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WWE News: Report, News, Quotes from ESPN's E:60 feature story on WWE's business and WrestleMania 25 - McMahon says he will never die

Apr 14, 2009 - 6:14:49 PM
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By James Caldwell, PWTorch.com assistant editor

ESPN's E:60 show from April 14 opened with a video package on the return of their newsmagazine show. They showed a brief video package on the WWE feature airing tonight, including a brief quote from Vince McMahon.

They cut to the black-and-white "around-the-table" E:60 intro discussion. Jeremy Schaap made his case that WWE could be the greatest entertainment entity around today. Schaap was asked if WWE tried to script this presentation of McMahon. Schaap shifted in his chair and said we will see a McMahon not usually seen.

The first segment of the show then went right to the WWE story. After brief soundbytes from John Cena and Big Show aired, they cut to clips of Schaap interviewing Vince McMahon.

Hulk Hogan was shown talking about Vince McMahon "betting the house" on the first WrestleMania. They cut to a clip of WrestleMania III where WWE set the all-time indoor attendance record.

More clips of WrestleMania's historical moments mixing wrestling, sports, and entertainment. Schaap said McMahon re-defined wrestling.

McMahon said he came along and said wrestling is not a sport, but the greatest theatrical performance going. He said all of these other promoters were calling it the wrong thing.

"A lot of weren't real happy about it," Hogan said. "All of a sudden, the cigar-smokers disappeared. The families showed up. The kids and grandmothers. They would bring more kids. Instead of just selling a wrestling ticket, you're selling wrestling merchandise."

Schaab then got personal with McMahon, who opened up about wanting to kill his step-father when he grew up in a trailer in North Carolina. McMahon paused and said the beatings his step-father gave himself and his mom was too much to handle. He said he never gave up, though.

"If I'm not dead, then I win," McMahon said about his philosophy after taking the beatings.

McMahon said he gravitate to his father, Vince McMahon, Sr., but his father didn't want him in this business. McMahon, Sr. told him to become a lawyer. "I detest lawyers," McMahon, Jr. said.

McMahon repeated the statement that his father never would have sold him the old WWWF if he knew what he would do with it. McMahon contested the idea that he killed the territories in pro wrestling. "They drove themselves out of business," McMahon said.

Cut to clips of the McMahon Family operating the business. Stephanie was interviewed by Schaab about her toughest job being managing her father, Vince McMahon, but "he has the ultimate creative say."

They showed clips from inside a production meeting with WWE's creative team discussing storylines leading to WrestleMania 25. After a few brief discussions were shown, McMahon sent the ESPN cameras out of the room.

Schaab then bumped into John Morrison and The Miz to check out their glamorous wardrobe. Schaab did a voice-over about WWE being a traveling circus.

Bret Hart was then shown talking about WWE taking wrestlers and eating them up. Mike Mooneyham talked about wrestlers being independent contractors with zero benefits from WWE. Mooneyham said WWE gets away with it by making wrestlers sign contracts waiving their rights.

Back to Hart, who talked about the steroids issue. They showed clips from McMahon at the steroid trial in 1994. Mooneyham discussed Vince McMahon having to deal with a public image problem due to steroid issues and

"I don't know what happened to Chris Benoit - what went on in his brain," McMahon said. "It was unquestionably the darkest day in the history of the business."

Schaab played devil's advocate and asked McMahon why he even has a steroid policy if they are entertainment. "Some of it is political," McMahon said. "There is a double-standard because there is a history of steroids in our business."

Hogan was then shown again. He said McMahon is essentially a robot. "Never seen him break down and cry. Never seen him give up," Hogan said. He added that he would tell McMahon: "Dude, you have to go to the bathroom to change the battery in your forearm."

Schaab then asked McMahon about the future of the WWE when he's not around. McMahon defiantly said that's never going to happen. "I'm probably never going to die," McMahon said. "I will always be around somehow."


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