How Will You Feel When Vince Is Dead?

[Harthan]

Earlier this week, Steve Jobs passed. The reactions to his death were broad, from hailing him as the creator of our world to despising him as just another one-percenter billionaire who built his empire on outsourced labor and overly marked up products. Whatever the reaction was, it can't be denied that the reaction was massive. Twitter exploded, no doubt your Facebook feed was filled with statuses. We had our share of jokes here on WZ, even. Thinking about the death of a billionaire and a visionary like jobs, and the reaction to it, got me thinking - what will it be like when Vince McMahon dies?

Vince didn't have the impact on the mainstream world that Jobs did, to be sure. But it will hit us harder, I daresay. Whether we're hardcore marks or card-carrying members of the IWC, diehard WWEtards or ROHbots, whether we cheer the faces, boo the heels, cheer the heels, or boo the faces, this crazy mixed up love-hate world of wrestling that is, for better or worse, a part of all our lives has been molded by Vince McMahon. His death will affect all of us - not only in terms of what it will mean the future of the direction of the WWE once he's gone, but how it will affect us emotionally. How will you remember Vince when he's gone?

Will you remember the Vince McMahon who said:

"To those who believe in the beauty of professional wrestling, nothing needs to be said. For those who don't appreciate wrestling, nothing could be said to change their minds."

The man who loved this business, who gave us WrestleMania, who made Hogan a legend, who forged the Attitude Era, who gave us the worldwide spectacle that is the WWE? A visionary who created some of the greatest moments in wrestling of all time? A man who dared to drag wrestling out of the territories and made it international? In short, a great man, who made wrestling what it is today, and who has given us all the legendary moments we remember, and the entertainment we love?

Or will you remember the Kiss My Ass club? Will you remember Vince's excesses, his storylines with Zack Gowen and Stephanie McMahon, the would be incest storyline, the PG era, the gimmick PPVs, and all the various other ills of wrestling that we heap on Vince? The man that refuses to give his workers healthcare, that won't even call them employees, and that abuses his writers? The man that holds down your favorites, that pushes SuperCena, and that hotshots titles about at will? In short, a delusional egomaniac, a man guilty of keeping wrestling from being all it could be, a cancer on the company of his own creation?

I think there are a lot of parallels between Vince and Jobs. Just as Jobs can be seen as anything between a paragon and a devil, so can Vince. I think the truth lies somewhere in between - but where? Does the good outweigh the bad? By how much? Or is it the other way around?

For myself, I trend toward the former interpretation. While I am occasionally displeased with Vince's decisions in the modern WWE, I can't deny that he's responsible for so much good in this world of ours. I love him for what he's done for the art form, the impact that he's had on our cultural landscape. I think that without Vince's vision, the wrestling world would never have had so many of the great moments and stories that it did. Maybe his ideas haven't always been great, but they've been good rather than bad most of the time, and sometimes truly fantastic. At the end of the day, that's how I'll feel about Vince when he's gone - or so I think.

But what about you? How will you feel when Vince is dead?

 

[Rampage Bentley]

A good question....

First of all, I would feel sadness, as someone dying is never fun. I was not at all a fan of Steve Jobs, and I think calling the man a visionary is ludicrous seeing as he had one idea recycled thirty-five times. I swear if he's a visionary, then Derek Zoolander has many varied and unique poses. That aside, I was saddened to hear of his passing, as I eventually will of the passing of Vince McMahon.

As for how McMahon will be remembered, well... he'll be remembered the way WWE wants him to be remembered, as the visionary behind Wrestlemania and as the Father of "Sports-Entertainment." While all the kiss my ass club and God-feud footage will be left in a danky Janitor's closet with all mention of Chris Benoit and an unreleased DVD entitled "The Best of The Great Khali"


THE iPOD, THE iPAD, THE iPHONE.... DON'T YOU SEE, THEY'RE ALL THE SAME THING!!!! I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!!!

 

[Pedigree1]

wow when vince dies why does this thread come up alot is beyond me!! But to the point when he finally does pass on it will be a sad sad day!! Think about it!! He has made sports entertainment into what it is today.. He helped make hogan rock SCSA countless others attitude era cena orton i could go on and on!! Im trying to think of a comparison vince is to wrestling what Ali is to boxing!!

