This docuseries examined the life and career of former WWE CEO, Vince McMahon. This surounds his upbringing and his life while being in the wrestling industry. To me, this docuseries could be enjoyed by all but it would probably just interest past, present and future fans.
This docuseries was very insightful because I was just aware of the general events that occured but not of the back story behind it all. There were numerous events that were covered. Such topics include the steroid trial and the Montreal Screwjob.
Mr. McMahon didn't live a lavish lifestyle. His dad wasn't in the picture for much of his life. They only really got together and bonded over the wrestling industry. McMahon Jr. had to essentially start from the bottom by only being an announcer and interviewer; he slowly climbed his way to the top. He would take control of the company by way of an agreement. He would make payments every month and McMahon Sr. would regain control if he missed a payment. The latter never happened and Vincent K. McMahon soon gained full control.
The introduction of the scandals is what made this series really riveting. The concept of "ring boys" was rather disturbing. Inviting boys to be part of the action seems interesting at first. However, having to hear that "favours" were done in exchange was revolting. To add to that, the first female referee employee was said to have to do similar actions to stay employed.
These kind of stories crossed the lines that exist in the business. As I was watching this; I was just shocked by this. I only expected to see these kind of stories in shows like Law & Order: SVU. Seeing these stories just left me open mouthed.
Then comes the steroid trial. Wrestlers doping on steroids because it was the latest craze on the block. In addition, it was done because their physiques weren't what they were supposed to be. It was believed that it was Mr. McMahon who was the instigator behind all of this and that he was the supplier. Hulk Hogan was the star witness for the prosecution. He was ultimately found not guilty.
The Monday Night Wars was a major aspect of wrestling during the '90's. It was a ratings war between WWF and Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It could be said that it began with Hulk Hogan going to WCW; debuting as a shock heel (bad guy) at Bash at the Beach in 1996. For 82 straight weeks, WCW reigned supreme. The introduction of aged 18-34 content changed the tide of the wars.
WWF became more popular and some highlights included the introduction of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and the subsequent feud with Mr. McMahon. A real headline of the wars was the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997. Bret Hart was set to depart WWF to go to WCW. He was the WWF champion and he refused to relinquish the title at said pay-per-view against Shawn Michaels. Michaels put Hart in the Sharpshooter and McMahon immediately called for the bell, even before anything happened. Hart was furious with the way the match ended. A post Mr. McMahon interview brought out a popular saying: "Bret screwed Bret."
A portion of the series was dedicated to family. Throughtout everything, family has played a big part in the industry. Every McMahon has played a part in the storylines. It can be beneficial when families come together to work on something. At times, they were against each other while other times they worked together as a powerhouse faction.
What was shocking was the name dropping of Chris Benoit. Ever since it was found out that he was involved in the double murder-suicide, WWE had done everything possible to erase him from the history books. An example would be the exclusion of the mentioning of the 2004 Royal Rumble match, where he went coast to coast. In other words, he would enter at no. 1 and ended up winning the match.
This docuseries ended with the mentioning of the latest lawsuit by Janel Grant on Mr. McMahon. This relates to sex trafficking. The formation of the TKO Group Holdings is also talked about. This was the merger of the WWE and UFC.
It's important to note that these interviews were done prior to the allegations becoming public. Some were done in 2021 and others in 2022.
On 24 September, Vince McMahon issued a statement on X, describing the documentary as "deceptive" and claiming it was intentionally misleading viewers by creating confusion around key events. Reportedly, McMahon had also expressed interest in purchasing the rights to Mr. McMahon to prevent it's distribution, aiming to ensure the documentary is not widely seen.
I found this docuseries to be very interesting. It was also insightful. What I was disappointed with was the years that the interviews were done. I would've preferred that these interviews be done during this year. It was a fascinating watch.