Much has been made of the relationship between former WWE boss Vince McMahon and his son, Shane. And right now, it may be as relevant as ever.
There have been countless rumours linking Shane to WWE’s arch rivals AEW in recent times. From an apparent secret meeting with Tony Khan, to a picture with the Young Bucks, to suspicious storylines across the pond.
It feels somewhat poetic given how Shane’s relationship with father Vince has been. WWE fans always understood Stephanie – Vince’s daughter and Shane’s sister – to be the favourite sibling, and there has now been an insight into that very relationship.
Last week, an explosive documentary highlighting the career of Vince aired on Netflix. The likes of Shane, Stephanie, Triple H and more were interviewed as part of it. Vince even released a statement before its release slamming it.
The docuseries, which addressed a number of controversies from McMahon’s career, including accusations of sexual assault, emotional abuse and human trafficking – claims he denied, with a spokesperson arguing ‘this lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth’ – featured a particular scene with Shane, where he explained is desire to achieve his father’s approval.
The explosive documentary surrounding Vince McMahon (right) highlights his fractured relationship with son Shane (left)
Shane has been in and out of WWE over the last 25-or-so years and opened up on his relationship with his father on the show
He explained how he was desperate for Vince’s approval and that he had to ‘work hard’ for it
‘[I was] always looking for the approval of my father,’ Shane can be seen exclaiming around his time in WWE. ‘I got a hug that night.
‘It was a very emotional return.’
Vince can, regarding Shane’s performance at WrestleMania 32, be seen addding: ‘Shane knocked on the door that night and said: “That’s all I ever wanted, your respect.” So those were some very personal moments.’
Shane added: ‘I got a pat on the back. I had to earn that one.’
Vince and Shane always had a turbulent relationship, ranging from Shane’s ambition to buy ECW in 2000 to the present day.
In 2001, Shane is thought to have try and persuaded his father to buy UFC when it was on the market for just a few million dollars. Now, while under the same TKO banner as WWE, it was valued in the region of £8.4billion by Forbes earlier this year.
It was reported that Shane wanted to prove his worth to his father in doing so, but Vince declined and said that Shane could use his own money if he wanted to.
The quality of the duo’s relationship at the present day is unknown.Â
One scene in the series shows Shane being hugged by his father after WrestleMania 32
Vince released a statement criticising the documentary before its release on Netflix
Vince, meanwhile, asked viewers of the documentary to remind themselves that there are ‘two sides to every story in his statement.
According to the Wrestling Observer, he tried to buy the documentary before it was published.
One fans posted on X, formerly Twitter, of the portrayal of the father-son relationship: ‘I feel sad for Shane McMahon,’ while another added: ‘I love Shane McMahon. He seems like such a genuine nice guy.’
A third wrote: ‘Verdict: Shane McMahon seems like one of the nicest humans ever.’Â
‘I don’t regret participating in this Netflix documentary,’ he said in the statement. ‘The producers had an opportunity to tell an objective story about my life and the incredible business I built, which were equally filled with excitement, drama, fun, and a fair amount of controversy and life lessons.
‘Unfortunately, based on an early partial cut I’ve seen, this doc falls short and takes the predictable path of conflating the “Mr. McMahon” character with my true self, Vince. The title and promos alone make that evident.
It was regularly suggested that Shane’s sister Stephanie (right) was the favoured sibling
‘A lot has been misinterpreted or left out entirely in an effort to leave viewers intentionally confused. The producers use typical editing tricks with out of context footage and dated soundbites etc. to distort the viewers’ perception and support a deceptive narrative.
‘In an attempt to further their misleading account, the producers use a lawsuit based on an affair I ended as evidence that I am, in fact, “Mr. McMahon”.
‘I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story.’
