HollywoodReporter.com has posted a new interview with WWE Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon, during which McMahon speaks on a number of topics, including how he views UFC in terms of competition, social networking, and wrestlers moving on to Hollywood. Below are some interview highlights:
THR: Why has so much of your talent, like The Rock, gone on to film careers?
McMahon: Our talent is taught not to be prima donnas, to be on time and know their lines. And quite frankly, people in Hollywood, once they see what we do, they are amazed. Our talent doesn't demand the biggest trailer or a certain amount of grape juice or whatever the hell it is. Our talent is extremely flexible and knows how to act, so it's a logical extension for them.
THR: UFC gets big pay-per-view numbers. How do you stack up against them?
McMahon: We're in show business, they are a sport. Their ratings are abysmal. They are in the pay-per-view business, and they do reasonably well there. We just set a record for WrestleMania. We had 1.3 million buys for this year's WrestleMania, and our pay-per-view numbers for our shows have been up 30 percent since then. So, we are looking pretty good.
THR: WWE and your performers have started using Twitter more.
McMahon: Back in the early days, our performers elicited a response — a boo or a cheer. Today, we use all this social media. We are going to do Tout, in which the WWE just invested. With that, you get a 15-second video shout-out that goes straight to our TV programs. Beginning with the 1,000th show, people can participate in terms of the types of matches and what actually happens on air. It will be the most interactive TV programming in the world.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
