Back in June 2007, Vince McMahon had just entered his limousine when it suddenly erupted in flames on WWE programming. According to Triple H, not everyone knew it was a work.
There are times when the lines between real and kayfabe are blurred so much that fans can’t be sure what is real and what is not. Often times, this deliberate blurring is done to advance a particular narrative (e.g. Talking Smack) or set up events that will take place at some future pay-per-view. The demise of Vince McMahon remains in a category all to itself and caused many people (including Donald Trump) to take it seriously. The literal and metaphorical flames of Vince’s kayfabe “death” were fanned even further by the WWE when it published this press release the following day:
While some might say “The Sopranos” went out with a whimper, last night on USA Network, WWE’s “Monday Night RAW” went out with a bang. At the end of his self-anointed “Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night”, WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon entered his limousine when it suddenly exploded. The shocking ending raised a myriad of questions: How could Mr. McMahon have survived the fiery explosion? And who could have committed such a heinous act?
Although full details have not been disclosed, initial reports indicate that Mr. McMahon is presumed dead. An official investigation into Monday night’s events is currently underway with no one being ruled out as a suspect. Throughout the night, people from Mr. McMahon’s past – from Donald Trump to Snoop Dogg to Bob Costas to Stone Cold Steve Austin – had less than flattering things to say about the WWE Chairman, but would any go so far as to actually blow him up? The question of “whodunit”, as well as the fate of Mr. McMahon, will be on everyone’s minds as the WWE saga continues on “Monday Night RAW” on USA (9 p.m. ET/8C).
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The goal was to have Vince make a surprise return later in the year. While faking the death of a company’s chairman may have been in poor taste, this angle suffered from unfortunate timing more than anything else. The same day on which Vince’s “memorial” service was to be held, police discovered the body of Chris Benoit who had murdered his wife and children several days earlier. The shocking real-life events put an end to the entire angle and caused a dramatic shift in tone for the next several weeks.
In 2008, Triple H appeared on the Opie & Anthony radio show to talk about the failed “Who killed Vince” angle. Triple H didn’t mince words when he said the work and subsequent press release fooled a lot of famous people, including close friend of the McMahon family, Donald Trump.
What kills me is, so many people called – I mean the office the next day… I’m not kidding you. Like, and they’ll probably get mad a me for saying it, but like Trump called and is like, “did something happen to Vince?”
Given Trump’s propensity to absorb everything he watches on television, it’s not a far-fetched concept to believe that he accepted the death of Vince as a legitimate moment in history. With that being said, don’t hold your breath waiting for the President-elect to fess up to being duped by a professional wrestling storyline.
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