How WWE CEO Vince McMahon helped me live my dream (Exclusive)
I’ve been told that SportsKeeda Wrestling readers love to hear a good Vince McMahon story. So, I don’t know if I should break up my Vince McMahon experiences into a 2 or 3-part article series because I’ve got quite a few stories.
The most recent encounter was when I brought my Pro and Bro Wrestling Podcast neighBRO Arnold Telagaarta backstage to a recent WWE RAW TV taping in Bakersfield. It was Arnold’s first backstage experience and he had such a cool time meeting all of my friends. For me, it gets overwhelming because when you haven’t seen a lot of your wrestling friends or the production team for a while, you end up saying hi and sharing the same stories with dozens and dozens of people.
So, after a while, I just needed to escape and went off into one of the empty arena hallways to clear my head and gather my thoughts. Great minds think alike. On the day that Arnold and I decided to do that, Vince McMahon was thinking the exact same thing.
Vince McMahon walked past us in the same empty hallway that Arnold and I were standing in, to use his cell phone. He did say hello to us, but he didn’t recognize me because I had my glasses on. Arnold was somewhat star-struck, which is understandable because it was just the 3 of us in this empty hallway. When I was full time with WWE, you’d often see Vince on TV days by himself on his cell phone.
I made sure I took my glasses off. Once he was done with his phone call, it was my chance to step out in front of him and say hello properly. I knew I’d regret it and beat myself up if I didn’t say hi. So, I stepped out in front of him and said, “Hey Vince, this is Darren Young.”
Vince’s eyes got so big, and he said, “Oh my god, I didn’t even recognize you! How are you doing?” I said, "I’m doing well, Vince. This is my friend Arnold." Vince shook his hand and said, “Nice to meet you, Arnold.” I told Vince that I'm doing well. I let him know that I really do miss WWE. Vince smiled and said- "Give me a hug." So, I gave him a hug and he looked over at Arnold and echoed the words- "Darren is one helluva guy."
I always say the most intimidating thing about Vince McMahon is his office door but once you muster the courage to walk in to discuss ideas with him, it’s a lot of fun. Vince would always say in promo class back when they had it on TV days- “Nervous people don’t draw money."