Whether or not one considers Vince McMahon a artistic genius or a contemptible megalomaniac, wrestling is undeniably totally different due to him. As a businessman, McMahon excelled, remodeling a distinct segment carnival act into the world leisure powerhouse that wrestling has turn into. Nonetheless, not everyone seems to be a fan of how he went about it, and he is usually blamed for collapsing smaller promotions and poaching expertise to construct his personal.
On a latest “One thing to Wrestle” podcast, former WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield staunchly refuted these criticisms.
“Individuals say, ‘Oh, Vince was the worst factor to occur to wrestling.’ I hear that numerous occasions,” JBL stated. “He took an organization that he purchased from his father for $1 million and bought it for $9.3 billion, and retained the rights. Now, I was in skilled wrestling, and I used to be additionally in sports activities leisure. There ain’t no comparability so far as cash, so far as medical, so far as the way you’re handled. What Vince did, he modified the enterprise, massively, for the higher.”
JBL drove residence the distinction between skilled wrestling and sports activities leisure, and did not object to the transformation. He stated McMahon not solely made individuals more cash, however the high quality of life for a wrestler vastly improved below his management.
“I began within the territories,” JBL stated. “I noticed how s****y it was. I noticed how s****y promoters have been. I noticed how they handled you. I noticed the way you could not do something about it. However individuals speak about skilled wrestling/sports activities leisure, there isn’t any comparability. And most of that’s attributed to Vince McMahon. So when individuals say, ‘Vince McMahon actually harm wrestling.’ No, he did not. Brother, we’re standing on the pillars that he and Kevin Dunn constructed.”
Please credit score “One thing to Wrestle” when utilizing quotes from this text, and provides a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
