How Would You Book Vince's Retirement Angle?

[Skinsley]

A bit of imaginary booking here of course but just hear me out.

I was walking home from the shop with my headphones in just now, when I had a thought which…. To me…. Sounded pretty awesome.
It was a subconscious thought that came to me during a particular song that popped up on the random setting and could be brilliant…or down right stupid. Ofcourse you will be the judge of that.

Vince McMahon is not going to be around forever but I really think that if he ever does hand the reigns over and take a back seat then he should do it live on Raw or PPV in a big moment. Whoever the company is left in control with does not necessarily need to be the same person or people in the storyline as it is real life.

It should also be done in a similar way to the tried and tested “they are here” kind of approach.

And my imaginary booking is this :
For weeks on end before a big announcement there will be vignettes stating that someone is coming or they or it or whatever.
This, much like the recent Jericho comeback will not be acknowledged by commentators or superstars and the WWE will go on as normal as if nothing is going on.
The days will tick down and the corresponding RAW or PPV will come. The announcement team will inform us throughout the show that Vince McMahon has a special announcement to make.

In the last segment before the show ends Vince McMahon’s “no chance in hell” theme kicks in and Vince comes out to the ring.
A heartfelt speech about the history of the WWE since he took over from his father, and how he has loved every minute and ofcourse how the fans made it all possible!
But due to Ill health or other circumstances he must relinquish the WWE to someone else.

Out comes Stephanie McMahon.
Tells her father that she knows who the company is being left in the hands of and that this person has decided that they will be making some changes to backroom staff and have made a few changes in higher up departments already.
Lights go out.
Time is delayed as everybody expects Triple H’s “The Game” or “King of Kings” to hit.

“Are you Ready?”
Crowd Goes Wild!
Triple H Walks out, Followed by Road Dogg, X-Pac & Billy Gunn….. a few more moments pass and Michaels joins them.
Triple H has taken over the company and he has given DX positions in the company.
Short FACE segment about how the WWE is going to change and the show ends.

__________________________________________________________

Now I thought this was a pretty good Idea and I would only think this was a good idea if it happened in the distant future, say 5 – 10 years when these guys are all too old for full time in ring action.
The odd storyline based match when the show requires it but they will remain backstage presences.

Even if HHH is the only person actually in control, for storyline purposes and the BIG POP they will receive I think this would be excellent business and maybe the best possible option when it comes to the VKM retirement.

So how would YOU book the retirement of VKM ?

 

[willross]

Where do you go from there though? Yea you got a beginning, that will likely get a good intial reaction (you can't book crowd reaction, even though you did lol) but what happens next?

You can't just do something to get a BIG POP or something shocking just for the sake of it being a shocking moment. That is Vince Russo booking 101 and it is what killed WCW and consistantly held down TNA to the point of them being completely incapable of recovery due to severe product damage.

I don't think you should book a Vince McMahon retirement angle at all. Let nature book it. When he dies, make an angle out of it. Vince is all about business so its not like it would be disrespectful, in fact, I am sure he would encourage his successor to take advantage of his death when it comes to make the company that much more prosperous.

 

[JaylisJayP]

That's actually pretty funny and I'd mark out it I saw that on TV.

My thoughts, since you're talking about a guy who everyone thinks will hold on until he dies, is that you have to fake his death...but, of course, they've already done this once.

How about Vince tries to start up a "competing wrestling product" since he's "losing control" of the WWE...he "steals" wrestlers, "Takes over" Smackdown or something for a few months, and it culminates in a huge PPV where Vince must retire forever if his side loses. SCSA the obvious guest referee with the fingers in VKM's face after he screws VKM into retiring.

How could it happen any other way?

 

[The Perfect Max]

As much as you're idea is awesome, it just isn't realistic. In the Attitude Era, yeah, but then, Triple H was that high in the McMahon family, so really it would never work really. Good idea though.

My way would be simple. WrestleMania XXX. The 30th Annual WrestleMania. Mr McMahon vs Triple H. Who else could it be? Triple H will take over VKM once he has gone and this way, you could have a retirement match of some sorts. If Hunter loses, he will lose his job. But if VKM loses, he will have to step down as the Chairman of the WWE and Triple H would take his role.

I don't see this as a face vs heel either. As much as McMahon is an awesome heel, I think the fans would have so much respect for him, a face vs face approach would be the best. It could be suggested by McMahon to Triple H. McMahon feels he can't do it anymore and would like to see in a match.

My opinion.

 

[salopstick]

i hope VKM gets a this is your life send off similiar to flair, with hhh on the mic bringing out people from all aspects of the business to give him the send off he deserves, in fact it should happenat the hall of fame where he is the only inductee (similar to the bafta fellowship in the uk)

love him or hate him he reveloutionised the business, he deserves all the credit or blame for where we are now. without vince i dont think wrestling would have survived to this day in time, not on a decent level anyway

for all the ex wrestlers who slag him off there are hundred of people who have enjoyed very good living due to him.

the likes of james hellwig, hogan would be nothing without vince apart from the fact the success of wwe forced the nwa to change to wcw and then flourish suggests even sting owes a part of his career to vince

 

[Syborgg]

The only thing is, I don't think Vince will actually retire. I think he'll continue to be involved in WWE until he dies. The man's in pretty good shape for his age so don't look for this to happen any time soon. The only way he would even semi-retire is if doctors forced him to because of stress levels.

With all that said, there's nothing saying they couldn't have a storyline that gives the impression that he has retired. But really that already somewhat mimmicks what they have now. Sure he's still Chairman of the board, but his duties are diminished because of the appointment of HHH as C.O.O.

 

[mesl]

I think we would be in agreeance... When that little logo appears in the corner before the close of the show, there is only one way Vince McMahon should be sent off.. And that's via a Stone Cold stunner

They should just keep the show rolling like it currently is.. Vince can stay back stage until the day he dies, that's when the WWE can pay tribute to him. While he is the boss, there will be no self tributes, and Vince will ALWAYS be the boss.

 

[Cats Pajamas]

You know, the only thing that bothers me about this is I really, really don't care to ever see DX in the ring (for current storyline purposes) ever again. This last reincarnation completely ruined DX for me. Besides, that was a stable that worked when it had authority to argue with, I can't even imagine how corny they'd be with the entire gang bouncing around as old men.

If I were going to retire VKM, I'd have him get into an exploding limousine, then drop some exploding pianos on him, and possibly after that have Hulk Hogan ride an a-bomb down to the demolition site a la Dr Strangelove (its a great movie, boys & girls, go rent it). Then I'd pray to God that nobody murders their family that weekend so he can stay dead.

 

[WJDwjdWJDwjd]

This is an easy booking option. I wouldn't book Vince's retirement. The man is a living legend. Unless he gets Alzheimer's or extreme Dementia, the man is still a better wrestling mind than most, if not ALL workers/agents/execs. I'd take Vince in my wrestling company 5 years into Alzheimer's quicker than ANYONE out there. He made the business what it is today and should be in it until the day he dies.

 

[DeathClutch]

I believe WWE needs to change things up from a creative stand point, so maybe have Vince put Triple H/Stephanie as a duel managers of WWE, and to give off the image of them being in control maybe have them drop some belts and bring back/bring in new ones to make the WWE look like a fresh start is in order. Drop NXT all together officially cease the brand split and unify the remaining the belts so we've got ONE World champion, One midcard champion and bring back the Hardcore Championship (maybe renamed the Extreme Championship) and bring back maybe their Light Heavywieght Championship (depending on well Xpac can move around the ring maybe bring him back in to re-introduce the belt on TV maybe drop it to someone like Hunico.

Basically have a belt that ANYONE can go for so it keeps the lower card guys relavent.

After a while you could have Vince return maybe in time for WrestleMania 29 and proclaim HHH/Stephanie and have ruined Vinces image of WWE so he's returning to take control, have some legal bullshit say that he can't take it back but can win it back, so WrestleMania 29 we have HHH/Vince in some form of no dq match, end result HHH wins Vince must retire from WWE TV for good.... sooo HHH wins takes full control and Vince can pull the strings from the backstage area, Wrestlemania 30 Vince can be inducted into th HOF.

 

[brighamosity]

For all intents and purposes, Vince could already be on-camera "retired" if they wanted it to be that way. The guy was relieved of his position by the board of directors and Triple H took over. I thought that served the purpose well, so what more cound you ask for? Even when that happened, I swear half the IWC was convinced it was real, and that Vince really was handing over the reigns to Triple H in real life. If we were to never see Vince on television ever again, no one should question it. For storyline purposes, he's already done.

 

[gwarren]

I'd have a special 2 hour Raw, completely dedicated to VKM, his father, and his families legacy. He's done so much for the business, a simple 10/20 minute retirement/everyone come out and clap segment wouldn't cut it.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

I like your idea and i could totally see DX being a backstage presence but honestly I think VKM should have retired on the night on mania 26(I know HBK retired that night, so thats probably part of why it wouldnt have happened) but think about it for a second.

When did, what I like to call his "Mr. McMadman" persona start? Anyone that isnt picking there nose and whipping it on their John Cena shirt right now knows that Vince started on commentary and announcing. So when did he become the hated villian and recpected buisness man that feuded with Austin that we all have come to love?? EASY! MONTREAL!!! The Screwjob!!! It was the first time Vince showed he could be that ruthless buisness man and true villian. He screws Bret, takes back the WWE title, and showed everyone his "true colors". Not long after he started feuding with Austin.

On the night of Mania 26, VKM vs. Bret, while the overall match was terrible, there story telling was great!!! Vince brings out all the Hart family, and then the first guy He ever truely screwed in WWE screws him and they have an all out beat down!! Not to mention VKM deserves serious cred for those bumps he took!

So he goes out at mania against the man that turned him into the charcter he is seen as today and walks to the back only to say " If you think completley done, well......THERES NO CHANCE! NO CHANCE IN HELL!!!"

I think right then Vince should have "retired" aka loosley controlled some aspects of the show from backstage only to be seen when he is unducted into the HOF.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I would make it at Wrestlemania next year, and have Vince face The Undertaker. I think it'd be a good way for Taker to get one more match before WM30 comes and he retires and could help him last that extra year. Vince goes loco and becomes obsessed with beating Undertaker and ending the streak. After all he has been WWE Champ and won the Royal Rumble... Streak vs Career...

 

[ndot]

Stone Cold Steve Austin should come and shoot him point blank in the head at the end of a WRESTLEMANIA and say 'that's the bottom line because STONE COLD said so!'

 

[TheMachoKing86]

I personally would like to see the This Is Your Life segment some one pitched earlier,Give the man who brought the WWE into the mainstream the biggest send off possible.

 

[King of the Words]

Have Vince retired at the biggest creation of his.... Wrestlemania! I was thinking a long time between him and undertaker. Vince could say it's a McMahon rules match and have every living Undertaker Wrestlemania opponent come in 1 by 1 and do their finisher to the undertaker. When it comes to HBK have him kick Vince instead of Undertaker, then set up vince for the tombstone. It would be be Streak vs. Career, so after Vince losses you could have Stone Cold come down and say on behalf of the WWE, you're fired! then stun Vince out of his shoes one last time.

 

[shanezam203]

Yeah I hope they do a similar send off like Flair and HBK got. we saw a preview of him handing the company to HHH as he has been the COO... tonight HHH is expected, but I am not thinking Vince will be on WWE TV anytime soon.

What about Shane, why has he been so far removed from the WWE?

 

[Shotaro]

Vince should have a proper angle before he leaves, however since he was pretty consistently a villain, he needs a villain's exit. The way they wrote him off of TV was about right to be honest, he won't be able to leave with a 5* match at Wrestlemania, however they should have him as the SOLE inductee of the hall of fame when he does retire forever, there is not a single person who has been more important to the industry than VKM and if they're sending him off with a bang, that would be the way to do it.