 

[frostbite2819]

Wow what a solemn thread to find when i get home from a long days work.
I'd like to hope that he is just remembered as a man, and not the Mr. Mcmahon 'character' that we have come so familiar with.
Regardless of how he 'mistreats' WWE guys, there are no illegal practices involved in not giving the guys healthcare, or working them year-round, or not classifying them as 'employees'. Wrestling has always been like this, and these guys even the lower card make pretty much great money compared to, say, the average wrestling fan.
If it were that bad on them and they couldn't handle it, then they would quit. So I for one am not on the boat that Mcmahon is some evil dictator.
I would be a control freak too, just as he is, if I had pretty much built a Billion-dollar wrestling company from the ground up from the blueprint of my fathers old territory.
As much as we fondly remember and appreciate the classic matches and moments that HBK, The Rock, Stone Cold, Bret Hart, Hogan, Cena and the likes have given us over the years, we also have Vince to thank for EVERY ONE of those moments.

I am 31 years old, have been watching for 25 years now, and I will always have a deep respect and admiration for Vince Mcmahon for having the brains AND the balls to give a segment of the population a very unique form of entertainment that has provided this fan many cherished memories and great moments.
He is one of my heroes, and will continue to be in death, where his legend will likely grow and we will hopefully learn more about the man as opposed to the boss.

 

[metalbran88]

Honestly I can respect what he has done for the business and as a human being I don't want him to die. But the best thing that could happen to the WWE is him not being involved. So if he is running the company when he dies it will be mixed. I will be happy and sad, if he steps down before then, then yes I'll be bummed.

 

[Fallen Angel 21.3]

Wow ummm don't really know just how to answer this but when Vince does die, I know one thougth will run through my head and that is Vince standing at Heaven's gate and God just walking out to meet him, God just looking at him so you think I am scared of you. Just from that whole God angle that he did i can just picture God standing there waiting for him to kick his ass. After that though I will go out and do what i have done for the last couple wrestlers that have died and that is go out and buy there dvd's and watch once and put it away just so I can make sure that they are never forgotten, so I can watch pro wrestling with my children and say ya know it was better in my day and show them the old dvd's and share those moments with them.

 

[rge2010]

When Vince dies I will be deeply saddened. The guy is 'Mr Pro Wrestling' and he has done more than anybody for the industry we all love.

Having said that, from a WWE standpoint I do think there could be some positives to come out of this. I know Triple H is only the 'on screen guy' who is running the show but slowly and surely things are changing, and despite Vince having the final say I bet Triple H has a huge say on what goes on.

Some of Vinces ideas are genius, some are very tired. He does what is right for business and I respect that, but I also believe he is very short sighted. Vince has an ego and I can imagine it being very difficult to change his mind.

Triple H will take over and run the show, but as an 'active performer' I do think he has a better mind for the programming. Maybe not for WWE as a business but I believe he will listen to the fans and be alot more open minded.

He has an eye for talent, resturcturing FCW is down to him and I also believe he wants to completely change the current state of the Tag team division.

If Triple H can cut down House Shows (again, long term beenfits from this) and maybe cut down the PPV's (more long term benefits) then WWE will start to become the company it once was. It's still doing a decent job, but I believe it could do so much better.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

When Vince McMahon passes(if you asked him, he is immortal so don't hold your breath) he'll probably be remembered in the business world as an extraordinary figure, because some need to remember the lengths he took the WWE from to where it is now. I'm sure media will take a keen interest in his passing when(if) it happens; I mean, most people know who Vince McMahon is. Most of the world knows what the WWE(F) is and then one of the names that immediately comes to their minds is Vince McMahon.

From a personal perspective I'll probably feel sympathy for his family, but it depends on what he dies(if he even can) from. Like the product today or not, if you liked it back in the 90's or 80's it doesn't really matter, because the man who gave you the product you enjoy/enjoyed is Vince McMahon. He gave you Hulk Hogan at his peak, he gave you Ultimate Warrior, Randy Savage, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H; its all came from his company and his creation; well, developed creation.

But when Vince passes, I'd have more interest in what happens to the WWE going forward because God only knows what'll happen. Reports and television basically makes Triple H and Stephanie the heirs to the company but a very miniscule bit of hope is left in me that Shane McMahon may come back from following golfers to continue the family business.

 

[dansaun77]

of course people will be sad when Vince finally passes. But he is only mid 60s so a bit premature, and quite a disrespectful thread.

 

[Yandzibar]

of course people will be sad when Vince finally passes. But he is only mid 60s so a bit premature, and quite a disrespectful thread.

