Vince McMahon has always been a polarizing figure, both on and off screen. Public perception of him has rarely been positive, due to both his image as a WWE heel and his image Various court battles over the years.
In an episode of “My World” program. Former WWE co-chairman George Barrios spoke about his relationship with McMahon, including his first impression of the former president. Barrios said he grew up a wrestling fan, and his first memory of the former boss was during the previous era of “Mr. McMahon.”
“I think he was just the announcer or the commentator, the guy that was in the ring,” Barrios said. “That’s my picture of him. I haven’t followed Vince’s career. If you had asked me who Vince McMahon was before he took the job, I would have said: “The guy I used to watch.”
Barrios said that when he was hired by WWE, every colleague and friend, and even his father-in-law, with whom he is close, questioned his decision because of their perception of McMahon. His father-in-law asked if McMahon was a “fraudster.” Because of the steroid testing of the early 1990s. Barrios said he heard so much negativity. he was shocked when he first met McMahon.
“The first time I met him, those are the two things I have in my head. The bombastic guy that’s on TV and people say, “This guy is not a good guy,” she said. “I was amazed at how quiet he was. It took him a long time to even ask a question, even when we were interviewing… I’m leading the conversation, but I’m shocked at how quiet he is. Wouldn’t even kind of look at me when we were talking. Kind of kept looking away. The first impression is really “Wow”.
“The Three” Vince McMahons
Barrios said that over the years, he’s come to realize that McMahon’s introversion is real, something he found difficult to deal with as an extrovert. He said McMahon was hard to read, but he never heard the former president raise his voice in the ten-plus years they worked together, or even curse very often. Barrios said he believes McMahon has been “misunderstood” and “misperceived” and that he knows three different McMahons. A TV character, a man he described as introverted and serious, and another personality.
“Every once in a while there would be a third one who was really vulnerable, just a really vulnerable guy,” he said. “Very rarely, Vince had, like all of us, we all have our masks… and obviously Mr. McMahon is with him, but I’m talking about the inside saw business, which is a serious guy. Very driven. Very tough. Tyrannosaurus rex head in his office. The third boy looked very bad. boy.”
Barrios said a vulnerable McMahon showed up to the match where he and his co-chair Michelle Wilson first quit WWE. The former executive went on to call McMahon a “really interesting guy” who he said he had a lot of respect for, someone who treated everyone equally from the top to the bottom of the corporate ladder. Barrios said the pair weren’t friends over the years, but rather “high-achieving teammates” and he took a lot from their relationship.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “My World with Jeff Jarrett” and credit ah/t Wrestling Inc. for transcription.