Thread 18673751

When did it become public knowledge for the fans that Vince McMahon was the owner of the WWF? I know that even by the early RAWs, King is ribbing Vince and bringing up real life things about him, like the steroid trial and whatever

And why did he feel the need to hide it? Did he think it would make him look like a narcissist to fans or something?

i don't know why they ever needed to reveal it. it should've been kept secret forever.

>>18673769
By 1993 when the steroid trials hit, it was on TV and in all the newspapers as "Vince McMahon, WWF Owner". Only the most retarded children didn't know Vince was the owner past that point, and even then, commentary would acknowledge it sometimes

>>18673751 (OP)
Steroid scandal fully exposed it to all the normies and casual fans, op

>>18673775
it's fine to know but WWF tv was better and more fun before they acknowledged that.
still prefer him as the babyface host and commentator over the self caricature lunatic
also wish he never put any of his family on tv

>>18673791
That and Vince wanting a tax break by admitting it wasn't a competitive sport.

>>18673751 (OP)
They never tried to hide Vince being the owner. His on air persona was a TV commentator so him owning the company was irrelevant for that, and they had "commissioners" or "presidents" who made the matches and enforced rulings, but were never implied to own the company

>>18673791
>>18673775
That shit was a huge deal at the time
It was the first time Hogan's public image took a hit. He was still popular and still put asses in seats afterwards, but his image was a bit tainted by that point and Hulkamania just wasn't the same like it was in the 80s
His heel turn was only a matter of time after that if you ask me

they did always acknowledge that he's the son of the former owner, his namesake

>>18673870
WWF before and after Vince are essentially two entirely separate fanbases because the rock and wrestling era brought on fans that had no clue about the previous product. I mean for fuck's sake, the fans didn't even know who Bob Backlund was when he returned

Diesel called him out in 95

https://youtu.be/cWSxuE3Aepc

1992

>>18675363
>God I wish he'd poop on me
God he sounds so slimy even back then.

>>18673751 (OP)
After the survivor series 97 for newgen kids like me, though dirtsheet smarks would have known. If you were a newgen kid vince was just the weirdo shitty announcer and it kind of boggled my mind that he owned it. I thought he was too goofy and assumed Gorilla monsoon was the one in charge

>>18673801
>still prefer him as the babyface host and commentator
>literally trying and failing to be charismatic and put together and comes across as phony, cringe and dorky
>also one of the worst commentators to work a table
I agree that none of the McMahons besides Vince should've been there but I would not have wanted to hear that faggot go "WHAT A MANEUVER!" well into 2010s Raw or Smackdown.

>>18673837
Were dumb american marks in the 80s really so fucking stupid that it was a big shock for them that everyone in WWF was on roids?

>>18675435
No zoomie, the thing blew up when hogan pretended he didn't take steroids along with a federal indictment on mcmahon stating he was selling the wrestlers steroids.

>>18675435
Normies in general are really fucking retard, even to this day. there was a huge scandal like a year ago because this guy admitted to taking stuff

>>18675435
You act as if what we know about steroids now was common information back then.

>>18673751 (OP)
early 90s when the steroid scandal happened is when I found out. I remember the whole thing being on the news otherwise I just thought Vince was a commentator.
Up until that point I thought Jack Tunney really was in charge.

>>18675435
Mostly a shock for non-fans and parents. Remember it was right in the middle of the war on drugs so politicians and media were hysterical about everything except alcohol.
Most fans knew everyone was on roids and also that it was all staged even in the 80s. Here's footage of some reporter outside MSG for WM I trying to goad fans by asking them "Don't you know it's fake?" Nobody cares https://x.com/allan_cheapshot/status/1894427473644761177

>>18675492
>stooge reporter goes "YOU KNOW IT'S FAKE DONT YOU FAGGOTS"
>based kid big leagues him and says "if it's fake why don't you do it?"
I want this America back. And don't say it has anything to do with blacks when you clearly see some in the video.

>>18675524
>I want this America back.
Me too
>And don't say it has anything to do with blacks when you clearly see some in the video.
Stop b8ing

>>18675423
Would have been better than Michael Cole

>>18675423
well then maybe that fucker shouldn't have been on TV at all because his commentary was still better than the kiss my ass club and all the other gay shit he was doing

>>18675492
I can't find it but I remember seeing a tv report from late 70s and they asked everybody in the audience if they think wrestling is real and 70 something % said they know its "fake".
Cornette would have you believe everyone in his days was a mark when it was really just him and couple other dumb rednecks.

