WWE - Americas Greatest Export

[nightrain]

WWE boss Vince McMahon has laid out his vision of the wrestling business in a rare newspaper interview.

Speaking to hometown publication the Connecticut Post, McMahon both praised and defended his company.

He opened by boasting: "I like to say that WWE is America's greatest export. It's big-time Western culture.

"I think so many people just can, from an elitist standpoint, say 'I don't watch that'.

"But when you've got 16 million people in the United States alone that watch WWE programming ? roughly four times the entire population of the state of Connecticut ? somebody likes this and they watch it every single week."

After admitting that he regretted some of the WWE's previous storylines, McMahon also tackled the issue of steroids in the wrestling business and the Chris Benoit murders.

Speaking on his new strict drug testing procedures, Vince said: "You evolve in terms of how you want to run your company, you evolve in terms of how you want to present it and you evolve in terms of the way you treat your performers.

"Even if we didn't personally care ? I'm very close to a lot of these guys personally ? it's good business.

"I like to say the only raw material that our company really has are our talent.

"The better shape they're in the more you can invest in them. The healthier they are the greater longevity and all of that so it's just good business."

On Benoit, he added: "Who knows what clicks in somebody's head one day? People look for excuses as to why someone would do that. I don't think you can point to his profession as to why he did that.

"Nothing ever happened like this since the advent of this business, and it goes back to Abraham Lincoln."

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/3070570/Vince-McMahon-WWE-is-Americas-greatest-export.html#ixzz0v0I6a36j

[Hammy]

Is he getting calmer as he gets older, that interview seems mild for him.

[scotta75]

I agree Hammy Vince seems to be getting calmer, the old Vince would have been an ass for this interview.

[BlowUpYourVideo]

I may be reading it wrong, but is he saying that one of the main reasons for testing for steroids and such is that it means the guys can work for longer and he can make more money out of them? 0_o

Or am I misreading it??

[More Cowbell]

He has to remember his wife is running for office

[D]

Agree 100 percent on benoit... one guy out of a million wrestlers steroid users doing that obviousy isn't a steroid or wrestling problem. If so, as vince said, wouldn't be the only case in 150 years.