When I first heard about Mr. McMahon, one of the biggest releases on the 2024 Netflix schedule, I knew the six-part documentary about the life, legacy, and many controversies of former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon would pull no punches in its exploration of perhaps the most consequential figure in professional wrestling. However, I wasn’t expecting the series to change my perspective on Shane McMahon, the one-time heir apparent and occasional wrestler who pulled off some of WWE’s most dangerous spots.
But that’s exactly what happened in the series’ fifth episode, titled “Family Business,” in which 2024 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Paul Heyman shared what I can best describe as one of the most heartbreaking stories told in Mr. McMahon. More than any revelation in the docuseries, this moment affected me in a way that caused me to look at “Shane O’Mac” in a different and much more sympathetic light. Allow me to explain…
What's The Heartbreaking Story Paul Heyman Shares In Mr. McMahon?
Near the end of the penultimate episode of Mr. McMahon, Paul Heyman shares a story that he calls the “definitive moment” between Vince and Shane McMahon. During an argument about a creative direction, Shane had an idea that he really believed in, but his father “totally disagreed with it.” And while it is normal for fathers and sons, as well as bosses and employees, to have disagreements, the way that the elder McMahon escalated things was intense to say the least:
Vince, who was eating something, took his knife and handed it to Shane. He said, ‘Right there [pointing to his chest]. Come on. Right there. If you want this so bad, stick the dagger right here. Because that's what you’re going to have to do to make that decision. And if you don’t stick the dagger right here, then I’ll know you’re not man enough to do it, and I have to take that into consideration as well.’
The whole sticking a knife into your father’s heart to get what you want is one thing, but the second part of the interaction where Vince essentially tells his son that he’s not man enough to do it is what really cuts. And while it’s not stated if this incident was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Shane and his 2009 departure from the company, it’s easy to see why he’d want to leave the family business if this was the norm.
After Hearing That Story, I Felt Sorry For Shane McMahon And What That Experience Must Have Been Like
For some reason, that incident really stuck with me after I finished Mr. McMahon, and it’s something I haven’t really been able to take my mind off since. And I just can’t help but feel sorry for Shane McMahon for having to deal with something like that, especially from your father, a father who you’ve done so much to help over the years.
Again, it’s not stated in the doc when this confrontation happened, since Paul Heyman hadn’t been with the company for nearly three years when Shane left the company in October 2009. However, it doesn’t take away from the sting of those comments. I just can’t imagine my boss, let alone my own father telling me something like that. You can say “oh, it’s just Vince protecting the business,” but there are far better ways to handle such situations.
But This Is Just One Of The Stories About The Tense Father-Son Relationship In The Netflix Docuseries
This is just one of the many stories about the relationship between Vince and Shane McMahon featured in Mr. McMahon, as a large portion of the “Family Business” episode is about their dynamic, both in and outside of the ring. Just moments before the “you’re not man enough” incident, the father and son, separately, talk about Shane’s attempt to get his dad to purchase UFC years before both companies merged under Endeavor.
It’s clear the pair were not seeing eye-to-eye on the proposed acquisition, which would have more than likely changed the landscape of WWE and combat sports in general. And while it boiled down to the financials of the situation (Vince didn’t want to do it and Shane didn’t have enough capital to pursue it alone), I can’t help but feel it was because of Vince and Shane’s clashing behind the scenes, and maybe the elder McMahon not wanting to be outshined by his son.
These Stories Have Changed The Way I Look At The Death-Defying Feats Shane Pulled Off To Impress His Father
I’ve always been impressed with Shane McMahon’s in-ring work, as the part-time wrestler has continually risked life and limb to create huge moments. However, after hearing the aforementioned story and others like it, especially those that go behind the scenes of some of his wildest moments, I can’t help but have a changed outlook on his death-defying stunts.
In the final episode, titled “The Finish,” Shane talks about his legendary matches at King of the Ring 2001 and his return to face the Undertaker at WrestleMania 32. When describing the matches, the third-generation wrestling figure said he did it to put on a great show but also that he was always looking for that pat on the back from his dad. This is followed by a tender moment from Shane’s return match in April 2016 where father and son share an embrace backstage, something the younger McMahon would go on to say was very hard to come by.
Watching This As A Father, I Couldn't Stop Thinking About The Relationship With My Own Kids
Watching Mr. McMahon as a father, I couldn’t stop thinking about my own relationship with my kids. No, I don’t agree with Vince McMahon’s parenting tactics and I would never challenge my son or daughters to a fight at WrestleMania, but the series, did help me realize the importance of love, compassion, tenderness, and empathy when it comes to raising kids into decent human beings, and just how far “I love you” goes.
I’m sure Vince’s children love him dearly, and the other way around, but the documentary paints a portrait of a man who’s so consumed by his own appetite for life, power, and control that he’s lost his handle on the importance of family. I’m not holding this against him, because to each their own, but spending six hours diving into the mind of Mr. McMahon (the character and the person), had me doing some soul-searching, if I’m being honest.
Mr. McMahon is a fantastic documentary that everyone with a Netflix subscription should check out, even if they aren’t wrestling fans. On one hand, it’ll teach you so much about the history of professional wrestling and on the other, it might off your a new perspective on family and life in general.
