nibs92
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 29, 2008 5:47:21 GMT -5
Posts: 2,240
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Post by nibs92 on Jun 22, 2018 5:01:45 GMT -5
July 1991 – State of New York
The familiar, yet strange sight of a black limousine driving through New York on a scorching hot summers day isn’t so unusual, except for all the windows being up and sunroof closed as it moves with a sense of urgency. In the back of this luxury vehicle sits one of the most influential wrestling promoters ever, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, his wife, lawyer and personal assistant, Laura Maynard. Vince stares coldly at his legal adviser, Jerry McDevitt.
McMahon is feeling the heavy, and unfamiliar burden of defeat, as he says to his lawyer, in an almost emotionless and mono toned voice “can we appeal?”. Jerry, also not au fait with losing, places a a hand on the shoulder of his employer – and friend – and says “we could, but it could go a lot worse. You could end up in jail for anything up to 20 years. The government are looking to make a statement here. $90m is a severe fine but they need to be seen to be …….” “f!#k the money” Vince barks “who the f!#k do they think they are?? I’m not a fit and proper person?? I can’t promote my own company, or any other sport for the next five years??”.
It’s unusual for Jerry to be at a loss for words, but can’t think what to say to placate his boss. “Vince, listen to me. They were baying for blood. This could have dragged on for years and ultimately bankrupted you. Cutting the deal was the best I could do for you. With the sex scandal and steroid charges, the media would crucify you. As you’re lawyer, your friend, I couldn’t put you in front of a jury and leave you to the mercy of the court. I needed to protect you, protect your business, your family”
Linda McMahon gently squeezes her husbands hand “Jerry is right, honey. It’s not about fighting every battle. We need to win the war.” Vince looks angrily at his wife and feels his mood lighten. In this crazy, messed up business there are very few people you can trust. Linda has always supported him. Vince gazes into his wife’s eyes, a smile plays on his lips. He turns to Laura and says “can you organise a meeting with the board for this Friday?”. Turning back to face Linda, he thinks nothing can beat me.
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nibs92
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 29, 2008 5:47:21 GMT -5
Posts: 2,240
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Post by nibs92 on Jun 22, 2018 5:42:36 GMT -5
July 1991 – Meeting with the board
Vince swivels on his chair, to face out the window of the relatively new headquarters and takes a sip of coffee from the mug in his hand. The stunned silence in the room is broken by executive producer Kevin Dunn. “So, does this mean that you are strictly an on air personality?”. McMahon slowly spins round on his chair and looks at the young, hungry exec. Vince has always liked him. He Joined the WWF at the same time as Vince took the reigns. The pair think alike. They share the same vision of where the company should go. McMahons biggest success, WrestleMania, would still be a pipe dream if it weren’t for his young, talented producer. Looking at Dunn, somehow made Vince feel safe. He’s being forced to walk away from his own company, yet when it is time for his return, he knows there will still be a promotion for him to return to.
Looking around the room and seeing his team, the people who helped him build his wrestling empire, he realises that it’s all in place. Except for one vital piece. Creative direction.
Addressing Kevin Dunn’s question, Vince’s answer causes another stunned silence. “The conditions of the plea bargain are that, other than attending annual meetings as majority shareholder, I am to have nothing to do with the running of the company neither from an operational or creative direction. Hell, I can’t even sell popcorn in the stands.” Dunn ponders on this for a few seconds “so after today you’re gone for good?” “No, It comes into effect from the 1st January 1992 for a five year period”
There are mutterings around the room, as the gravity of the situation sinks in. Marcia Walsh, head of marketing asks “will Pat Patterson be taking over the creative side of things?”. This question brings a wave of anger over the soon to be departed chief. “NO!! Unfortunately due to various outside pressures, our good friend Pat has had to resign from his position”. Silence, this time an awkward one, once again fills the room. It’s an open secret about Pats sexuality, but the accusations, true or otherwise, have caused mixed feelings among the employees.
The silence is finally broken by Kevin Dunn, asking another question. “Who is going to take the reigns.” Linda McMahon answers “that’s what we are here to discuss.
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nibs92
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 29, 2008 5:47:21 GMT -5
Posts: 2,240
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Post by nibs92 on Jun 23, 2018 12:52:28 GMT -5
Early August production meeting
The office of Vince McMahon is filled with the production team. Summerslam is coming up near the end of the month and the planning process for the PPV is being thrashed out. As the meeting draws to a close and the team filters out, Vince asks his production head to wait behind. As the last team member filters out the office, Vince invites Kevin to sit down on the opposite side of his desk.
Peering over his reading glasses, Vince looks at Dunn and says “we are looking at holding interviews for suitable candidates to head up creative.” Kevin nods slowly, avoiding eye contact as the reality of losing his boss, mentor and friend becomes even more apparent. “I’d really appreciate if you could sit in with us on the interviews.” Without hesitation, Dunn replies “of course, Boss.” Having worked so closely together, and sharing the same ideas and visions for the company, it didn’t feel so much like an honour, as the right thing to do.
Vince takes a piece of paper from the top drawer of his desk. It contains a list of possible replacements. Four to be precise. Dunn looks at it with some distain. The first two names just don’t feel like a good fit: Bill Watts and Jerry Jarrett. “Too southern Vince.” McMahon nods in agreement. The concern for McMahon, and quietly seconded by Dunn is that there may not be anyone suitably qualified.
Kevin looks at the third name down: Stu Hart. “The trouble we’ve got Vince is that there aren’t many people who have booked for a national promotion. A guy like Hart will have us back in smoky, dim lit, half full sports halls in no time at all. We can’t go back to that. We can’t stay still either. We need to be thinking bigger. Not just America, not even the whole of North America but globally!!”
