"Vince was very vindictive" - WWE veteran recalls stars losing pushes after they angered McMahon (Exclusive)
As Vince McMahon battles some severe allegations, various former talents have shared their WWE experiences. Dutch Mantell recently spoke about Mr. McMahon's vindictive nature and how displeasing the former CEO could end a talent's career.
McMahon is currently facing a slew of sexual misconduct and trafficking allegations as part of a lawsuit from former WWE employee Janel Grant. VKM's other alleged sexual misdemeanors are also coming to light. Even in a professional capacity, Vince McMahon was ruthless, and as Dutch Mantell recalled, he would end a talent's push if they did something he didn't like.
Mantell spoke about McMahon's personality on this week's Smack Talk and stated that the 78-year-old wouldn't hesitate to bury stars on TV that might have angered him, even for the smallest reasons.
"Vince was very vindictive. I've heard this story for as long as I've heard his name. If he got a little pissed at you and he was going to give you a little bit of a push, that was all gone. He would take you out there the next week and have you beat in two minutes or less." [From 19:15 onwards]
Dutch Mantell said that for Vince McMahon to develop a dislike towards someone, it didn't even have to be a big incident. In addition to fighting in the ring, he felt the bigger battles for WWE talent happened backstage as they would have to navigate tricky waters with McMahon at the helm.
The WWE veteran added:
"You could be a star, but if you did something he didn't like, it could be just nothing, like you didn't say hello to him or something, he just developed a disliking for you, you are done. So, not only did you have to fight your fight in the ring, but you had to do backstage, too. Watch what you say, who you say it to, and who you say it in front of... Backstage is where the battles are fought." [From 19:40 onwards]
Since Vince McMahon gave up the creative control of WWE, the company has changed tremendously under Triple H. The seemingly permanent ouster of VKM after the recent lawsuit seemingly guarantees that the promotion won't go back to its old days regarding how talents are treated.
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