seen as the "Creator/WaltDisney" of wrestling, and after returning from a brief, involuntary, retirement in 2023 started sporting a thin moustache and slicked back, dyed black hair very much in the mold of Uncle Walt. |
| 195 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: During [[Wrestling/MickFoley Mankind's]] infamous ''Wrestling/KingOfTheRing 1998'' Hell in a Cell match against Wrestling/TheUndertaker, Vince came out and rushed to Foley's side with everyone else after the insane spot where the Undertaker threw him off the top of the cell through the Spanish announcers' table. When medics, referees and other staff are crowding around Mick and trying to load him onto a stretcher, Vince is stone-faced, but you can still see he's visibly upset at what happened to one of his men in the name of the business. After the bruising match finished (and it went on for a ''[[HowMuchMoreCanHeTake long]]'' time after that spot), Vince supposedly came to Mick backstage and said to him ''"Mick, you have no idea how much I appreciate what you just did, but I never want to see that again."'' |
| 196 | %%* NeatFreak: Jim Ross confirmed that Vince has the eating habits of a Vulcan; for instance, he will not eat with his hands, resorting to a fork and knife even for a sandwich. |
| 197 | * NewEraSpeech: On the December 15, 1997 ''Raw,'' he delivered a huge [[http://www.cagematch.net/?id=93&nr=981 promo]] where, invoking Creator/USANetwork's slogan of the time "The Cure for the Common Show," he said, "The WWF extends far beyond the strict confines of sports presentation into the wide open environment of broad based entertainment," effectively proclaiming the beginning of the Attitude Era, though not using those specific words. He proceeded to compare ''Raw'' to ''[[Series/TheJerrySpringerShow Jerry Springer]]'', ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', ''Series/DaysOfOurLives'', and ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''. Then came the big WhamLine, as Vince drew a clear line in the sand between the company's past and its present and future: |
| 198 | -->'''[=McMahon=]:''' We in the WWF think that you, the audience, are quite frankly tired of having your intelligence insulted. We also think that you're tired of the same old simplistic theory of "Good Guys vs. Bad Guys". Surely the era of the super-hero urge you to say your prayers and take your vitamins is definitely passé. Therefore, we've embarked on a far more innovative and contemporary creative campaign, that is far more invigorating and extemporaneous than ever before. |
| 199 | * NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Nearly every Vince match is one of these. Not only does he get absolutely destroyed by whoever he's facing, but the good guy usually delivers a beating so brutal it would turn them [[FaceHeelTurn Heel]] if it was against anyone else. |
| 200 | ** Part of the reason Bret vs. Vince didn't work out well was probably because the LighterAndSofter approach WWE has implemented means Bret couldn't really beat the holy hell out of Vince like Shawn Michaels or Hulk Hogan could years before. That, and Bret - having suffered a career-ending concussion and a stroke in the twelve-plus years between the Montreal Screwjob and ''[=WrestleMania=] 26'' - was in no shape to actually wrestle. That being said, the crowd did indeed roar with approval when Bret locked in the Sharpshooter. |
| 201 | ** A couple notable subversions; his match with Ric Flair over control of the WWE in the early 2000s had him dominate the Nature Boy. He also got the better of CM Punk in their 2012 brawl. |
| 202 | * NonActionGuy: Vince runs the ring rather than wrestling in it. While he has enough moves to throw a few effective blows and supplies well in cheap shots, he will usually either cower or get his teeth kicked in whenever forced into a legitimate match. |
| 203 | * NonIdleRich: Like many other business tycoons, Vince could have stayed behind the scenes without ever appearing in the public eye. Instead, he's done everything from commentary at ringside to [[ItMakesSenseInContext doing skits where he wets his pants on live television]] to taking vicious beatings in the ring himself. This is even part of the reason that he brought [[Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon his]] [[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon children]] into the company, because Vince has no life outside of wrestling - ahem, "[[InsistentTerminology sports entertainment]]" - and is [[{{Workaholic}} obsessively devoted]] to the business that if they weren't involved too he would literally never see them otherwise. |
