Livelihoods Ruined: Vince McMahon Called Out For Squashing WWE Talent's Careers
Vince McMahon's time in WWE saw him bring the company into a global sports entertainment superpower. In recent memory, allegations about McMahon have tainted his legacy in a huge way. One former Superstar is not afraid to speak out, because he has famously not been a fan of Vince's for years.
Nailz joined WWE in 1992, presenting a tough and intimidating persona as an unhinged criminal. His character was a convict seeking revenge against The Big Boss Man. He accused Boss Man of mistreating him during his time in prison. This storyline fueled a rivalry between the two, leading to a showdown at Survivor Series 1992.
Despite the initial hype surrounding Nailz's debut, his stint in WWE was brief and turbulent. Following Survivor Series, reports emerged of a confrontation between Nailz and Vince McMahon. Allegedly, Nailz confronted McMahon about unpaid wages, resulting in a heated exchange that turned physical. Nailz reportedly assaulted McMahon, and then allegedly claimed that McMahon grabbed his junk, leading to his abrupt release from the company.
"I just wanted to discuss the contract and the different monetary...basically the aspect that he owed me money and I wanted to get paid for the work," Nailz explained to Chris Featherstone. "I wanted to get paid for the services rendered. He promised me that I'd make a lot of money in WWF and I believe that I fulfilled my part. I played the character well. I put people in the seats and he didn't fulfill his part and that was what we discussed."
The Former WWE Superstar then accused McMahon of squashing careers of various WWE Superstars, ruining their livelihoods in the process.
"You have to stand up for yourself. You're not a man if you let some other person step on you and treat you like a bug and squash you like a cockroach. He owed me money. I believe if people don't stand up for themselves, there's nobody gonna do it. You have to do it for yourself. That's the type of person I am. I stand up for myself and if I don't believe in something, I'll let you know. I'll air my grievances. With him, people were afraid to talk to him. There were many many people that just wouldn't go in and talk to him. He would run through them. He squashed a lot of people's careers. He squashed a lot of people's livelihoods and people just didn't say what was on their mind. They were afraid to talk to him. He ran into the wrong guy."
Vince McMahon resigned from WWE after Janel Grant's blockbuster lawsuit accused him of several terrible things, including sex trafficking, abuse, and other heinous acts. The six-part Bill Simmons docuseries about Vince McMahon on Netflix promises to not pull any punches, either.
Nailz's controversial exit marked the end of his time in WWE, leaving behind a short-lived but memorable chapter in the wrestling world's history. He also remembers McMahon in a way that a lot of people are coming to realize has always been a part of WWE's culture now.
