Vincent J. McMahon
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Vince McMahon Sr. | |
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Born | July 6, 1914 |
Died | May 24, 1984 |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Vince McMahon Sr Vincent James McMahon |
Vincent James McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. (July 6, 1914 –May 24, 1984) was a U.S. professional wrestling promoter. His father Roderick James "Jess" McMahon was a successful boxing and concert promoter who had worked with legendary Madison Square Garden promoter Tex Rickard and his mother Diane Banks was a designer from England. He saw the tremendous potential for growth that the pro-wrestling industry had in the era following World War II, especially with the development of television and its insatiable need for new programming. Similar to boxing, wrestling took place primarily within a small ring and could be covered adequately by one or two cameras, and venues for it could readily be assembled in television studios, lessening production costs.
McMahon's group, the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (later the World Wide Wrestling Federation) came to dominate pro wrestling in the 1950s and 1960s in the nation's most populous area—the Northeast. (Despite its name, the WWWF was, like all pro wrestling promotions of its time, mostly a regional operation. It was, however, the one that came to dominate the most lucrative region.) He had an eye for talent and for "booking" the matches that would lead to the most drama and excitement for the fans.
Vincent J. McMahon later sold the parent company of the WWF to his son Vincent Kennedy McMahon and his company Titan Sports, Inc. The younger McMahon, much to his father's initial concern, set out to make it truly national and even truly world-wide in scope. The younger McMahon was largely successful, and the WWF quickly became one of the most prominent exponents of "Sports Entertainment". Today, it is now known as the WWE, short for World Wrestling Entertainment. Vincent J. McMahon's grandchildren Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon also work for the company.
On May 24, 1984, he died from cancer. He was 69 years old.