I understand what you mean, but I don't see the problem with discussing death. We'll all die someday, maybe tomorrow or 50 years from now. It's as natural as anything else. Just because we talk about his death doesn't mean we'll "jinx" him and he'll magically die 10 years sooner because of this thread. It's a valid question because of the implications it brings as well as predictions for the WWE after he passes. If the thread was "How will Vince die?" and we discuss the different ways he could pass on, I'd agree with your statement. But to ask a question that implies and encourages speculation on the future of a company after the person who is 90% responsible for everything it has achieved is no longer with us seems perfectly normal to me. As for how Vince will be remembered, I'm sure it will mostly be positive. As always, there are detractors and people who will disagree with the majority opinion, some simply for no other reason than to be "counterculture." Something else I'd like to mention is that once someone dies, it's amazing how many people consider them to be saints. I'm not saying people should bash the dead, I just think truth should matter more than sensitivity. If I die tomorrow, and I'm 50% good and 50% bad (and assuming morality could be measured as a numerical value) I'd want to be remembered that way. It seems once someone dies, a lot of their failures, bad ideas, and bad choices are simply forgotten or not spoken about. What we all need to remember is that EVERYTHING we do on this planet while we are alive affects who we are, who we become, and what we do or don't achieve, both the good and bad. I just don't feel the "bad" should be left out of anyone being remembered. Sometimes the truth hurts, but because it hurts, it shouldn't be ignored. Sorry for digressing.

 

[mikde_]

Let's face it, the reason we are all here right now discussing wrestling is because of Vince McMahon. No matter how many utterly horrible, disrespectful and horrendous things he has put on TV over the years he will always be remembered as the god of pro wrestling.

I actually believe both VKM and Steve Jobs have a great deal in common. They are both great salesmen! Steve Jobs is not the great technology god he is being percieved as. He took a idea that was not original and rebranded it into something that people will always associate with him. All his "creations" are simply rebranded ideas from other people that he took to a bigger scale. Vince did the exact same thing for Wrestling. Steve turned the simple idea of a mp3 player into the Ipod. Vince turned Wrestling into Sports Entertainment.

As for how the media and non-wrestling fans will percieve vince? There will be a few weeks of rememberance around the world, a few old fans will watch some old WWF footage to relive some memories then like everyone else, the memory of him will fade away but to all wrestling fans, wether you love him or hate him, he will be forever respected.

As for how WWE will continue? I think that is the biggest question of all. Vince's name is held in high regard and i do believe his death will have a negative effect on the financial aspect of WWE. Will the investors still pour money into the company without such a respected figure? im not too sure!

Anybody remember when Vince "Sold RAW to Donald Trump"? Sure it was all kayfabe but the stock actually dropped. Sounds crazy but it actually happened. Hence why they scrapped the angle a week later.

 

[Hardcore Heathen]

Well In My Opinion When Vince die So will WWE. I just Cant see it Continuing if Ran by either Trips or Stephanie. The only person i Actually Believe would be able to run it Succesfully is Shane but look where hes Gone. The Man Made something that Defined the 90s, it was the Talk of the Town (maybe not) but When he Dies, WWE Will go on a Slow Decline. Although Vince wont die till atleast 10+ Years but still.

 

[crippler]

I think most people myself included people will be sadden of his death. No matter if you like WWE now or not if it wasn't for Vince wrestling would not be as big as it is today. Many would say Hulk Hogan did this but if it wasn't for Vince and his father Hulk Hogan would never had been popular the way he was. Vince might not always make the best choices however he still runs a very successful business. It is possible if it wasn't for Vince McMahon we might not have WWE or TNA.

 

[VABurghman]

I would feel no different from when Steve Jobs, Road Warrior Hawk, Willie "Pops" Stargell, Bubba Smith, or any other celebrity. Indifferent. Didn't personally know any of them. That may sound insensitive but I don't understand how people can make the life of someone that they didn't even know so high on their priority list. Bottom line, wrestling existed BEFORE Vince K McMahon and it will exist AFTER. It's not like any of these people climbed the cliffs of Point Du Hoc (2nd Ranger Battallion, WWII) or fought to defend soldiers that survived a downed chopper (Blackhawk Down, Solamlia). Peoples whose names are only known and remembered by the few.

So how would I feel?? Just like when Hawk died. "Thanks VKM, let the show go on".

 

[SickJames]

When Vince dies the tribute will be bigger than most wrestlers, maybe any wrestler. I will be fucked up about it, the WWE wont ever be the same without him.

I just find it funny that when I create threads like this it's "too much" but when others do it then people can discuss.

Vince's death is a big deal before it even happens, it's going to affect the wrestling world on a grand scale, it's a good topic to discuss though a tragic event no one should look forward to

 

[LynchCats]

of course people will be sad when Vince finally passes. But he is only mid 60s so a bit premature, and quite a disrespectful thread.

How is mid-60s premature? The impetus for this topic, Steve Jobs, was 57 when he died. This is far from a disrespectful thread, nor is this a premature idea.

