Vince McMahon is Back, Everything Will Get Better
Vince McMahon is Back, Everything Will Get Better
Written by committee.
There is in fact a high likelihood that everything will crumble into biscuit-like dust. But is there even the slightest chance that WWE could actually get better now that Vince is back at the table? This article will explore this question with the minimal amount of academic rigour expected from a blog that publishes less than two articles a year.
There is a direct line that can be drawn between Vince McMahon and former US President Donald Trump, and that line goes via Hulk Hogan’s beach bar karaoke, where people sing karaoke to Hulk Hogan as he sits on a bar stool in front of them(?) The point being made here, aside from the fact that Trump has a similar set-up at Mar-a-Lago (where no-one else is allowed to touch the CD player), is that Vince is pretty good at grabbing power without the need for a public karaoke set-up. In fact, he’s probably better at power-grabs than Trump.
‘He’s baaaaack,’ read the message posted into a Chinese WeChat group dedicated to wrestling on the morning of January 6, 2023. The immediate rumour was that Vinny Mac was trying to force his way back into his own company by replacing board members with people who would support him. Despite the shock that this news no doubt caused, cynical wrestling fans everywhere were also thinking, ‘Well, if he does succeed, at least he’ll can the whole Bray thing.’
Arguably, McMahon’s original departure due to (insert multitude of reasons here) led to WWE making some of the best TV it’s made in years. Things were so good, there was talk about people who had previously left the company wanting to return to the fold, whilst a number of half-hearted rumours were flying around that some of the AEW roster were actively working on getting out of their contracts. Will those people still want to return now that Vince is back? After all, he’s not getting involved in creative, and that was one of the main reasons as to why many wanted to exit WWE in the first place.
The company line about being present to oversee a sale or new tv deal is clear enough for all to understand. But knowing Vince as we do, it’s hard to see him resisting the temptation to get involved in the creative process. One can almost hear the sounds of the keyboard as the excuse that ‘current creative is hurting TV deals and sale potential’ is being typed up to be printed out on WWE headed-paper. The rumour that Sheamus and Drew will form a tag team called Banger Bros. is the only clue we have at present to suggest that Vince has been dipping his foot back into the creative pool. For now, McMahon is not demanding immediate re-writes of entire 3 hour shows.
So, what might actually happen? Vince’s first move might be to sack all the people he has already sacked. He’ll probably hate the idea of having to do something that he’s already done once, whilst also loving it at the same time. Next up: Booking things correctly. Brock to win the Rumble, followed by Brock versus Roman at Mania again. Perfect. How does Vince do it!
Finally, tweaking creative and giving characters the tools they need to excel. Take for instance talented upstart Jonny Gargano. He’s missing something, and Vince knows what: Alliteration. Greg Gargano has a nice ring to it. ‘Make that change and he’ll draw twice the amount that Austin could,’ shouts Vince down a corridor as Bruce Pritchard runs to record a podcast in the toilet. Thinking about it, the newly christened Greg Gargano could probably even give Austin tips on how to pace himself and actually get over. And eventually, if all goes well, just ‘Greg’. Within a year, Vince will have created the biggest draw this world has ever seen. Chants of ‘Greg, Greg, Greg,’ ringing out at arenas across Saudi Arabia.
‘He doesn’t need to make these changes’, you shout. ‘Ratings are up!’ This might be true, I don’t know, I haven’t bothered to check. However, even if ratings have improved, is it as a result of other expenses that hurt overall profitability? We’ll never know, and I don’t care enough to investigate, but it’s the kind of thing that would be said in order to justify cutting Sami Zayn despite being the best thing on WWE television right now. Cut talent and creative, and ratings might drop, but the company could be more profitable. No-brainer really. After all, there’s nothing that sports fans care about more than profitability for board members.
To sum up this entirely incoherent mess of an article, Vince McMahon is probably who Donald Trump thinks he is. From a business perspective, HHH does have a better vision for talent, and it seems he has created an enjoyable working environment. However, Vince likes to be involved in creative, ends up doing what he wants and somehow remains in charge, and he says things very loudly. He’s gonna puke. He’s gonna puke! In conclusion, this is probably the best thing to happen to AEW since Punk turning up/leaving.
