50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE WrestleMania
3. Vince McMahon’s Final Bow Was Pathetic
Vince pushed himself onto the card one last time at WrestleMania 38. There, he "wrestled" Pat McAfee in a bogus 3-4 minute match before taking one of the worst stunners ever from Steve Austin and bowing out of his own creation for good. There was a time when McMahon wouldn’t have let anything this crap on his biggest show. There was also a time when he totally deserved the spotlight in matches vs. Shane, Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan etc.
Not in 2022. He had no business taking time away from others here. It was inexcusable.
McMahon bragged to Netflix about having multiple brains during a controversial docuseries that got everyone talking. If he'd stopped to use even one of those, then he'd have figured out that putting himself in the spotlight as deep as 'Mania 38 was a bad idea. It was an even worse idea to have McAfee as his opponent mere minutes after the announcer worked a drab bout vs. Austin Theory. Who was any of this for?!
Any lapsed fans returning to the WWE fold after years away would've been horrified to see what Vince's attraction matches had become. Sure, he's a man in his 70s, but that doesn't mean anybody needed or wanted to see this. Someone needed to pull McMahon aside backstage and suggest he change the format. Giving Sheamus and Ridge Holland vs. New Day more than 100 seconds would've been a better plan - they could've used the time far more effectively than Vince and company did on the night.
His performance will go down as one of the worst in 'Mania lore.