>>18675404
explains how he had a job for so long

>>18675595
Wasn't the Mr Mcmahon character literally the thing that made RAW beat Nitro in the ratings?

>>18675602
No it was stone cold, he was just a good foil to Stone cold.

>>18675602
no he was still Vince. before he became Flanderized. heel vince wore out his welcome extremely quickly the more fake and over the top he became. it was because of his ego, he wanted to make it obvious he was portraying a fake tv character

>>18675613
vince always spiked the ratings bud

>>18675615
until he didn't.

>>18675615
Yeah that's why after stone cold turned heel and fumbled his last two years the company never reached the same heights again

>>18675615
You're a bit stupid aren't you

>>18675615
vince never drew as a wrestler. his matches did terribly on PPV. that's why i never see the claim for him as the GOAT heel.
great heels draw money, sell tickets and PPVs

>>18675629
Yeah his ppv matches woth Austin drew like shit because no one wanted to entertain the idea of vince winning or even having a competitive match.

>>18675629
>>18675656
never is going to far. The match they had on Raw is what broke Nitro's streak

>>18675614
Take the wrestling fig out yo bussy, playa

>>18675627
No Im not actually. You are a cripple irish faggot though

>>18675623
>>18675624
>>18675627
>>18675656
See >>18675718

>>18675734
WHAT

>>18675748
WHAT

>>18675665
Fair I'm talking st valentines day massacre

>>18675435
No one outside of the medical or bodybuilding fields really knew what steroids were in the 80s. Up until the Regan drug war and massive scandals in the NFL when guys like Lyle Azado said everyone was taking steroids, people just thought steroids were shit the USSR pumped into everyone to make them better at the Olympics

>>18675492
>that one guido who gives a shoot "ya ever seen Rocky 3?"

>>18675404
>though dirtsheet smarks would have known

The newstand magazines were much more read and those readers knew. The John Stossel ABC news thing would have also been seen my millions.

>>18673801
>>18673837
it's all hogan's fault?

>>18675435
35% of the population can look and discern for themselves what they see.
65% of the population can only see what they're shown.
The WWF denied steroids and most people believed it.
The rest knew better and laughed. The shock came from the people who believed the denial, not the rest.
It's the bell curve.

>>18673819
>They never tried to hide Vince being the owner.
by they you mean vince but at the same time neither he nor anybody else connected with the wwf ever acknowledged him being the owner on tv
>>18673888
>the fans didn't even know who Bob Backlund was when he returned
they knew but it was bob backlund what sort of reaction did you expect? the dude was boring as you can get
>>18673801
>still prefer him as the babyface host and commentator over the self caricature lunatic
i agree. i enjoyed him on commentary
>also wish he never put any of his family on tv
this. they all sucked and caused me to lose interest in the show. the worst was that one mania when there was a mcmahon in every corner

>also wish he never put any of his family on tv
No, you're supposed to love Shane McMahon jumping from tall places!

Damn Lawer has been in the bissness forever

>>18679146
He started in like 1970 lmao he was already enjoying his RETIREMENT when he started off in WWE

>>18675435
People are still too stupid to spot when wrestlers are on steroids, especially ones who don't look like Lex Luger
AEW wrestlers love getting on nuclear levels of gas because they know no one will scrutinize them (oh, you're in AEW, you must be a scrawny midget) and then it catches up with them fast kek

>>18673751 (OP)
Mid 90s from what I remember. Adults probably knew sooner but I was just a kid who watched the show, and it was never mentioned or even hinted at on-screen until early Raw era.
>>18673775
True but kids didn't watch news or talk shows or give a shit about any of that. There was vidya, toys, outside and pro wrestling. That's it.

>>18673751 (OP)
Retarded boomer humble bragging, like saying he never wanted to be in the hall of fame (he got his wish)

>>18673769
There was no more hiding it by the mid 90s. Plus imagine missing out on Mr. McMahon from 97 onward if he stays on commentary or stays backstage.

Did anyone even know that Bischoff was the head of WCW when he was a commentator?

>>18675613
It was both. Stone Cold wouldn't have been as red hot without Vince, he was the Joker to his Batman.

Didn't Piper used to do some "wink wink" shit about Vince owning the company in the 80s during promos?

>>18678665
Why would they go out of the way to acknowledge him as the owner when it was completely irrelevant to what was on TV?
>"Ya know Shawn, when President Gorilla Monsoon, or I should say, Vince McMahon who plays a commentator on TV, but is actually the owner and booker of this company who decided on this match..."