“Didn’t Take Advantage..”- Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger Once Heaped Praise on Vince McMahon’s Personality

Arnold Schwarzenegger became a part of the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. Mastering all three industries of bodybuilding, acting, and politics, he has been a big-time pro-wrestling fan from the beginning.

Schwarzenegger has befriended many WWE personalities and fellow Hall of Famers over the years. Included in this list is the most recognizable face in WWE, Vince McMahon.

Arnold Schwarzenegger on McMahon

Talking to Sports Illustrated in 2019, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed his admiration for the former chairman and CEO of WWE. They had developed a friendship over the years, and Schwarzenegger came to respect Vince McMahon.

“I have admiration for Vince,” said Schwarzenegger. “I’ve always admired what he’s done with professional wrestling, even from the days when his father ran it. He’s one of those kids that didn’t take advantage of benefitting from his father’s fame.”

 Schwarzenegger is a man who didn’t come from a lot of privilege. He had to build himself in America from scratch as an immigrant. So his perspective varied. “Vince took his father’s talent and assets and went ahead and made it much, much better,” he continued.

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“He is also extremely passionate about that sport, and there is nothing more beautiful than when someone is really passionate about a specific subject.” Ultimately, Schwarzenegger was impressed by how much McMahon involved himself in the business.

McMahon built WWE to what we see today

Mixing wrestling with entertainment, Vince McMahon’s father brought the WWE to our TV screens. When the son took over the reins, millions of people started getting addicted to the glamour of pro-wrestling. He almost monopolized the industry and brought around the annual WrestleMania.

Before he took over the company, McMahon commentated on the then-WWWF for most of the 1970s. But afterward, he became the swagger-walking irascible tyrant, the gimmick of Mr. McMahon. He occasionally competed in wrestling matches too. Eventually, he earned titles like a two-time world champion, a Royal Rumble match winner, and a multi-time pay-per-view headliner.

Back in 2006, Vince McMahon talked about how there were no role models like Arnold Schwarzenegger to look up to. He told Muscle and fitness magazine, “Back in my day [the ’50s], there was no Arnold [Schwarzenegger]. We had no one guy to look up to unless it was a strongman at a circus or a professional wrestler.”

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Recently, the Wall Street Journal put out a piece claiming Vince McMahon agreed to pay about $12 million over the last 16 years to four women formerly associated with the WWE. The payouts were to stamp out misconduct claims against him. McMahon to step back as CEO this year. Subsequently, his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, filled his position.