10 Secrets To Vince McMahon's Success

9. A Galaxy Of Stars

Vince McMahon WWE Champion
WWE.com

McMahon, well-renowned for a superiority complex over what he would later refer to as wrasslin', was nevertheless not above plagiarism.

WrestleMania wasn't quite his brainchild; Starrcade was its spiritual antecedent. McMahon didn't even name WrestleMania; Howard Finkel did, inspired by the Beatles. Still, McMahon's promotional drive was entirely his own; by devising the Rock N' Wrestling era, cross-promoting with the white-hot MTV, and borrowing stars from the "real" wing of celebrity (pity the fool who underestimates Mr. T's contribution to the WWF's expansion), McMahon framed the inaugural WrestleMania as pro wrestling's debutante ball. The public was mesmerised by the talismanic Hulk Hogan, the viciously charismatic Roddy Piper, the impossibly massive André The Giant, and the glamorous Wendi Richter.

In short order, the WWF, after the failed experiment that was WrestleMania 2, grew in popularity to such an extent they crammed a stupendous (though false) number into the Pontiac Silverdome for 'Mania III. The subsequent influx of memorable (and McMahon-modified) megastars - the minted mega-heel Ted DiBiase, the insanely intense Randy Savage, the simply insane Ultimate Warrior, scores of others - stacked the WWF so heavily that it evolved from fad to cultural cornerstone.

To McMahon's immense credit, this fit of creativity and commerciality remains unparalleled.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!