No One Is Bigger Than This Business – Not Even Vince McMahon
On the July 18, 2011 episode of Monday Night Raw, Triple H returned for the first time since WrestleMania 28 and, in storyline, “fired” Vince McMahon on behalf of the WWE Board of Directors. Today, I think a lot of us wish that hadn’t been a storyline.
The WSJ came out with another bombshell report, detailing the 76 year old boss’s $12 million dollar payout to 4 different women after sexual relationships or, as shown today, sexual coercion and assult. It is absolutely tragic and disgusting. What’s more, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful commented in a Tweet that, after the initial allegations came out in June and Vince appeared on SmackDown (and now appearing on what seems every other show), that when he walked back through the curtain, he shouted, “F**K EM!”. Vince didn’t care. To Vince, he’s untouchable. And that’s the problem.
The fact that Vince has come out on almost every show since only to blab on about nothing just to get his time in the spotlight to shove it in everyone’s faces is just mind boggling egotism. And again, that’s the problem. The fact that he didn’t come out on this Friday’s SmackDown was honestly surprising.
What I’m getting at is something that Triple H said to Vince in that promo almost 11 years ago that, while scripted, was absolutely true: “No one is bigger than this business”. And Vince McMahon right now thinks that he is bigger than this business. Heck, Vince thinks he *IS* the business at this point. And that is the problem.
And so, what happens now? Either one of two things: 1. The WWE Board of Directors, the shareholders and the sponsors, the TV Networks, and the entire McMahon family (Stephanie, Triple H, Shane, AND Linda) need to demand as a collective unit that Vince resign or be removed. Or 2. Vince stays, despite whatever the results of the investigations yield (likely guilty), and he drags WWE down with his own egotistical pride and every sponsor and shareholder and Board member resigns. Either Vince does the right thing and retires with some slight sliver of dignity left in his damaged legacy, or he takes WWE itself down with him. If the investigations prove the allegations (which is very likely) and Vince doesn’t resign or the Board and the family are not able to remove him permanently, you’re absolutely crazy if you think that the sponsors and shareholders will stay supporting WWE. In a world where sexual abuse and sexual misconduct has finally come to the forefront and is finally being addressed more seriously, to allow Vince to still be the head of a publicly traded multi-billion dollar company is something that absolutely cannot be allowed to continue in any way, shape, or form. And even *IF* some of these sexual relationships are “consensual”, it is still an abuse of power cause this goes well beyond coercion, and you shouldn’t be able to get away with it just because of your name, your company, or how much you have in the bank. Vince McMahon is not above basic morality.
No one is bigger than this business, not even Vincent Kennedy McMahon. And it’s time for Vince to realize that and have that little ounce of shred of human decency and resign completely, from corporate AND creative, and crawl back to your super yacht and sail off into the sunset. Because if he doesn’t, there’s a chance he drags his own creation down with him. And with his own ego, I sadly wouldn’t put it past him.