10 Times Vince McMahon Had To Swallow His Pride

5. WWF New York

Just prior to the turn of the millennium, Vince decided to open WWF New York. Part-nightclub, part-restaurant and part-sports bar in the very heart of Times Square, it was regularly cut to during live broadcasts to show rambunctious crowds (of almost universally middle-aged men) losing their nut behind an injured wrestler or, more frequently, ogling Terri Runnels.

In McMahon's mind this was a business no-brainer. Everyone likes burgers, everyone likes beer, but their USP was the ability to screen any live wrestling show they wanted and draw the punters in by dangling the enticing carrot of live appearances from Sports Entertainers™. The only problem he refused to accept was that it is nearly impossible to make a single dollar in Times Square.

The rent for all premises in that particular part of New York City is simply unbelievable, to the point where the venue lost the company an estimated $25m in just four short years. Linda McMahon, stepping in to be the adult in the situation, closed it down in 2003.