One MIND-BLOWING Secret From Every Year Of WWE History

43. 1982 - Vince McMahon Played Along At First

Three months after purchasing the WWF from his father - with whose money, hmmm - Vince McMahon promoted an NWA World title match between Ric Flair and Playboy Buddy Rose on behalf of the Portland territory. This promo, which can be found on YouTube, is fascinating on multiple levels.

Firstly, it helps not to reduce and simplify history. Vince destroyed the territory system, of course he did, but he didn’t squat over the map and take a dump over it immediately. He took over the WWF with the pretence of upholding the old collaborative value system. 

Also, his pained depression and stilted, insincere delivery is something to behold. It is as if, even when pretending to be nice, a team player, he is incapable of hiding his contempt and sinister motives. Further, it’s thoroughly bizarre for him to refer to Ric Flair as the “World’s champion”. 

It wasn’t just that the WWF had for years booked its own World champion and wanted you to buy him as the undisputed real deal; “World’s”, with the possessive apostrophe, was very much the NWA way of putting it.