'You need to show the world that you can change' - Female Superstar gets brutally honest about Vince McMahon
Maria Kanellis was a guest on the ROH Strong podcast, and the former WWE Superstar spoke in length about her WWE release, the state of the industry, and what she expects from Vince McMahon.
Maria Kanellis began by expressing her gratitude towards WWE and Vince McMahon for allowing her and Mike Kanellis to work for the company. Maria Kanellis recalled that she was given an excellent opportunity and was able to travel the world.
"Vince McMahon gave me an opportunity. If I am correct, and you never know, but it was Vince and Kevin Dunn who said, 'Yes, bring her back.' So, I appreciate that. At the time, it was an excellent opportunity. Along the way, I was given incredible opportunities. I was able to travel the world."
While Maria Kanellis is appreciative of what was offered, she gave her honest take about Vince McMahon's rigid tactics of running his business. Kanellis explained that people need to change and grow as the world is also evolving.
She wished that Vince McMahon would learn and listen to the people. Maria Kanellis understood that Vince McMahon built the industry, and while it worked for him in the past, she hoped that he could change as that is expected from a man who is at the pinnacle of professional wrestling.
"Even though I may appreciate the opportunities that I was given in the past, I really wish that Vince would learn and listen to people. It worked in the past. I'm happy for you, you created an industry, good on you, but at a certain point, because you are the pinnacle and the definition of what professional wrestling is, you need to show the world that you can change."
Maria Kanellis believes that Vince McMahon changing his stance would improve the industry as a whole. Maria was quick to point out that while WWE has several competitors who are doing good for themselves, none of the rivals have the reach that WWE enjoys. Vince McMahon has the lion's share of the reach, and Maria Kanellis noted that he could change many lives by altering his ideology.
Let's move forward and see what else you got: Maria Kanellis has doubts about WWE and Vince McMahon's beliefs
Maria Kanellis wanted Vince McMahon to think forward and not like a high school football player who repeated his best plays.
"That is the only way this industry gets better and is the only way that we can completely move forward. [WWE] has competitors, and they are doing a great job, but they do not have the reach, and because Vince has the reach, he could change a lot of lives. In that way, he needs to be more forward-looking and less like the high school football player that is like, 'I had that great play, it was awesome."
Maria Kanellis highlighted that there are many things that WWE says that they don't believe in, and if they did, she, her husband, and several other people would not have been released during the pandemic.
"Let's move forward and see what else you got. Are you now a family man, and do you really mean it, or is that some kind of marketing ploy. There are a lot of things that the company says that they do not truly believe because if they did, my husband and I would not have been fired this year, along with a lot of other wonderful people." H/t Fightful
Maria Kanellis has made a host of interesting points and observations about WWE's operations and Vince McMahon's vision. What do you guys think? Do you agree with her comments?