TKO has asked Netflix to make the Mr. McMahon docuseries "as bad as possible", says veteran, for 3 reasons
Netflix is set to drop a documentary titled "Mr. McMahon," documenting the "rise and fall" of former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon on September 25. Meanwhile, a wrestling veteran recently predicted that TKO wanted the streaming platform to make the documentary "as bad as possible."
The veteran in question is none other than Jonathan Coachman. The 51-year-old worked closely with the former chairman for several years, including being his on-screen Executive Assistant on Monday Night RAW. In the latest episode of the Behind The Turnbuckle: The Last Word podcast, Coachman discussed the upcoming Netflix documentary about McMahon. He disclosed that TKO may have made a special request to the streaming platform regarding the show.
The Coach predicted that TKO, the new owners of the Sports Entertainment juggernaut, would have asked Netflix to make the docuseries "as bad as possible" to distance themselves from McMahon ahead of RAW moving to the streaming platform in January 2025. He also claimed TKO did not want anybody to sympathize with the former WWE Chairman, adding that the company wanted everyone to bury the 79-year-old.
"If you're TKO, and you're the company that owns the WWE now, you wanna get as far away from Vince as you humanly possibly can. So, Tommy, if they're gonna start in January, I promise you there have been meetings behind closed doors with Netflix executives, and they say, 'Make this as bad as possible. Make this as bad as possible!''' he said.
The Coach added:
"Because they don't want any sympathy for Vince; they don't want anybody feeling sorry for Vince, and they want everybody to bury Vince whether it's warranted or whether it is not. That's what they want because now, Tommy, they're moving into a new partnership with Netflix. That's what they're doing." [41:48-42:30]
Former WWE Chairman issues a statement regarding the Mr. McMahon documentary
Former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon broke his silence on Monday as he issued a statement on X (Twitter), addressing the upcoming "Mr. McMahon" Netflix documentary.
Although the 79-year-old claimed he did not regret participating in the project, he warned viewers about a potential "deceptive narrative" in the anticipated docuseries. Vince claimed the documentary took the "predictable path of conflating the Mr. McMahon character with his true self."
"A lot has been misrepresented or left out entirely in an effort to leave viewers intentionally confused. The producers use typical editing tricks with out-of-context footage, dated soundbites, etc. to distort the viewers’ perception and support a deceptive narrative. In an attempt to further their misleading account, the producers use a lawsuit based on an affair I ended as evidence that I am, in fact, 'Mr. McMahon.' I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story," McMahon wrote.
McMahon left the Stamford-based company earlier this year after being sued by former employee Janel Grant for alleged sexual assault and sex trafficking. Grant's attorney responded to the former WWE Chairman's statement, disclosing that he and his client hoped the Mr. McMahon documentary "shines a bright light on his abhorrent and criminal actions by accurately portraying the realities of his abusive and exploitative behavior."
Meanwhile, recent reports have claimed that Vince tried to "kill" the Mr. McMahon documentary before its release on Netflix.
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