On a recent edition of his “Everybody’s Got a Pod” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. recalled Vince McMahon publicly admitting that pro wrestling was fake to have it taken away from the authority of the state athletic commission.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On Vince McMahon admitting wrestling was fake to avoid state athlete commissions: “I agree with you. It’s like, even though wrestling is sports entertainment, it’s still a sport. And you’re still out there bouncing around a ring and yes, you do get hurt. But to me it was kind of like, I didn’t really look at it as that big a deal. Because the whole kayfabe thing is like — I would say this, I don’t think anybody quit going to the wrestling matches because they found out that it wasn’t real… and then that’s just it. But you know, like sometimes with my father and Dory Funk Sr. in Amarillo, they actually accidentally ran into each other in a restaurant in Amarillo with their wives and got into a fight. I mean, because the whole town knew that Funk Sr. and Iron Mike were at each other’s throats. And all of a sudden, they show up at the same restaurant and they — you know, they started fighting in there, and went out on the street and it was kind of funny.”
On maintaining kayfabe back in the day: “Pretty much everybody — if you’ve ever been in a real fight, and you watch two guys wrestling [you know it wasn’t real]. But by the same token the guys like myself, I tried to make it as realistic as possible. So I tried not to do things that were just blatantly, it’s kind of like — I’ve seen guys get somebody in the corner and beat him up, and then grab them by the hair, and run them all the way across your ring into and run their head the turnbuckle. If you were in a real fight and somebody’s beating up on you, do you think he could grab you by your hair and run you across the street into a lamppost? He might pull your hair out, but you ain’t going! You know what I mean?
“But some of the greatest matches I’ve seen that were so realistic were like the greats. I mean, Dory Funk Jr. — I always talk about this match, Dory Funk Jr. and Jack Brisco. Oh my gosh, I mean, on the mat, in and out. I mean, it [was] so very real. I’ve been smart about business since I was 15 years old. And I’m standing on my feet during this match, because again, when you walk into a movie theater, you know it’s a movie. But if the actors — what do the actors do? They draw you into the story you’re telling. And they can make you laugh, they can make you cry, they can make you mad, they can make you sad. It’s the same thing with wrestling, sports entertainment.”
On his initial reaction to hearing McMahon say it: “Basically, Vince was saying, ‘Yes, we’re sports entertainment. So what? We’re good.’ And now I will say this. When I first heard it, I was kind of old school and like, ‘Why would you do that?’ But when I had time to think about it? It made all the sense in the world.”
In a recent episode of his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. shared an interesting story about Vince McMahon publicly admitting that professional wrestling was fake. The purpose behind this revelation was to remove the authority of state athletic commissions over the sport.
DiBiase acknowledged that while wrestling is considered sports entertainment, it still involves physicality and the performers do get hurt. However, he believed that the admission of wrestling being scripted didn’t have a significant impact on the audience’s interest in the sport. People didn’t stop attending wrestling matches simply because they found out it wasn’t real.
The concept of “kayfabe,” which refers to maintaining the illusion of reality in professional wrestling, was an essential part of the industry back in the day. DiBiase explained that although anyone who had been in a real fight could easily recognize that wrestling was not genuine, wrestlers like himself aimed to make it as realistic as possible. They avoided performing moves that were obviously unrealistic, such as running someone’s head into a turnbuckle by grabbing their hair and dragging them across the ring.
DiBiase reminisced about some of the most realistic matches he had witnessed, highlighting a bout between Dory Funk Jr. and Jack Brisco. He emphasized that these matches drew him in because they were so believable, just like actors in a movie who captivate audiences with their performances. DiBiase recognized that wrestling, like any form of entertainment, had the power to evoke various emotions in its viewers.
Initially, DiBiase had reservations about McMahon’s decision to openly admit that wrestling was scripted. As someone from the old school of wrestling, he questioned why McMahon would reveal this information. However, upon reflection, DiBiase realized that it made sense strategically. By acknowledging that wrestling was sports entertainment, McMahon was able to remove the authority of state athletic commissions over the industry.
In conclusion, Ted DiBiase Sr.’s recollection of Vince McMahon publicly admitting that wrestling was fake sheds light on the behind-the-scenes strategies employed in the world of professional wrestling. While the revelation didn’t significantly impact the audience’s interest, it allowed the industry to operate without interference from state athletic commissions. The concept of kayfabe and the efforts made by wrestlers to create realistic performances were also discussed, highlighting the intricacies of the sport.