| 204 | * NotWhatItLooksLike: Vince tried this excuse when Linda ''literally'' [[CaughtWithYourPantsDown caught Vince with his pants down]] after he tried to seduce Torrie Wilson. Needless to say, Linda didn't buy it. |
| 205 | * OhCrap: Vince has displayed looks of utter terror when he's about to suffer something really bad, especially from someone he's wronged: |
| 206 | ** When Stone Cold Steve Austin pretended to shoot him with a toy gun, prompting him to wet his pants; |
| 207 | ** When Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho displayed the video of him singing "Stand Back" on the Titantron; |
| 208 | ** And ''especially'' when the Rock forced him to kiss Rikishi's ass to permanently shut down his "Kiss My Ass Club". |
| 209 | %%* OmnicidalManiac: Vince at one point attempted to "kill" WWE in 2002 with help from the [=New World Order=]. In the end Vince wound up killing the nWo instead. |
| 210 | * OverlordJr: Apparently, shortly after he bought the WWF, Vince's dad sent letters to each of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA promoters, which basically said "my kid is coming for you, get ready". They didn't listen. |
| 211 | * PapaWolf: {{Subverted|Trope}} during the Higher Power storyline. Vince acted like this when his daughter Stephanie was threatened by The Undertaker and the Ministry of Darkness, however it was then revealed that Vince was the Higher Power who masterminded Stephanie's kidnapping all along. Since then for the most part Vince has been portrayed as treating his family cruelly - unless they're on the same side, in which case he plays this pretty straight. |
| 212 | * ParentChildTeam: Teamed with his son Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon often, during their feud with Wrestling/DGenerationX and as a part of Wrestling/TheCorporation. |
| 213 | %%* ParodyReligion: "[=McMahonism=]". |
| 214 | * ThePowerOfHate: You gotta give credit: as malicious and brutal he is to his enemies, he is at least [[{{Determinator}} resilient about it]]. He was driven to a borderline VillainousBreakdown at the hands of [=DeGeneration X=], but remained vigilant just because he was ''that'' intent on destroying them. |
| 215 | * PowerStable: Wrestling/TheCorporation, Corporate Ministry, [=McMahon=]-Helmsley Faction/Regime, and Team [=McMahon=]. There was also a tag team version of a PowerStable known as the Power Trip, which still held the WWE, Intercontinental, and Tag Team title belts at the same time despite only consisting of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Triple H. |
| 216 | %%* PunctuatedForEmphasis: VINCENT! KENNEDY! [=MCMAHON=]! |
| 217 | * RageQuit: As mentioned under ComplexityAddiction, Vince generally favours warring and toying with wrestlers that cross him to MakeAnExampleOutOfThem. If the feud proves particularly fruitless or enduring however, he may resort to just cutting the formalities and firing them anyway should it remain his only means of "winning". Vince attempted a CruelMercy punishment for Hulk Hogan at first in their 2003 feud for example, paying his salary but banishing him from wrestling ever again. When Hogan loopholed around this with his "Mr. America" alias, Vince was incensed and worn down enough to just [[NoNonsenseNemesis fire Hogan and be done with it the moment his identity was exposed]]. |
| 218 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: [=McMahon=] was especially good at these, particularly when he was perfecting the "Mr. [=McMahon=]" character in the spring of 1998, berating faces and heels alike with no shame or guilt, as though he were still proud to look at himself in the mirror every morning. One of his best was one he did with Wrestling/MickFoley on the June 1, 1998 edition of ''Wrestling/WWERaw''. Foley had tried unsuccessfully, as [=McMahon=]'s hired gun, to defeat Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, the most recently a day earlier at "Over the Edge." [=McMahon=] publicly called Foley an embarrassment to his company, friends and family, and tough-talking coward -- at one point, Foley was ready to slug [=McMahon=] with a steel chair, but backed off as [=McMahon=] told him that he would revoke various trust funds for his children and parents and drive him to ruin. After several more minutes of calling Foley a miserable failure, he fired him, by which time Foley had collapsed into tears. |
| 219 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: The first image in his Mr. [=McMahon=] Titantron was a shot of his face, which was all black-and-white except for his eyes, which were colored red. |
