10 Outrageous WWE Experiments That Failed
7. Vince McMahon's Outside Ventures
Each one of these ideas could be torn to pieces individually, but it makes sense to lump them all together.
After all, that's exactly what those who follow the industry have done, grouped ICOPRO, the World Bodybuilding Federation and the XFL together as collective failures. They were all ventures attempted by Vince McMahon away from his bread and butter, the WWF/WWE.
McMahon deserves praise for attempting things outside his comfort zone, but they were all ill-advised. Money was taken away from his core product, pro wrestling, and pumped into bodybuilding, supplements and American Football leagues.
They were bold experiments, yes, but ones which all collapsed relatively quickly after launching.
The WBF and ICOPRO also suffered from bad timing, falling around the same time as McMahon's troubles with the U.S Federal Government over alleged distribution of steroids. As for the XFL, it didn't appeal to wrestling enthusiasts or those who loved pro football.
Competing with the NFL was always going to be a challenge, but it was a hurdle too high for the wrestling organisation to jump.