Vince McMahon Talks WWE Superstars Taking Time Off, Upcoming FOX Deal, And More
WWE's chairman and CEO sat down for a rare interview with Variety.
May 14, 2019
Vince McMahon sat down for a recently-published interview with
Variety, covering a range of topics including the process by which WWE Superstars take time off, SmackDown Live's upcoming switch to FOX, and his attitude towards being a long-term success.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the interview, especially given WWE's gruelling travel schedule, is his attitude towards Superstars taking time off:
“Anybody who wants time off can get time off. [...] In addition to that, it’s easy to weave a talent in and out of a storyline. If they get injured, you’re not expecting that. Or if they have a family matter. Our characters are real people with real problems. It’s a revolving situation where this talent will work these dates, that talent will work those dates.”
He also spoke about the upcoming move to FOX, and seemed very optimistic - while also implying that NBCU's coverage of Raw will become more integrated to match that of the blue brand this fall.
“WWE talent will be appearing on [Fox] programming. [...] It’s going to be a totally integrated approach. We’ve never had a platform like this in terms of promotion. Fox is going to go all-in, and they’re great promoters. NBCU is going to step up as well to the equivalent of what Fox is going to do.”
To close the interview, he explained his mindset with regards to the success of WWE, and the longevity of such success, likening it to military honours being earned and re-earned on a daily basis:
“At the end of the day I’ve got these ribbons and all these medals, and I wake up the next morning, and every one of them is gone. You have to earn everybody’s respect every day, all over again, and I don’t take it for granted.”