Vince McMahon is arguably the most important figure in professional wrestling history. The impact he’s made on the sport is unmatched.

But because of no one else’s fault but his own, his legacy will be forever tarnished, long after he’s gone.

We’ll take a look at how he became to be the biggest promoter in the world, and what led to his downfall.

A third generation wrestling promoter, McMahon grew up in a trailer park in North Carolina and joined his father’s small wrestling company, then WWWF, in 1972. McMahon purchased the business 10 years later, then transformed the World Wrestling Federation (now called WWE) from a regional operation into a global phenomenon.

However, it also made Vince McMahon one of the most controversial men in the business, thanks to his brazen line-stepping and fearless breaking of wrestling’s unspoken, yet defining rules. The once fertile map of small-time wrestling promotions with top guy talent was eventually whittled away, to the point where Vince McMahon became the best game in town for wrestlers seeking to reach the top of their trade.

And thanks to McMahon, the WWF became the biggest promotion in the world. A big part of that was because of stars such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Bret Hart, Macho Man Randy Savage, and more!

And while professional wrestling was booming in the 1980s, McMahon did something that broke a lot of barriers, and perhaps the most sacred rule: he exposed the business. That’s always

It was back in 1989 when Vince testified to the New Jersey Senate about how professional wrestling should be deregulated, and thus exempt from rules that apply to other sports operating under state athletic commissions. The decision was viewed very differently at the time and today, with some arguing that it removed the WWE from dealing with certain corrupt behavior from commission officials, while others saw it as dangerous to the health and well-being of performers.

Speaking of health of wrestlers….

In 1994, The United States of America v. McMahon, saw the company emerge from one of their toughest fights: The Steroid Trial. It was alleged that McMahon personally oversaw the distribution of illegal anabolic steroids to wrestlers on his company’s roster. The allegations stemmed from the testimony of convicted doctor George Zahorian, who had previously been employed by the company as a ringside physician. It was argued that Zahorian’s steroid distribution went all the way up the WWF’s corporate chain to McMahon himself, but the distribution charges were ultimately dropped, and McMahon was found not guilty on the count of conspiracy.

Vince McMahon recently stepped down as WWE CEO, but allegations of sexual assault and harassment have come up in the news for decades. One-time WWF referee Rita Chatterton alleged that McMahon forced himself upon her in a limousine back on July 16th, 1986. Former WWF Diva Sable also sued the company in 1999 for harboring a culture of sexual harassment. In 2022, accusations against McMahon alleged that the former CEO made out hush money payments to an employee with whom he had an affair. The allegations went on to reference older misconduct accusations and nondisclosure agreements involving both McMahon and then WWE Head of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis.

And now, it’s gotten even worse…

In a very explicit and disturbing filing in federal court today, a former WWE staffer is suing co-founder Vince McMahon for rape, sex trafficking and battery. Janel Grant is also taking Word Wrestling Entertainment itself to task for negligence and suing former WWE Head of Talent Relations and General Manager John Laurinaitis for sexual assault and more.With a document full of alleged vile behavior and violence on the part the already much accused McMahon and others at WWE, Grant details a relationship of full of cringy sexual innuendo from the first time the economically and emotionally fragile woman met McMahon in March 2019.

There are allegations of sharing naked images of Grant with other senior WWE staffers, forcing Grant into group sex situations, aggressive physical situations with degrading language like “b*tch” used over and over, some encounters saw the use of “sex toys” that resulted in “physical injuries” and some crossing of state lines – hence the trafficking claim.

And while we’ll closely follow this story, it just goes to show that the Vince McMahon legacy is forever tarnished.