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You’ve taken a lot of flak over the years for the role you play on the WWE writing team. Does it bother you?
It used to . . . But I decided that people are going to think whatever they want to think. I try to do the best I can do. I don’t read the dirt sheets at all anymore: they used to really bother me. But the numbers – live event attendances, TV ratings — they tell me what I’m doing right and wrong. We’re lucky in that way: we have a focus group in every town we go to every night, so if something’s not working, we find out quickly and we can change it. We could be heading in the wrong direction and then completely change it.
Would you care to predict who WWE’s next big stars will be?
You know, my dad always says he won’t answer that question because he doesn’t want to get into trouble, so I think I should say the same. I know who I’ve got my eyes on, though . . . There’s a lot.
Your older brother Shane is WWE’s Executive Vice President, Global Media. As driven people in positions of authority in the same company, is there any sibling rivalry between you?
Our roles don’t exactly cross over that much. But I can’t deny that we are, and always have been, competitive. Even now, as grown adults, after meetings we still play ‘touched you last’ – you know, like tag. We’ll come out all serious, and then he’ll tag me and shout, ‘touched you last!’ and then run away. (Shane’s) the head of the International operation, so our paths cross when we do international live events – but we tend to work well together. I think our type of competition is a good kind: it drives us both on and makes the business better. But I cannot forsee a day when my dad (Vince McMahon) hands over the reins to either of us. He’s still very much in charge — and, trust me, everyone knows it.
