“A cover, a count and a win,” says McMahon. “I always win.”
Professional wrestling might have been around for more than a century, but it wasn’t until Vince McMahon came along that it would gain the massive following that it has today. What was once seen as a not very profitable sport for promoters has today become a billion dollar industry thanks to McMahon’s single-handed efforts. From the abuse he would take as a young boy in his trailer home to the abuse he would later dish out as his character Mr. McMahon in the ring, McMahon challenged the odds stacked against him to become not only a successful entrepreneur, but also an industry legend. How did he do it?
He Took Chances: From buying out his father’s business to expanding its operations on a global scale, McMahon was by all accounts a risk-taker. Unafraid of failure, McMahon launched himself into one venture after another, even when the critics said he was doomed to disappointment. He ignored them, took risks and reaped the rewards. “I don't think I regret anything – oh yeah, I do regret some things in my personal life,” says McMahon. “I don't think I regret anything from a business standpoint.”
He Had Fun: “C’mon, you have to laugh at it,” McMahon once said. “He who laughs last, laughs loudest.” From his onstage persona to the businessman behind the scenes, McMahon made sure to enjoy himself on the ride to the top. It was by insisting on creating a new, more entertaining brand of wrestling that McMahon was able to distinguish the WWF from its competitors and revolutionize the industry.
He Worked Hard: “When I'm on vacation here in the States, I can do all kinds of stuff,” says McMahon. “I can train and keep busy.” Even on vacation, McMahon was looking for ways to keep himself busy and improve himself professionally. Not content with letting time pass him by, McMahon lived and breathed wrestling, devoting all his waking resources to achieving success.
He Listened to the Fans: “I always do everything I do for WWF fans,” says McMahon. Nobody was more important to McMahon than his audience and nothing was more important to him than listening to their demands, anticipating their wants, and giving them what they asked for. As a result, McMahon says the WWF became “the greatest form of sports-entertainment in history, and the audience loves it for that.”
He Stood His Ground: “I think there are individuals who I'd like to meet in a dark alley somewhere and have some fun with them only because they are liars and cowards,” says McMahon. Determined not to be a coward and to stand firm in his vision, McMahon ignored the critics to become the billionaire entrepreneur that he is today.
“I'm a real common sense guy who caught a lot of good breaks and who has been very, very fortunate,” says a modest McMahon. An innovator, a leader and a hard worker, McMahon jumped into the ring wholeheartedly and never stopped until the ring was his.
Wrestling With Success: McMahon’s Climb to the Top
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