Justifying s*xual assault accusations, Refuting Undertaker’s concussion: 5 most controversial claims from “Mr. McMahon” documentary on Netflix

Despite his well-documented past, Vince McMahon shocked the WWE Universe with several statements during his Netflix documentary.


Justifying s*xual assault accusations, Refuting Undertaker’s concussion: 5 most controversial claims from “Mr. McMahon” documentary on Netflix

Controversial claims from Vince McMahon Netflix documentary (via The Sportster and WWE)

Netflix released the much-awaited “Mr. McMahon” docuseries on September 25. As expected, the 6-part documentary detailed Vince McMahon‘s rise and fall in the wrestling industry. Along with the former WWE chairman, several legends, current wrestlers, and journalists weighed their opinions on different controversies from McMahon’s life.

From his abusive childhood to the recent Janel Grant lawsuit, almost every notable chapter of Vince’s career was brought up. Although there were varying opinions about him, it showcased how polarizing of a character the 79-year-old was. Having said that, Netflix and the producers did well to debunk numerous false claims made by McMahon and others. Here are the 5 most controversial statements from the documentary:

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Vince McMahon and WWE lied about the WrestleMania 3 attendance figures

In the second episode, Vince McMahon outlined the importance of WrestleMania. Following the success of the first event, the then-CEO planned something big for the second, which didn’t turn out to be successful. However, the third part exceeded expectations as the show emanated from the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. McMahon announced that they had broken the attendance record for a wrestling event, claiming that 93,000 people bought tickets.

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Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant headlined WrestleMania 3
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant headlined WrestleMania 3 (via WWE)

Moreover, the likes of Hulk Hogan and Bruce Prichard backed those claims. Despite that, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer said that the actual recorded attendance was near 78,000. WWE has notoriously lied about records and statistics in the past, inflating attendance numbers. In addition to the figures, Meltzer revealed that Andre the Giant had been body slammed several times before the iconic moment in the main event of WrestleMania 3.

Vince McMahon refutes r*pe allegations by former WWE employee

Vince McMahon has faced several legal troubles throughout his business career. Among the most controversial was r*pe charges by a former WWE employee. The name in question, Rita Chatterton, the first female referee, accused McMahon of forcing her to perform oral s*x on him. During the documentary, the 79-year-old addressed the horrifying allegations.

Vince McMahon settled Rita Chatterton lawsuit in 2022
Vince McMahon settled Rita Chatterton lawsuit in 2022 (via NBC and Pro Wrestling Wiki)

According to Vince, his s*xual encounter with Chatterton was consensual. Furthermore, he shockingly stated that the statute of limitations on the accusations had expired. Regardless of his argument, McMahon would end up settling with the former referee in December 2022, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Vince McMahon claims Chris Benoit tragedy happened due to steroid rage not CTE

Without a doubt, the Chris Benoit double murder-s*icide tragedy remains one of the darkest days in professional wrestling. Despite its severity and impact on WWE, Vince McMahon denied the actual reason behind Benoit’s fatal decision. In the Netflix documentary, the former CEO asserted that steroid rage played a crucial role in Benoit’s downward spiral.

Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit (via WWE)

The producers also interviewed Chris Nowinski, a former wrestler and neuroscientist. Nowinski revealed that after studying Benoit’s brain, results showed that he suffered from CTE. His brain was similar to that of a small child. Moreover, his style of wrestling led to brain damage, which increased in intensity throughout his career. Similar to Vince, Stone Cold Steve Austin shockingly asserted that CTE did not exist.

Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan disagreed on the latter’s steroid use

The infamous Steroid Trial saw Vince McMahon face one of the biggest challenges of his career. Several wrestlers under his employment had been accused of taking anabolic steroids. Among those stars named by outsiders was none other than Hulk Hogan. During the documentary, McMahon and Hogan recounted the events of the scandal.

Hulk Hogan came under scrutiny for his comments on steroid use
Hulk Hogan came under scrutiny for his comments on steroid use (via WWE)

The Hulkster denied the allegations during a media appearance, which led to a PR disaster for WWE. Clips showed other wrestlers confirming that Hogan did take steroids during his wrestling peak. Vince had apparently warned his top star not to lie about his usage. As a result of this, Hogan’s popularity gradually wore off, as he left the company shortly after.

Vince McMahon believes that The Undertaker didn’t suffer a concussion at WrestleMania 30

At WrestleMania 30, the unthinkable happened. Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker‘s undefeated streak at the Showcase of Immortals. Taker has since disclosed that he suffered a concussion a few minutes into the match, which wiped out any memory from the remainder of the bout. The docuseries replayed the iconic moment, and when asked about The Phenom’s concussion, Vince said that it was psychological shock at the streak ending instead.

Undertaker and Vince McMahon
The Undertaker and Vince McMahon (via WWE)

McMahon felt that Taker didn’t have a concussion, and the ‘trauma’ from the bout caused the latter a lot of pain. Just moments before this shocking statement, The Deadman opened up about how the former chairman was a father figure to him. Moreover, Undertaker was one of the few stars who remained loyal to Vince during the Monday Night Wars. Therefore, watching the 79-year-old refute Taker’s claims was jarring, to say the least.