Vince McMahon was rarely known for having a laugh – so that’s why he was the subject of a surprise roast in August 1991 to celebrate his twentieth anniversary with the then-WWF!
Taking over control of the company from his father in 1980, Vince McMahon spent over four decades running the world’s largest pro wrestling organisation with an iron fist. This is why his happy, bubbly side – if such a thing even existed – was kept off-screen for the most part.
In August 1991, however, Linda McMahon organised a surprise roasting of Vince for his 46th birthday and twentieth anniversary with the World Wrestling Federation. A number of then-WWF Superstars and personnel were invited to the event in an invitation unravelled by photographer Tom Buchanan and posted to social media by @IANdrewTheGiant:
“There was a behind closes doors Vince McMahon roast in 1991. Check the Roasters! Jesse Ventura. Who would file a lawsuit against McMahon weeks later. As satire goes, that is some roast from the Body!
source: WWE Photographer Tom Buchanan.”
There was a behind closes doors Vince McMahon roast in 1991. Check the Roasters! Jesse Ventura. Who would file a lawsuit against McMahon weeks later. As satire goes, that is some roast from the Body!
source: WWE Photographer Tom Buchanan. pic.twitter.com/mQPA9b64kO
— 🦂💗Iandrew "Dice" Clay💗🦂 (@IANdrewTheGiant) August 20, 2022
Among the roasters were Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Jesse Ventura, and Pat Patterson. Of those four, Hogan left two years later after the steroid scandal, Savage his commentary position in 1994 to sign for WCW, and Ventura filed a lawsuit against Vince just months later. Only Pat Patterson remained under Vince McMahon’s employment.
Vince himself retired from WWE just this year, announcing on 22 July that it was time for him to move on. Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque have since taken over from his key roles, with a sweeping change already being made to the WWE product.
He remains under investigation from the WWE Board of Directors amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Per WWE’s Q2 earnings report, however, the investigation is “largely complete“.