Vince McMahon is in the hot seat in Mr McMahon, a new documentary series on the controversial WWE co-creator. With its Netflix release date just around the corner, here’s exactly what time to tune in.
There’s plenty of new true crime to dive into this month, whether it be Ryan Murphy’s divisive Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story or the explosive Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter docu-series.
But one that’s dominating the chat is Mr McMahon, a deep dive into the rise and fall of the titular WWE figure. Since it was first announced in 2020, the project has evolved over time as sexual misconduct allegations against McMahon came to light.
Although there was apprehension about a conflict of interest due to WWE’s deal with Netflix, McMahon’s criticism of the docu-series has only quelled concerns. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
Mr McMahon release date & time
Mr McMahon drops on Netflix on Wednesday, September 25, at 12am PT / 3am ET.
All episodes will be available to watch on the streaming service at once, meaning you won’t have to wait for weekly releases.
We’ve listed several time zones below so you know exactly when to hop in:
- 12am PT
- 3am ET
- 4am Brazil
- 8am UK
- 9am Central European Summer Time
- 12.30pm India Standard Time
- 5pm Australia
- 7pm New Zealand
How many episodes are there?
The new true crime docu-series, produced by Bill Simmons and Tiger King’s Chris Smith, has six episodes in total.
This is the first time a six-part documentary series has been made on Vince McMahon. It’s unclear what the episode titles will be but there’s not long to find out.
The reason it’s so in-depth is due to the wealth of information uncovered during development of the Netflix title.
According to the creators, they drew from over 200 hours of interviews with McMahon himself prior to his resignation, as well as his family members, business associates, iconic names in wrestling, and journalists who uncovered the allegations.
Who’s in the Mr McMahon cast?
Other than McMahon before he stepped down as TKO chairman, the docu-series interviews WWE legends such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
According to Paste reporter Garrett Martin, who has seen all six episodes of Mr McMahon, a message states at the start of the series that “almost all of the show’s interviews were conducted before any of the allegations” against McMahon went public.
The sessions with McMahon himself came before the 2022 accusations. After former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking, McMahon and his family reportedly refused follow-up interviews.
That being said, Martin revealed that Ted Mann and Joe Palazzolo – the Wall Street Journal reporters who broke the news – feature in the first episode.
And it appears the only other individuals who were interviewed again after the Grant lawsuit are wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer and WWE employee Bruce Prichard.
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Finally, the article highlights how, out of the group of WWE stars who came forward for interviews, “very few of them are women.” Those who did include Wendi Richter and Trish Stratus.
Mr. McMahon receives mixed reviews
While there are notable criticisms about Mr McMahon so far, the Netflix docu-series has been praised for tackling the more sensitive topics and for having the boldness to use the interviews of Vince and other WWE stars alongside the allegations.
Slash Film’s BJ Colangelo gave it 8.5 out of 10 in a piece titled ‘We can’t believe Netflix got away with this smackdown’.
“McMahon is used to having total control of his own narrative, but with Smith’s direction and the work of some incredibly gifted editors, Mr. McMahon lets Vince McMahon shatter his own kayfabe illusion,” said Colangelo.
She described it as a “genius” business move by Netflix, “ushering in a new regime” at a time when it’s preparing to be the new home of WWE.
“But from a wrestling standpoint, it’s hard not to see this as just another work,” Colangelo continued. “It’s easy to pin wrestling’s darkest hours on Vince McMahon instead of the countless people and a culture who enabled him, but he’s just the ringleader of this f***ed-up circus.”
Meanwhile, Paste’s Martin said Mr McMahon “clearly struggles with how the news impacted its production” as none of those involved in the lawsuit were interviewed. Due to this, “the show simply repeats the news without exploring or interrogating it.”
However, he praises the show for tackling sensitive topics, including refuting McMahon and Hulk Hogan’s “lies they’ve told about WrestleMania III for years.”
Overall, the outlet gave the docu-series a 6.25 out of 10 rating, explaining, “Mr. McMahon is a 7.5 out of 10 for people who aren’t deeply familiar with wrestling history, and a 5.0 for people who are. So we averaged it out.”
McMahon himself has since shared his thoughts on the docu-series, arguing that it “falls short and takes the predictable path of conflating the Mr. McMahon’s character with my true self, Vince. The title and promos alone make that evident.”
“In an attempt to further their misleading account, the producers use a lawsuit based on an affair I ended as evidence that I am, in fact, ‘Mr. McMahon.’ I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story,” he concluded.
However, his criticism of the Netflix doc has only fuelled interest in the title by dispelling concerns it might paint McMahon in a positive light or water down the allegations against him.
“In a weird way, Vince not being a fan and issuing this statement is probably the best promotion for the series,” said one on Reddit, while another wrote, “Okay I’m actually interested in it now that Vince is publicly disowning it.”
While you wait for Mr. McMahon to drop, check out our list of the most shocking Netflix documentaries, as well as the creepiest documentaries available on YouTube.