10 Times Vince McMahon Sold His Soul

9. Payfabe

Vince McMahon Stacy Keibler
WWE.com

Most 1980s promoters considered Vince McMahon the devil himself when he steamrolled through their territories en route to global domination, but they presumably had to sink even lower than Satan in assessing him after an infamous conversation with the New Jersey Senate in February 1989.

It was in this formalised and documented discussion that he admitted once and for all that pro wrestling was pre-determined. And he only lifted the lid to save a few quid. Representing himself and his company, McMahon committed to record that the industry was "an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators rather than conducting a bona fide athletic contest."

Hard, mechanical facts for an equally business-like reason, the revelation was part of a successful campaign from Vince and wife Linda to have wrestling deregulated by the state's sports commission. It saved the company having to go to the trouble of acquiring medical clearance and various legal registration for the talent, and reduced fees and taxes on venues levied at other 'sports'. Whilst it only really confirmed suspicions rather than confounding consumers, it was considered watershed amongst the few promoters that had survived every other effort made by McMahon to attain a monopoly he'd long strived for.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett