WWE: 5 Times Vince McMahon did something "just to be nice"
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (which is how you are legally required to type his name the first time you mention him in an article like this) is, and probably always will be, the most complex person in the history of professional wrestling. He can be notoriously petty, like when he called out Jeff Jarrett on the Raw/Nitro simulcast. He can also be incredibly kind, like when he had Jarrett put into the WWE Hall of Fame over 20 years later, but even brought him on as a producer.
In his book "Have a Nice Day! A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks" Mick Foley recounts a conversation he had with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk, regarding the hiring of another wrestler who didn't seem to be offering anything to the company. Foley suggested WWE let this performer go and cut their losses.
"Mick," Funk replied, "sometimes Vince does things just to be nice."
To be fair, a lot of the altruistic stuff WWE does is also (but not just - we're not that cynical) for P.R. reasons. And there's nothing wrong with that, either. In our view, if WWE is doing something to help someone else, we don't care if they're also getting good press for it.
Every now and then, though, you'll hear about something nice that Vince and his company does for someone else, and they don't even mention it themselves. They do it, as it was said, to be nice.
We'd like to put a spotlight on those times. Now, these aren't based on rumors - these are all things that have been publicly acknowledged by a third party in one way or another, or if a WWE official was quoted about it in a news story.
Sometimes it's just nice to read about something nice every once in a while, you know?
#5. WWE pays for rehab for any wrestler who has ever worked for them
So, this one is sort of a cheat, as it's a part of their Wellness Program, and it sort of falls under that "they do it to be nice and for P.R." kind of things. But they've done it to help so many people, and they've spent a lot of money doing it - and it's something that, if they didn't do it, nobody would even bat an eye.
In 2007, WWE sent a letter to formerly booked WWE talent, on WWE stationary, and signed by Vince himself. You can read a transcript of the letter here (h/t to Mandatory), but here are some portions of it:
"WWE is willing to pay for drug and/or alcohol rehabilitation... for any performer with a prior WWE booking contract who may need this service. WWE will pay for this service in full... There is no cost to you or your family. Help will be provided regardless of the circumstances of your departure from the WWF or the amount of time you performed for the WWE."
The letter also goes on to state that WWE will also pay, in full, the cost for any intervention services the family of an affected talent might need if the said talent is in denial.
Since then, they have paid for rehab services for former performers such as Scott Hall, Maven, Justin Credible, and Jeff Jarrett.
WWE has acknowledged they provided the service, but have not made it officially public.
Even though this might look good for PR, the fact remains that there are many wrestlers both former and current who have battled addictions over the years owing to the side effects of being a part of this challenging industry.