| 220 | %%* ReligionOfEvil: "[=McMahonism=]". Vince was also the "Greater Power" of the Ministry. |
| 221 | %%* TheReveal: IT'S ME AUSTIN!!! |
| 222 | %%-->''"[[Wrestling/JimRoss Aw, sonuva bitch!]]"'' |
| 223 | * RingOldies: "It's not very often that you see a sixty-year-old man with a [[LargeHam HERCULEAN]] physique like mine!" Terry Funk called him "the most hardcore man in the business" because he's a multi-millionaire who doesn't need to be hit over the head with chairs week in and week out, but does so anyway to promote a story. |
| 224 | ** One of his hallmark moments had to have been his sudden reappearance in the 2012 Cena/Punk feud. Long story short, Vince challenged Punk to a fight and went toe-to-toe with him at the end of the episode. This was crazy awesome in kayfabe as Vince is nearing 70 and Punk was the WWE Champion at the time, but a look at the background info will show that Vince decided on about six days' notice to appear on RAW in person and carry out this storyline in an attempt to boost ratings after one of the worst Mondays in WWE's recent history. In other words, '''a 67-year-old multimillionaire CEO threw himself into an on-screen brawl''' (some of the spots included Vince ''leaping over'' an announce table as well as Vince and Punk beating the crap out of each other with [[WoodenKatanasAreEvenBetter kendo sticks]]) '''for the sole purpose of getting people to watch his TV show.''' Now ''that's'' dedication. Not only did he not mind taking some nasty shots, he came close to ''winning'' without outside interference to the point that Punk tried to ''run away''. |
| 225 | ** Shown once again on RAW in January 2013, when he was about to fire Wrestling/PaulHeyman. He was scheduled to get hip surgery for a real life issue, so what did he do to have an excuse to be off TV? Take an [[FinishingMove F-5]] from Wrestling/BrockLesnar, of course. |
| 226 | [[/folder]] |
| 227 | |
| 228 | [[folder:S-Z]] |
| 229 | * SanitySlippage: |
| 230 | ** In 1999, he was the "Higher Power" behind The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness, which was basically a ReligionOfEvil. |
| 231 | ** In 2002, Vince was going off the hinges over Ric Flair being co-owner of the WWF. Vince was so convinced that Flair was going to kill the WWF that he decided the only solution was for him to kill it first. So, he injected the WWF "with a lethal dose of poison" — which turned out to be the New World Order, which did not turn out to be any kind of poison at all since, rough and thuggish as they were together, they loved the fans too much — especially Hogan. |
| 232 | ** Vince also went crazy in 2003 when he learned he was going to be in a Buried Alive match against The Undertaker, going as far as to demand that Taker's house be burned down, and that Taker's children were kidnapped and his wife was raped, and [[YouHaveFailedMe was even about to murder Paul Heyman and fire his corpse]] before [[ManipulativeBastard Heyman]] managed to talk Vince out of it. He also turned into a devout follower of an unknown power (perhaps as a ContinuityNod to the "Higher Power" angle) and walked to the ring as a praying, grinning idiot; this would later turn out to be a MoreThanMindControl relationship with Kane, who ultimately helped [=McMahon=] win the match. |
| 233 | ** In 2006, he booked himself against God (and Shawn Michaels) in a PPV match, a feud in which he healed Candice Michelle of a chest cold in an orgasmic frenzy simply by touching her chest and did a rambling prayer promo to himself in the middle of a church. (God "appeared" in the match in the form of a spotlight before "walking out" of the match, BTW, and [=McMahon=], well, he couldn't keep from talking about it that night.) |
| 234 | ** After losing the ECW Championship at ''One Night Stand 2007'', Mr. [=McMahon=] started to behave more erratically in the following weeks that would lead to his "death" in a limousine explosion. However, [[AbortedArc this would soon be dropped abruptly]] due to the real life death of Wrestling/ChrisBenoit. Once WWE was ready to pick up the storyline again, Vince explained that it was a ruse to see what people actually thought of him, including his own family. |
