The Disturbing Truth Behind Vince McMahon Selling WWE

Triple H NXT
WWE

A frustrated and defensive Triple H is spent as a creative force and has failed quite spectacularly to convince shareholders that his vision for the future is viable. In a soulless game of dollars and cents, he's pulling rookie numbers on Tuesday nights without competition. His days as the only feasible successor to the throne are setting.

It is thought, naively, that Vince McMahon's mentality is a barrier to the ideals, the soul, of professional wrestling. This was true, in hindsight, even when NXT was at its peak as a tantalising (and cruel) glimpse into a better future. WarGames; hiring every other PWG starlet; actual, likeable babyfaces: the positive hardcore fan service of prime years WWE NXT masked the fact that it was a WWE product. Beneath the euphoria, NXT was always a very obviously scripted WWE show. It has operated in its current form for almost a decade. Throughout that time, how many truly iconic promos have been cut? Hard Times, Austin 3:16, Ellis Island iconic?

The controlling culture of WWE infects everything.

At best, irrespective of whomever takes the reins - and in a quite incredible development, right now that man is probably Bruce Prichard - the post-Vince McMahon era of WWE would materialise as something far more logical but equally polished, over-produced, bland. The entity is simply too corporate, the culture too ingrained, to allow for anything else. When a multi-millionaire CEO takes over WWE, whether it's Nick Khan or somebody else, that person is not going to study tapes of Mid-South and find the next successor to Bill Watts. It's highly improbable that something like that happened to form AEW. That CEO isn't going to visit GCW to recruit the next bloodline of the pro wrestling booker.

CONT'D...(4 of 6)

Advertisement
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!