Former WWE photographer John Giamundo not too long ago recalled how Vince McMahon initially needed his Mr. McMahon character’s funeral to show right into a comedy section.
On June 11, 2007, the WWE Government Chairman’s on-screen persona handed away after his limousine burst into flames. Two weeks later, the storyline was nixed following the real-life loss of life of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit. It later emerged that Benoit had dedicated suicide after murdering his spouse and seven-year-old son.
In an interview on the Low-cost Warmth Productions Podcast, Giamundo mentioned Mr. McMahon’s funeral was scheduled for the June 25, 2007, episode of RAW. Earlier that day, he came upon that somebody was speculated to drop the casket throughout the light-hearted section:
“Now we’re in Corpus Christi and we’re being instructed that that present was Vince’s funeral,” Giamundo acknowledged. “They had been gonna do a memoriam and it was all simply gonna be ‘haha’ at Vince’s expense. We had been instructed what was gonna occur, they’re gonna drop the casket, and all this goofy, typical wrestling stuff.” [21:20 – 21:41]
On the identical day, information broke that Benoit had died. McMahon instantly dropped his personal loss of life storyline and turned RAW right into a tribute present for the Canadian wrestler. On the time, the circumstances surrounding Benoit’s loss of life had not been revealed.
How Vince McMahon knowledgeable WWE employees about Chris Benoit
A day earlier than RAW, Chris Benoit failed to point out as much as the Vengeance: Evening of Champions occasion. In keeping with John Giamundo, some wrestlers thought Benoit should have been sick and didn’t need to reply the cellphone.
Giamundo added that WWE employees came upon about Benoit’s loss of life when Vince McMahon gathered everybody collectively within the area earlier than RAW:
“We had been in our room, our studio house, and any person walks in, they’re like, ‘All people’s gotta come out to the ring.’ One of many photographers goes, ‘Suppose it is about Chris?’ I am like, ‘I dunno.’ After which we’re all sitting on one aspect of the world, and Vince has a microphone and tells everyone what occurred. Simply gasps.” [21:43 – 22:02]
In a separate Low-cost Warmth Productions Podcast interview, Giamundo reflected on his launch from WWE in 2022 after 21 years with the corporate.
Do you’ve gotten any recollections of the Mr. McMahon loss of life angle? Tell us within the feedback part beneath.
Please credit score the Low-cost Warmth Productions Podcast and provides a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription for those who use quotes from this text.