| 235 | * SatanicArchetype: He gets played up as this a lot, especially evident in his theme song and when he's paired against Shawn Michaels' MessianicArchetype. He's compared to the Devil a lot by commentators, especially Jim Ross, who even claimed that when Vince goes to Hell, [[HellHasNewManagement he would quickly take it over, implying that Vince was even WORSE than Satan]]. Vince was also the "Higher Power" of the Ministry, a Satanic cult, and branded himself a counterpart at war with God in "[[ParodyReligion McMahonism]]". During the [=McMahonism=] storyline, Vince imitated Triple H's water-spitting entrance using holy water, then turned to Shane and said, "That kind of burns a little!", giving a hint of actual demonic influence. Over a decade later, the "Boss" puppet of Wrestling/BrayWyatt's Firefly Fun House is in Vince's likeness and comes in through a door or window with a background styled to resemble hellfire, hinting that the Fun House creatures and even The Fiend himself regard Vince as the devil they serve. |
| 236 | * SecretKeeper: In [=WrestleMania=] XXX, he was the one who made the final decision that Wrestling/BrockLesnar would end Wrestling/TheUndertaker's Streak, which he kept private. Apart from revealing the decision beforehand to Taker and Lesnar and to his own [[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon daughter]] and [[Wrestling/TripleH son-in-law]] (who joined him in being secret-keepers themselves), he told no one else about it until months after the show--not Wrestling/MichaelCole, not referee Chad Patton, not even Wrestling/PaulHeyman--in order to up the shock value. Apart from Taker's head concussion, which was not what he nor Vince had planned in mind, it seemed that only Vince and his two family members were preparing for the end of the Streak like mourning family members preparing for a loved one's death--it was just a matter of when. When it was finally time, Lesnar and Taker knew about it and gave off hints of FiveSecondForeshadowing to the audience, with the [=McMahons=] (and Triple H) bowing their heads for a moment of the audience's StunnedSilence after the bell. |
| 237 | * SelfDeprecation: |
| 238 | ** We're talking about a promoter who allowed himself to get his head shaved by Donald Trump, take several wrestlers' finishers, get hit with steel chairs, have his face shoved into Wrestling/BigShow and Wrestling/{{Rikishi}}'s backsides, getting literally whipped with a belt, and [[DiscontinuityNod allowed wrestlers to make fun of]] his "Stand Back" music video... |
| 239 | ** Of note: every ''[=WrestleMania=]'' match Vince has ever competed in has been a loss for him, with Vince himself believing that he should never be on the winning end of a feud. |
| 240 | ** The Monday Night Wars were finally won basically by airing Vince getting his ass kicked by Steve Austin week after week. Even when he won, he lost! |
| 241 | ** He did a infomercial sketch on ''[[Series/TheLateLateShow The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn]]'' where he practically begged viewers to buy his failed XFL football league. |
| 242 | --->'''[=McMahon=]:''' Hey, remember the Memphis Maniax? ''Of course'' you don't! That's why you can have all the teams too! |
| 243 | * SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Once on ''Raw'' in 1996. |
| 244 | -->'''[=McMahon=]:''' [[Wrestling/TripleH Hunter]] has injured his prominent proboscis.[[note]]After getting slingshotted into the ring.[[/note]]\ |
| 245 | '''[[Wrestling/JerryLawler Jerry "The King" Lawler]]:''' Not only that, [[LaymansTerms but he hurt his nose]]. |
| 246 | %%* ShootTheDog: How he views the Montreal Screwjob, he had to do what he had to do. |
| 247 | %%* SlobsVsSnobs: Vince was the arrogant, sneering Snob to Austin's vulgar, short-tempered Slob during the Austin vs [=McMahon=] feud. |
| 248 | * SmokingIsNotCool: He '''HATES''' it. Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, everything. You can hear him express his disgust [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgLitQPAYwY here]], during Big Bully Busick's (w/manager Wrestling/HarveyWippleman) {{Squash|Match}} of Russ Greenberg on the August 31, 1991 ''WWF Superstars''. |
| 249 | * SmugSnake: He proudly took credit as being the one behind the [[Wrestling/TheNexus NXT Riot]], only for the "NXT Seven" to subsequently beat him down for the insinuation. |
| 250 | * StraightMan: As an announcer, producing some terrific interactions with such color men as Wrestling/JesseVentura, Wrestling/BobbyHeenan and Jerry Lawler. |
| 251 | * TheThreeCertaintiesInLife: During a feud with USWA, he claimed that the three guarantees in life are [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I3mGNF1cLg Death, Taxes, and Randy Savage.]] |
| 252 | * TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: A part of his first FaceHeelTurn was Vince insisting people call him "Mr. [=McMahon=]." |
| 253 | * VerbalTic: Get Vince talking about anything, either in his Mr. [=McMahon=] character or as himself, and see how long it takes before he precedes a statement with the words "quite frankly". Odds are good he'll say it within the first minute. |
