Earlier today, my colleague Geno Mrosko posted a picture of this month's Muscle & Fitness cover, as it shows a ridiculously jacked up looking Vince McMahon with the caption that "the WWE chief is better than ever at 69!" Even though the image has likely been considerably airbrushed and manipulated to make McMahon live up to that lofty billing, it's worth dwelling on the impression that photo will surely leave on his performers and the general public at large.
Of course, publicly most wrestlers will pat him on the back for the hard work and dedication it truly takes to maintain such a preposterous physique into later life, because they want to stay in good standing with the all powerful wrestling kingpin. Take Sean "X-Pac" Waltman, for example, who put McMahon over as looking better than almost all of his entire roster:
"@VinceMcMahon: I'm still a "meathead." Thanks @Muscle_Fitness. pic.twitter.com/o0isFEGyyx" Still looking better than 90% of your roster Boss!
— Sean Waltman (@TheRealXPac) February 17, 2015
Of course, it's not a fair fight when the boss isn't routinely drug tested like all his wrestlers are, something that former WCW announcer Mark Madden quickly pointed out to his friend X-Pac on Twitter:
@TheRealXPac @VinceMcMahon @muscle_fitness Via the same means, no doubt. Who's kidding who?
— Mark Madden (@MarkMaddenX) February 17, 2015
It's worth noting that the eye test is far from foolproof, especially when digital enhancement is also at play, but any savvy individual looking at that front cover would come to the exact same suspicious conclusions that Madden did.
At least Emma could argue that she was staying in character with a tweet that was oblivious to its own irony, I suppose, but in reality it's sad the lengths some people will go to flatter The Emperor's Old Muscles:
"If this isn't inspiring, I don't know what is! A true leader and role model that lives what he preaches! #WWE"
Maybe if we went back in a time machine to 1989 such sentiments could be justified, but not today when Vince McMahon's company has a comprehensive drug testing program as part of their Talent Wellness Policy.
So what message does Vince McMahon really send to his wrestlers by being plastered on the front cover of a muscle mag looking like he might still use artificial help to bulk up? Ironically, Dave Meltzer was asked a very similar question just a couple of days ago on his Wrestling Observer Radio show and his answer bears repeating here:
"Speaking of which, somebody also asked a question about guys who tell guys not to do steroids who guys believe are on steroids and yeah, I think that you should lead by example and it does make people think that you really want them on steroids when you are doing them yourself, so, yes."
It should be mentioned that it's unclear who Dave was cryptically talking about in that quote, but the answer holds true in this particular case too. If Vince McMahon looks ridiculously jacked up, then his talent will believe that's the way he wants them to look too, which will put pressure on them to do whatever it takes to get that way, even though officially WWE want their wrestlers clean. Of course, that very well could be a false impression, but you couldn't blame anyone for making two and two equal five here, could you?
Similarly, the general public, that is, the ordinary people in the street who don't watch pro wrestling anymore but happens to catch a glance at meathead McMahon in the magazine stands, will come to the conclusion that a leopard doesn't change his spots and erroneously believe that sports entertainment is as drug fuelled as its ever been. Maybe they even work for a potential sponsor of WWE programming who will instead continue to steer clear of being associated with the company, after having their preconceived notion that "WWE is very trashy" backed up yet again.
Either way, Vince McMahon appearing on the cover of Muscle & Fitness magazine at age 69 was not good for business, even if it stroked Vince's ego (that's already inflated as much as his biceps are) to do so.