Vince McMahon Ignored His Father's Advice About WWE, Sgt. Slaughter Recalls (Exclusive)

Vince McMahon Jr. took over WWE from his father, Vince McMahon Sr., in 1982. In an exclusive interview, wrestling legend Sgt. Slaughter disclosed details about the two men's different approaches to business.

Vince McMahon Sr. viewed WWE, then known as WWF, as a professional wrestling brand and wanted to maintain good relationships with other organizations. In contrast, Vince McMahon Jr. looked at the product as sports entertainment. He also expanded the company by purchasing other wrestling promotions.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor, Bill Apter, Slaughter said Vince McMahon Jr. was more financially motivated than his father.

"Junior only had one thing in mind, and that was to become a billionaire. And Senior, I remember him telling Vincent Kennedy [Vince McMahon Jr.] several times, 'Don't tread on your neighbor's property. Don't go over the line of anybody else's territories. We're all friends, and you're just gonna make enemies.'"

When scripted fights get too real - Watch Here!

Watch the video above to hear Slaughter reflect on the time Vince McMahon Jr. overruled a storyline idea without his father knowing.

Sgt. Slaughter backed Vince McMahon Jr.'s unique WWE approach

In 1984, Vince McMahon Sr. passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 69. A year later, WWE continued to grow as a global entertainment juggernaut when Vince McMahon Jr. held the first WrestleMania event.

While Vince McMahon Sr. would have disliked some of WWE's changes, Sgt. Slaughter believes Vince McMahon Jr. made smart business decisions.

"Vince saw the future. He saw the pay-per-view. He saw the cable television, and he had all these ideas, and he couldn't keep them in any longer. And when he had the talent that he had with myself and The Iron Sheik and Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper and [Paul] Orndorff and all the guys, Tito Santana, all these guys that can not only talk but they could perform also. We didn't need managers, really. They gave us managers to keep somebody employed."

Slaughter also revealed why so many wrestling fans fail to recognize him at autograph signings.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the video if you use quotes from this article, along with an H/T for the transcription.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

Know More

These wrestling matches are not 'fake' at all - Watch!

Edited by Danny Hart