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While Netflix's new docuseries Mr. McMahon is filled with ugly revolution, career-threatening accusations, and more than a few new insights that highlight the dark side of the ring – no relation – the show had a few moments of levity too, including one that is making waves online where Dave Meltzer absolutely clowns on Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, and WWE as a whole for pushing their own mythology even when it simply isn't true.
Discussing the importance of WrestleMania III after WrestleMania II was sort of a disaster, Meltzer noted that while the show is widely advertised for its firsts, from Hogan being the first man to bodyslam Andre the Giant – it happened 25 times before, according to Meltzer – to recording an attendance record of 93,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome, which simply isn't an accurate figure.
“They said 93,000 fans for so many years they probably all believe it by this point,” Meltzer noted.
It's true; after watching Hogan, McMahon, and Bruce Prichard echo just how impressive it was to fill up the Silverdome with 92,000-plus people, Meltzer brought things crashing back to earth, reminding fans of the actual figure present at the show.
“Yeah it was actually 78,000 in the building,” Meltzer declared.
A small detail? Eh, maybe so, but do you know what? While it certainly got the internet buzzing, it's also pretty indicative of how WWE does business, as even during the documentary, the closed captions said World Wrestling Entertainment even when someone said World Wrestling Federation. This self-mythology is also probably the way people got away with as much as they did, as it's hard for others to dispute history when the promoter gets to write it.
“Andre's never been slammed? He was probably slammed 25 times before that, maybe more.”
“It was actually 78,000 people in the building.”
Long live Dave Meltzer, LMFAO. pic.twitter.com/o1Jsdlm7TE
— Drainmaker 🌧️ 💵 (@DrainBamager) September 25, 2024
Vince McMahon never wanted to define his WWE legacy
Speaking of McMahon using WWE to define its own history, the former Chairman of the Board was asked about his own legacy in professional wrestling and how fans should think about him when his career is done. All things considered, McMahon's answer – admittedly from back in 2021 – was actually quite surprising, as he didn't want to define it at all.
“What's my legacy? You know, I don't have one. Everyone has a certain feeling about who they think Vince McMahon is. People really don't know me at all. A lot of people have confused who my character was on television and who I am. When I look in the mirror, I know who I'm looking at. I know the reflection,” McMahon said in Mr. McMahon via Fightful.
“Sometimes the lines of reality or fact and fiction are very blurred in our business. Sometimes what happens is performers start believing in themselves. They start believing in their own character. The individual loses all sense of who they really are personally. They become the characters. I'm wondering myself now. Which is the character, and which is me? I guess maybe it's a blend. I would suggest that one is exaggerated a little bit, but I'm not so sure which one.”
While many fans tuned into Mr. McMahon to see a brutal takedown of the former Chairman, what they instead watched was six episodes of sad nostalgia, with many key moments from history now being spoiled by the ugliness behind them. That, unfortunately, is now McMahon's legacy, even more so than his larger-than-life character.
