In a move as surprising as a Money in the Bank cash-in, it turns out that WWE won’t have their fingerprints on Netflix’s upcoming docuseries about the one and only Vince McMahon. After a few years of speculation, the streaming giant finally announced that the six-part series, aptly titled “Mr. McMahon,” will drop next month on September 25. But here’s the kicker: despite initial plans for WWE Studios to be involved, the global wrestling empire won’t be listed as a producer on this project.
Why the change of heart? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that the series isn’t shying away from covering the recent sexual misconduct allegations that have cast a shadow over McMahon’s otherwise larger-than-life career. According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics and Post Wrestling, WWE has quietly exited the production credit stage left. However, don’t count them out just yet. McMahon himself, along with his family and a handful of professional wrestlers, will be featured in the documentary. Which wrestlers, you ask? That remains one of the biggest mysteries since the identity of the anonymous Raw General Manager.
Produced by Chris Smith, the mastermind behind Netflix’s “Tiger King,” and Bill Simmons, who once made ESPN cool and now runs The Ringer, “Mr. McMahon” promises to dive deep into the career of the most infamous man in sports entertainment. And while WWE might be stepping back from this particular spotlight, they’re still very much in business with Netflix—after all, “WWE Raw” will soon be streaming live on the platform every week. So, it’s safe to say this partnership is far from over, even if Vince’s biopic is rolling solo.