- Netflix's "Mr. McMahon" explores how Vince McMahon built the World Wrestling Entertainment empire.
- The docuseries highlights WWE's "Attitude" era and his in-ring character, Mr. McMahon.
The six-part Netflix docuseries "Mr. McMahon" takes a deep dive into Vince McMahon's wrestling empire, World Wrestling Entertainment, from its modest beginnings as one of many wrestling promotions scattered throughout the US in the 1960s and 1970s to the multibillion-dollar goliath it is today.
But the docuseries, directed and produced by acclaimed filmmaker Chris Smith ("Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond," "Fyre"), also highlights the lengths the legendary wrestling promoter would go to to keep fans engaged.
This was especially evident in the "Attitude" era of WWE in the late 1990s, when TV ratings soared for the promotion thanks to stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. But it was also because fans couldn't stop watching the despicable antics done by McMahon as his in-ring character Mr. McMahon.
The Mr. McMahon character, portrayed as a bombastic, power-crazed billionaire, would do everything from wrestling to being the center of sexually suggestive storylines at the weekly televised matches and Pay-Per-View shows. That included forcing female talent to strip in the ring, and sometimes even kissing them.
McMahon also involved his wife, Linda, and two children, Shane and Stephanie, in storylines. In episode five of the docuseries (titled "Family Business"), Stephanie is interviewed and asked if her father had any storyline ideas that she refused.
"Yeah, there were a couple," she answers with a laugh. "But, yeah, I'm not going to tell that one."
The doc then cuts to McMahon, who reveals in an interview what that storyline was.
"So, one of my storyline ideas was Stephanie gets pregnant, and I think, I think, I was the one who impregnated her, my character," he said. "No, that one didn't make it."
Business Insider contacted WWE for comment but didn't get a response.
In January 2024, McMahon resigned from the board of directors of WWE's parent company, TKO Group Holdings, after a former employee filed a federal lawsuit accusing him and another former executive of sexual misconduct, including a claim that he offered her to a star wrestler for sex.
"I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant's lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth," McMahon said in a statement at the time. "I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name."
"Mr. McMahon" is now streaming on Netflix.