| 254 | * VillainousIncest: {{Defied|Trope}}. Vince intended on doing this angle with his daughter Stephanie, but she declined. He had an incest storyline set up for Paul Burchill and [[Wrestling/KatarinaWaters Katie Lea]], who were lovers in OVW and put back together in WWE with the same antics but the slight change that they were now related but the switch to PG across the board stopped the implications from being taken all the way. [[Wrestling/MarkHenry Sexual Chocolate]] was in an incest storyline but was treated it like a past crime he was trying to atone for so he was not a villain. |
| 255 | * VillainProtagonist: Vince [=McMahon=] is the owner of WWE and the kayfabe universe is his own, so he's basically this. He also tends to center the show around himself and his storylines even though he's the BigBad. His antics in 2007 (feud with Trump, ECW reign, limo explosion, illegitimate son, etc.) are just some examples. |
| 256 | * VillainSong: "No Chance in Hell", which initially started as the theme song for The Corporation, and before that, the theme song for the 1999 Royal Rumble, at which Mr. [=McMahon=] assured that Steve Austin has "no chance in hell" of winning that year's Royal Rumble. It also got a DarkReprise simply known as the Corporate Ministry theme. |
| 257 | * VillainousBreakdown: Vince loves this trope. |
| 258 | ** He completely lost his cool when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin got a group of police officers to arrest him and his stooges. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1icSXUvfsqY It has to be seen to be believed.]] |
| 259 | ** After [[Wrestling/MickFoley Mankind]] won the WWF title for the first time in early 1999, Vince, with the Corporation in tow, retreated up the ramp, all the while with Vince shouting ''"NO!!! NOT HIM!!! ANYBODY BUT HIM!!! NO!!! [[AnythingButThat NOT MANKIND]]!!!"'' |
| 260 | ** His feud with DX [[ButtMonkey had him trolled relentlessly enough]] to have an onscreen nervous breakdown. |
| 261 | * VillainousValour: While a lot of the time he's a malicious BadBoss who is BullyingTheDragon when it comes to his wrestling roster, Vince will often be conveyed as spitefully defiant to the end when it comes to proper feuds. A lot of his matches against trained superstars are arranged by ''him''. |
| 262 | * TheWonka: Vince's bizarre eccentricities are half of his charm. To summarize from other page entries, he utterly despises sneezing and smoking, carries an electric razor around which he uses multiple times a day to avoid even a hint of stubble, works around the clock while never taking vacations and getting very little sleep, has a fascination with everything from ToiletHumor to VillainousIncest, performs random acts of charity to help employees out, and is a NonIdleRich who takes vicious beatings with everything from wrestling moves to kendo sticks while bleeding all over the place. If the TropeNamer had never come along this trope could have been ''named'' after Vince. |
| 263 | * YouHaveFailedMe: Vince has two words for those who fail him: YOOOOOUUUUU'RE FFFFFFFFFFFFFIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEDDDD!!!! |
| 264 | * YouWillBeAssimilated: Vince ran both Wrestling/EricBischoff and Wrestling/PaulHeyman out of business, and later bought [[Wrestling/{{WCW}} their]] [[Wrestling/{{ECW}} promotions]]. He later put both men on his own payroll and partially revived their promotions, albeit in very different forms than their originals. |
| 265 | [[/folder]] |
| 266 | ---- |
| 267 | ->'''''"IT'S ME, TROPERS! ([[Wrestling/JimRoss "Aw, sonovabitch..."]] [[Wrestling/JerryLawler "WHAT?!"]]) IT'S ME, TROPERS! IT WAS ME ALL ALONG, TROPERS! ("Damn, I can-NOT believe it...") YOU ALL BOUGHT IT! YOU ALL BOUGHT IT! HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER! EVEN MY FAMILY- EVEN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY BOUGHT IT! EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU WERE MADE FOOLS OF! ("You're a fool, JR!") But you know... I really didn't want to do it; the Tropers made me. Those damn Tropers made me fool you, because Tropers, I had to teach you a lesson that you would never, EVER, forget... And now, Tropers... Tropers, now you know: there is no price I will not pay, there is no depth that I will not stoop, [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife TO MAKE YOUR LIFE ON EARTH, TROPERS, A TOTAL COMPLETE LIVING HELLLLLL!]]"''''' |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Wrestling / VinceMcmahon
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
