“As Strong as a Pillow Fight”

The first trailer for Netflix’s highly anticipated documentary series about the life of former WWE owner Vince McMahon, aptly titled Mr. McMahoncaused mixed reactions among fans.

The six-episode series, which premieres on the platform on September 25, covers both McMahon’s rise and fall at the helm of WWE, as well as the biggest scandals and accusations associated with his name.

McMahon resigned in January from the company he had run since 1982 after former employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against him alleging sexual harassment and human trafficking, claims he has vehemently denied.

The accusations come in the trailer, but not before briefly discussing McMahon’s rise to television fame and other controversies, such as his steroid abuse case and the death of Chris Benoit.

McMahon, 79, opens the trailer with the words: “People have wondered who I really am. They paint me as the bad guy. But nobody really knows me.”

McMahon is one of several people interviewed for the piece, which resulted in over 200 hours of footage.

Other notable wrestling faces featured in the trailer include Hulk Hogan, Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Bret “The Hitman” Hart.

The series it comes from Tiger King director Chris Smith and 30 for 30 producer Bill Simmons, was announced by WWE in 2020 before the lawsuit against McMahon was filed, but the company reportedly had no involvement in its production. Additionally, journalist Brandon Thurston revealed in August that Janel Grant or her representatives had not been interviewed.

Reactions to the trailer have been mixed so far, with many fearing it might not have as big of an impact as it potentially could have. One fan on X/Twitter wrote, “This is going to be as intense as a pillow fight.”

Another added: “It’s truly remarkable that all it took was reading the first line for my disappointment to become immeasurable.”

A third said: “I’m sorry, but I see this is going to greatly diminish the real controversies that have occurred in McMahon’s life, not to mention the most recent one. Even that one, I wholeheartedly believe, will not receive the respect it deserves.”

Others were a bit more excited, while some were surprised by Benoit’s presence. The former Canadian wrestler murdered his wife and son in their Georgia home in June 2007 before committing suicide, and all mention of his name has since been erased from WWE.

One viewer responded, “MAN this is gonna be WILD. Benoit is in there,” while another said, “This documentary is gonna be crazy man. The fact that they showed Chris Benoit in this trailer makes it even crazier.”

Smith said earlier in a statement: “The purpose behind Mr. McMahon was to pull back the curtain and reveal the real Vince McMahon beneath the persona he presented to the world. Over the course of four years in production, the story evolved in truly shocking ways, culminating in some incredibly shocking allegations. The final product is a revelatory document that we believe offers a rich and nuanced portrait of the man and the complex legacy he left behind.”