As far as the original topic, as a fan of any and all wrestling, the death of Vince McMahon will probably the biggest mainstream media in the history of pro wrestling. This includes the Benoit double murder-suicide. Vince McMahon IS the face of professional wrestling, even moreso than any of the wrestlers he helped create (Hogan, Rock, Austin, et al). His legacy will live forever in the WWE, just as people today remember his father, Verne Gagne, the Crockett family, etc for the contributions to the industry they made.

 

[Dagger Dias]

When Vince dies I will legitimately feel sad about it because the innovator who gave us Wrestlemania and countless great wrestling storylines would be gone. I would miss Vince the wrestling promoter. On the other side of the coin, I would not miss Vince's onscreens character whatsoever because he overstayed his welcome years ago. Vince McMahon and Mr McMahon are two entirely different people. One would be sorely missed, and the other I sometimes wish had just been written off a long time ago.

 

[D-Man]

Vince is responsible for so many products of my youth and adolescence that I would literally be distraught. This is all because he was such an intricate part of my childhood. My first memories were sneaking into my basement at seven years old (past my bedtime) to watch wrestling. Although Vince was nothing more than a backstage interviewer and ringside commentator, he was the guy who made the sport everything that it was back then. When the mid to late 1990's came and I found out that Vince was responsible for it all, I immediately felt a connection towards him and looked up to him since he (more or less) created a lot of my childhood.

I felt a similar emptiness when Randy Savage passed away. He debuted in the WWE in between Wrestlemania II & III when my parents finally gave me the ok to watch the program with their consent. I idolized Savage in so many ways, although I knew he was a "bad guy." Matter of fact, he's the reason why, to this day, I enjoy heels more than babyfaces. I guess I was WWE Attitude before WWE had attitude LOL.

To me, Vince is a pioneer of the thing that entertains me the most in this world besides music. He created a culture phenomenon that makes me smile whenever I think about it. A world without Vince would be a very difficult pill to swallow. Naturally, we'd all move on but just like Randy Savage, this one would hit home a bit harder for me.

 

[RicoLen]

The snarky side of me wants to say: "About the same as I did this weekend when I found out Al Davis died. WOOHOO! It's ok to be a fan of my local NFL team again!"

In some ways I feel there's a good correlation between Al Davis & Vince McMahon. Al Davis back in the day was a visionary and did everything right to get the Oakland Raiders to the top and make the NFL as a whole work.

Vince McMahon took it a step further than that. He took Pro-wrestling as a whole under wing and took it to new heights never before dream of.

That said, both guys got absorbed in doing the same thing over and over again, simply because it worked once, and their product suffered for it.

Al Davis is a guy that (along with "Raider Nation") made me ashamed to be a fan of the Oakland Raiders.

Vince hasn't degraded pro-wrestling that far, though in 2004 he came close. His time has come, and he's more or less passed total control to others who are more in tune with reality than he is. Vince is too old and out of touch to keep the product going like he used to. The best thing he's done recently is realize that he doesn't know what makes a good product anymore, and allow guys like CM Punk to become a star instead of burying them in favor of some other guy that fits his pre-conception of a wrestler.

Because of this, I think Vince has saved the vast majority of his legacy, and when he dies, he'll be a hero that people mourn, and not some guy who's news of his passing starts up a cheer that the idiot is finally dead.

 

[One to Remember]

When he dies ill just feel older and closer to death myself. i expect to see his face on the nightly news or good morning america but it will NOT go intodeph about his life it will show hogan slammin andre austin drinkin beer and afew other overused iconic bits of footage. It will talk about how he beat the steroid trial then the fail xfl.. his mainstream media memoriam wil be cookie cutter.

As far as wwe is concerned hes not been relevent for years and has not aided the company in a decade..

As far as hulkamania and expansion is concerned what of it? I can put up as a resident of tn with only being about to watch smokey mtn wrestling just like any texan could deal with only being able toview world class all day long.. the territory system just like wwe is worthy of attention when its at its best..

P.S. regardless of your views on the oakland raiders anyman who headed the AFL deserves respect from NFL fans if they truly like what football has become. Get off Al Davis' case

 

[Mick Overlast]

I think I'll just feel weird.

Growing up in the AE, I was used to seeing Vince every week, so he was a huge part of my childhood.

There's no doubt he made pro wrestling what it is today. He won't get the remembrances that Jobs got, and I really don't expect him to. I'm sure you'll get the classless jokes that would come from it, as well.

I'll probably just listen to No Chance in Hell on repeat and laugh/smile about the days where he was a big-time character while watching his old clips on YouTube -- had some good memories of those days. I'm just hoping I don't have to worry about doing that anytime soon.