Vince throws his head back as he leans back on his chair and laughs. “It’s like one mind! We do good business in Europe and Japan but we really need to be exploiting these markets and make the WWF the number one brand of entertainment in the world! F!#k “wrassling”, f!#k Hollywood, f!#k the world!!!”
Vince’s trademark laugh echoes through the room. He all of a sudden stops, lowers his eyes and his voice and softly, almost whisper like, says to Kevin “officially, I can’t have anything to do with the running of the WWF after the end of the year. I need you to be my eyes and ears around here. Linda’s great with the operational side of things, that’s her strength, but the workload is immense for her. I need someone to keep an eye on things on the ground level. I’ll never appoint anyone you’re not comfortable with, but, whoever it is, needs to be on the same wave length as you. As us!”
Kevin nods, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. To gain the respect and trust of a guy like Vince McMahon is about the greatest endorsement you’ll ever receive. Vince grabs the list, crumples it into a ball and throws it in the waste paper bin. He comes to the other side of the desk and embraces his producer in a hug. “I would never have got this far without you.” “Thank you Vince. And thank you for giving me my first break in this business thank you for your mentoring and above all, thank you for your friendship”
The two break off from the embrace, as Vince goes to sit back down and Kevin goes to prepare for his journey to Pennsylvania for the next round of tapings. Halfway out the door, Dunn turns around and says to his boss “oh, who was the last name on that list”. Vince glances up from his desk and replies “it doesn’t matter, he probably wasn’t right anyway”
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nibs92
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 29, 2008 5:47:21 GMT -5
Posts: 2,240
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Post by nibs92 on Jul 5, 2018 11:44:57 GMT -5
Second week of August – production truck in South Carolina
“It’s best if we cut to a wide angled shot. It’s a rest hold, yet the crowd is pumped up for the hot tag. Let the viewer see that at home. Let them see the crowd going wild and what they are ultimately missing by not coming to see us live. We sell the whole experience here. We’re the ringmasters rolling them into the circus.” “Yes Mr Dunn. And thank you Mr Dunn.” “It’s the attention to detail that makes the great even better. Remember that! Can I leave that with you?” “Yes Mr Dunn”
Having shown his crew member how to apply the finishing touches to last nights taping, Kevin Dunn turns to leave the production truck, when he notices the large built frame of his boss standing in the door way. “Can I have a minute of your time please Mr Dunn?!” Vince asks with a smirk on his face. The main thing that stands out to him about McMahon is his ability to bounce back from the biggest setbacks, with everything that’s going on, Vince still manages to laugh and joke. A lesser man would have crumbled by now.
The two men exit the production truck into the car park and walk side by side in silence. After a couple of minutes, Vince glances over his shoulder, sees there is no one around and rests on the hood of a car. Kevin stands opposite him. “I’m struggling to find someone suitable” Vince admits. Dunn pauses for a minute then offers “is it worth out while talking with Watts? If nothing else it starts the process.” “Yeah you’re right. I don’t want to leave it too late. Whoever does take over, I want them in place soon. They need to be up to speed with the current storylines and characters and I’d want to see a rough draft of their booking plans for the next 12 – 18 months.”
In a reluctant acceptance, Dunn agrees and offers up that they should bring Jarrett in as well to give a rough guide as to what’s out there. Vince suggests setting it up for the end of the week.
End of second week in August – the interviews
Bill Watts walks through the marble halls of Titan Towers on his way to the lift. “Waste of time. Those pussies wouldn’t know how to book a wrestling show to save their lives” Watts mutters to himself. As the lift hits the ground floor, “the Cowboy”, who is in a foul mood, storms through the reception area without so much as a goodbye to the administrator on the desk. A slimy, brown smear is left on the window of the swivel doors at the entrance, where Watts had spat his chewing tobacco.
Staring out the window to the front car park, where their now unwelcome guest has adorned, Vince says out loud “I’d close the doors and burn this place to the f#$king ground before I left it in the hands of that piece of s#!t.” Before Dunn could answer, there is a knock on Vince’s door and in walks Linda. “How did it go?” She asks. “Waste of time” Vince says as he storms over to the office en suite bathroom. Linda places her hand on Dunn’s shoulder and sits in the seat next to him. “What went wrong, Kevin?”
“Definitely not suitable! For starters he was 45 minutes late. You know how Vince hates tardiness” Linda nods. “And his ideas are off the chart. Remove ringside mats, replace all entrance themes with heavy rock songs and have Virgil beat Hogan for the title to replicate JYD in mid south”
Linda shakes her head. “What are we gonna do?” A returning Vince booms “I’m gonna need to appeal this sanction against me” “but Vince, if it goes to court you could end up in Jail.” Vince exhales loudly. “Jarrett has turned us down flat, Stu is too old, Shane is too green.” “What about in our own roster?” Kevin asks half heartedly.
“What about Jake?” Asks Linda. “He has “personal issues” to deal with. With everything else going on we can’t afford to take any chances” Vince replies. “Heenan?” Dunn suggests. “With me having to give up commentary, I need him to focus on keeping that steady” “Piper?” “Potentially worse than Jake. Thankfully not common knowledge in the media”.
The three are sat in Vince’s office in quiet reflection. After a few painfully awkward moments, Dunn jolts in his chair. “Who was the other guy on your list, Vince?” McMahon thinks for a moment then says “oh yeah, his name is Colin James. He was head booker for British Wrestling during the late 70’s and early 80’s. He helped make it really popular back then and was considered ahead of his time.”
“What’s he done since?” Linda asks. “I heard he was in Japan for a while with NJPW. I only really know of him because Dynamite and Davey raved on about him.” Vince pauses, then continues “get Davey to come by and see me”
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