"It was very stressful" - AEW star says Vince McMahon yelled at him and other legends regularly in WWE

Vince McMahon is one of the most controversial figures in professional wrestling. He has worked with several prominent names in the industry, and not everyone has had pleasant interactions with him in the past. AEW star Dustin Rhodes recently reflected on working alongside McMahon in WWE.

The Natural performed under the Goldust moniker in the global juggernaut, sharing the ring with legends like The Undertaker and winning numerous titles, including the Intercontinental Championship. Rhodes was also a producer in the company in the final year of his stint. He is currently active in AEW as an in-ring performer and coach.

In a recent sit-down interview with Chris Van Vliet, Rhodes spoke about his experience coaching performers in AEW. He said coaching stars and producing matches for Tony Khan was a different experience because everyone was cool and calm during tapings. He further described his time working with McMahon backstage in WWE.

"Say, we have a plan. They go out there and they're pulling off the stuff, but then, they get off script and they're doing stuff that they shouldn't do or they were told not to do, that's on me, from Vince McMahon. I can't reach through the screen or tell the ref 'Tell him not to do this' or 'Get back up on the train tracks.' Once that happens, it's a domino effect and it just gets worse and worse. He's always like, 'Hey, good. Thumbs up to the kids,' and I know it's the s**s. right? Because they didn't do anything I told them to, and I am just like, I'm waiting and then, every time, 'Dustin, come see me.' So, I know, you know, many times, I've been over there and it was a lot." (0:11 - 1:32)

Dustin disclosed that several veterans had a "stressful" time producing matches for WWE under Vince McMahon.

"He yelled at all of us. Dean [Malenko], Arn [Anderson], Fit [Finlay], [Mike] Rotunda, all of us. It was an everyday occasion, an everyday occurrence. If he didn't yell at you, you have had a good day, which was few and far between. So it was very stressful, and [I] think it probably took 10 years of my life and the one year that I produced there. It was the toughest thing I have ever done. It was not for me. Now, that he is gone, I hear that it's a lot more laidback because you have somebody that you know, is completely different than Vince." [1:33 to 2:11]

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Wrestling legend Sabu says Vince McMahon is a 'sc**mbag'

ECW legend Sabu worked for WWE in 1993 before returning for a second stint between 2006 and 2007.

In an interview with WrestlingNewsCo's Steve Fall, Sabu shared his honest thoughts on McMahon and his long-time ally, John Laurinaitis. The former champion said:

"Vince is a sc*mbag. I knew that, but he made a lot of guys rich. I give him credit for that, but he's a sc*mbag. So is Johnny Ace [John Laurinaitis]."

Vince McMahon is no longer associated with WWE. He initially retired in July 2022 before returning in January 2023 to facilitate the company's sale. The 78-year-old's son-in-law, Triple H, replaced him as the creative head of the promotion. After World Wrestling Entertainment's merger with UFC, McMahon became the chairman of TKO Group Holdings.

The veteran promoter was recently accused of sex trafficking by ex-WWE employee Janel Grant, leading to his resignation. Vince McMahon denied the allegations but is not part of TKO's board anymore.

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If you use any quotes from the article's first half, please credit Insight and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.