Netflix’s “Mr. McMahon” docuseries has created a debate about how similar Vince McMahon is to his Mr. McMahon character portrayed on WWE television. 

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, who has worked under McMahon, was asked about the similarity between the two on his “Kliq This” podcast.

Advertisement

“I think they’re separate,” Nash answered. “I can only go my experience and my relationship with him. The last time he and I talked was at (Triple H’s) 50th, and it was a lot of the family was there. It was The Kliq, I want to think Dave Batista was the only other, one of the only boys that were there.”

Nash said he and McMahon had a chance to talk that day and he still asks his former employer for advice, inferring that he asked McMahon how to become a billionaire. Referring to the docuseries, Nash addressed comments made by other industry legends about McMahon, notably about the former WWE Chairman being a father figure to many. Nash too remembered the special privilege that came with the top-tier relationship with McMahon.

Advertisement

“Undertaker makes the reference that he was a father figure. [John] Cena makes a reference that he was a father figure. Anybody that had that kind of a relationship with him, at that highest level … I really only had that for a year,” said Nash. “I’d go there sometimes, I’d want to see Vince, I’d just be showing up at TV, and there’d be this f***ing line of people… I’d get to cut the line, knock on the door.”

The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion noted that he never bothered McMahon close to showtime but always got a chance to see him. “He was my friend, he’s still my friend,” ended Nash.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Kliq This” with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

“WWE NXT” is making its broadcast television debut in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, marking the first of two big shows outside of the developmental program’s usual confines of the Performance Center. 

Advertisement

WWE Hall of Famer and “WWE NXT” head Shawn Michaels appeared on “Busted Open Radio” to promote the upcoming mini-tour that “NXT” will be on as they transition from the USA Network to The CW.

“It’s a big move for us,” Michaels said. “Moving to broadcast television is absolutely huge for us and the talent’s excited. They’re excited to go to Chicago and launch the show.”

Michaels said some of the talent are excited about the premiere on The CW, while others are eager to be free of the WWE Performance Center and perform for what Michaels calls the “most notorious” audiences in the country, referring to the often-passionate Chicago fanbase.

“It’s a fantastic atmosphere at the Allstate Arena so everyone’s jazzed about going,” Michaels said.

Advertisement

After the shows in Chicago, “NXT” will head to St. Louis, Missouri next week. Former WWE Champion CM Punk is set to be in Chicago for The CW premiere, playing special referee to WWE NXT Champion Ethan Page and Trick Williams, who will face off in the show’s main event, while the NXT Women’s Championship will also be decided in Chicago as Roxanne Perez will defend her title against Giulia. The following week, St. Louis’s Randy Orton will be on hand to face young upstart Je’Von Evans, marking the multi-time WWE Champion’s “WWE NXT” debut. The NXT Tag Team titles and WWE NXT North American Championship will also be on the line in St. Louis.

Following up on the previously indecisive battle of the Kaijus, Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman locked up on Monday night for their “Last Monster Standing” match. That would prove to be an apt billing title too, with both of the giants risking life and limb to complete a bingo card of WWE 2K “OMG Moments.”

Advertisement

Within minutes, Strowman had put Reed through the announcer’s table to set the stone; a tone that would be matched by Reed, climbing back to his feet and boasting that it would take much more than that. So once they’d Nerf’d the table spot, as you might guess everything else in the venue became fair game almost immediately. Strowman was soon after that thrust from the apron through a stack of steel chairs, and then they went through the barricade not once but twice, prompting officials to emerge – officials that would later be thrown around by an incensed Reed, given he had the match effectively won in the ring.

