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Linda McMahon Gets Samoan Dropped By NY Times, Is Source Of “Wrestling Is Fake” Bombshell

I describe today’s Times piece on Linda McMahon and the WWE as a “Samoan Drop” for two reasons: 1) going with “slammed” is too obvious, 2) A Samoan drop seems like it hurts a little more.

The article, which highlights McMahon’s run for the Connecticut Senate seat, takes a look at the somewhat ruthless way in which Linda and her husband, Vince, have monopolized the wrestling business.

None of this was new to me, since it’s widely known that the McMahon’s turned a blind eye to wrestler steroid use, left former employees out in the cold, and squeezed out local promotions on their way to becoming an empire.

What I didn’t know was that Linda, in an effort to make the then-WWF immune from the jurisdiction of state athletic commissions, let the cat out of the bag when it came to wrestling’s authenticity:

Ms. McMahon told regulators something few in the industry would say openly at the time: wrestling matches were scripted shows and not athletic competitions that required the kind of oversight that, say, boxing required. The strategy worked. Today, the W.W.E. operates in 29 states without the supervision of state athletic boards or commissions, which also frees the company from the licensing fees imposed by some states.

Wow, who knew that Ms. McMahon was the one who ruined millions of childhoods by being the original breaker of kayfabe?

I, for one, applaud her courageous action in the 1980s: wrestling is vastly more fun now that the matches have taken a backseat to promos, and plus, fans don’t have to pretend it’s real anymore. And doesn’t that make you feel less dumb for watching it? Wait, don’t answer that.

[A Senate Run Brings Wrestling Into Spotlight] New York Times