When WWE Chairman Vince McMahon wanted to legitimately "beat the s**t" out of an interviewer
On March 14, 2001, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was a guest on HBO's On The Record with Bob Costas.
During the rare interview, Costas riled up McMahon by repeatedly asking questions about WWE’s edgy Attitude Era storylines and the XFL's lack of viewership.
At one stage during the heated sit-down, Vince got close-up on Bob Costas to tell him to be quiet whilst he made his point. The Chairman of the Board was displeased with the constant interruptions from the host whilst he was talking.
New 30 for 30 XFL doc is great. I'd forgotten just how close Vince McMahon came to squashing Bob Costas. Almost a great day for America. https://t.co/tZDsaM3DNa
In Jim Miller’s book “Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers,” Vince explained his issues during the interview:
"He kept trying to do the ‘I gotcha’ kind of thing. It was clear he didn’t want to hear any of my answers. The other problem was that Bob is so freaking pompous. The entire time he acted like he was above me and was just using me to show how great he was. I was sitting there really pissed off and started thinking, I wish he wasn’t 5-feet high and 140 pounds."
He then added:
"If he was 6-5 and 295, he would deserve to get the s–t beat out of him. I could have really given them some great television." (h/t New York Post)
A year later, following a phone call from McMahon, Bob Costas interviewed him once again. On this occasion, it was a lot less heated than their first exchange, but still a memorable trade of words.
Vince McMahon will be interviewed by Pat McAfee this Thursday
Vince McMahon will be on the Pat McAfee Show. WOW! #SmackDown https://t.co/s7cvvQPRwI
SmackDown commentator and podcast host Pat McAfee will interview Vince McMahon this Thursday on The Pat McAfee Show.
The show will air live on YouTube and will be broadcast live at Noon ET, with fans being able to watch from all around the world.
The last time McMahon was interviewed in such a capacity was in 2014 when he was interviewed on WWE Network's Stone Cold Podcast by Stone Cold Steve Austin.
It has been speculated that the presence of the WWE Chairman on the podcast will kickstart a WrestleMania 38 storyline between the pair.
What was your favorite moment from Vince McMahon's interview with Bob Costas in 2001? Let us know in the comments section below!