That proved to be one of a series of logical undoings for Reed, omens that this was not going to be his night, as the ensuing melee saw Strowman take advantage. Side note on that front: seeing a flying Strowman was neither expected nor necessary, but nonetheless simply awesome. As if all of the ridiculous bumps that had led into the closing stretch weren’t enough, WWE dipped into its box of titan tropes as Reed and Strowman went through the ring breaking super-plex spot. And yet that still wasn’t the end of the match, with both appearing to rise from the rubble. Until the second of Reed’s undoings reared its head: Seth Rollins returning with a timely curbstomp to the steel steps. As a result, Strowman was the winner. But this is an evergreen bumpfest that can be revisited in the future for great TV viewing, and giving Strowman the advantage with an asterisk in their series provides a logical pick-up point. Reed will now have a potentially star-making feud picking up with Rollins after previously writing him off, and he has been kept remarkably strong even with a paper loss.

Advertisement

Strowman getting the win after such an enthralling demolition derby provides him with momentum to move forward, in whichever direction that may be, and this is all a result of the logical creative approach to this entire angle. Sometimes it’s just fun to switch off and watch two behemoths lock horns and do what comes natural to the wrecking balls they are.

Written by Max Everett

Former WCW Senior Vice President Eric Bischoff has talked about WWE’s decision to change their target audience to adults during the company’s Attitude Era. The WWE Hall of Famer discussed the issue on his “83 Weeks” podcast when reviewing episode four of Netflix’s “Mr. McMahon” docuseries.

Advertisement

“This was the pivot point, in my opinion, for WWE. Had WWE not made this pivot — you can have whatever opinion you want about the quality of it or whether they should or shouldn’t have or whether they went too far — had it not been for the transition from teen and pre-teen target to 18-49 (years-old) target, 18-34 really, I don’t think WWE would be the WWE we know today,” Bischoff said. “In fact, I’m 100% convinced of it, particularly after seeing this doc.

Bischoff disagreed with the portrayal that a controversial Shawn Michaels segment on “WWE Raw” in September 1997, where he wore stuffed biker shorts for an in-ring interview, influenced the company’s demographic change.

“Nobody referenced the fact that the reason that (WWE) went after that 18-49-year-old audience is because they had to, they were forced to,” Bischoff claimed. “‘WCW Nitro,’ yours truly, forced them to do what they did. It was a reaction. It wasn’t any kind of a spontaneous inspiration, it was a realization that, ‘Damn, we gotta do what they’re doing,’ and especially after hearing Vince talk so far, he was just going to do it bigger and better. I don’t know that ‘better’ is the right word, definitely bigger, and definitely more controversial than anything we were doing.”

Advertisement

While WCW and Bischoff won the battle on Monday nights in the ’90s, WWE and McMahon eventually won the war.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “83 Weeks” with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Mideon, portrayed by Dennis Knight during WWE’s Attitude Era, has discussed his current favorite wrestling storylines, one each from “WWE Raw” and “WWE SmackDown.”

Mideon reunited with his Ministry of Darkness leader The Undertaker on “Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway,” and praised the Judgment Day storyline on the red brand.

Advertisement

“Dom [Mysterio] and f***ing Liv [Morgan], they’re phenomenal,” Mideon passionately answered. “I am a Liv (fan) for life, but Dominik doesn’t have to do anything. He comes out there and they go crazy — the friggin mustache, and the fact that he’s not jacked, he’s perfect.”

The Judgment Day storyline on “Raw” with Mysterio and Morgan is not the only one that has Mideon’s interest as The Bloodline story on “SmackDown” intrigues him as well.

“I’m sorry, I love you Haku, one of them needs to learn a little bit more,” Mideon said maybe referring to Haku’s son Tonga Loa before praising another Bloodline member. “One of my favorite wrestlers for the last few years is, and getting that opportunity [now], Jacob Fatu. A monster. I have never seen anyone since maybe Brock Lesnar — but that’s different ’cause he was so much bigger and the wrestling in UFC — but I’ve never seen anyone better come in and immediately strike fear into people, fans, other people. He’s a great — again, the Samoans, they can’t do wrong.

Advertisement

Mideon also praised the work Paul Heyman did with The Bloodline, specifically the night The Bloodline attacked Heyman on “SmackDown” in late June 2024. Heyman purposely deprived himself of sleep to give himself heavy and red eyes, a commitment to the product that Mideon commended Heyman for.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway” with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.