Cody Rhodes on Vince McMahon Netflix Doc ‘Mr. McMahon’ after Berlin Bash

After much anticipation, the Netflix documentary series Mr. McMahon, produced by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, Zara Duffy, and directed by Chris Smith, is set to premiere on September 25th, just before WWE’s Bad Blood event.

For WWE insiders, this announcement has been eagerly awaited. Bill Simmons has been hinting at the documentary’s release for years. However, it was during Bash in Berlin that a WWE Superstar, Cody Rhodes, was first asked publicly about the upcoming feature by a daring reporter.

Rhodes, who recently won against Kevin Owens and stepped in for Paul “Triple H” Levesque, handled the question diplomatically. He mentioned that his current focus is re-watching Game of Thrones rather than a documentary about Vince McMahon, the man responsible for his return to WWE.

“In terms of, am I going to watch it? Not to sound cheeky by any means. I am deep in a Game of Thrones re-watch. That is a h*ll of a commitment. I think there is a bit of misinformation in terms of WWE has no involvement in this documentary, as far as I know. I would imagine I would get around to seeing it. In terms of the more serious and the meat of your question, the locker room being quiet or silent. I don’t think that’s a matter of belief versus non-belief. I think, strictly speaking, we want to be doing what we were doing out there. The focus and attention that it takes to have a great story and have a great match, and do that every single night, has left most of us to where we’re finding the information out just as you are,” Rhodes noted via Fightful.

Rhodes elaborated that the wrestlers are focussed on their day-to-day activities and might not be actively silent about Vince McMahon. They are just as in the dark about the documentary’s revelations as the public.

“Whatever it might be. I wouldn’t look at it as an active attempt from the locker room to be silent. We are just doing what we do day-to-day WWE business,” he stated.

When asked about the Janel Grant lawsuit involving McMahon, Rhodes confessed he didn’t have enough information to provide an insightful comment.

“I don’t know enough about the information to give a good enough answer,” Rhodes added.

While it might seem strange that Rhodes didn’t have more to say, especially considering his prior comments on the issue, it’s clear he aimed to avoid making any provocative statements, much like Triple H before him.

So, what exactly is Mr. McMahon? According to the official announcement shared by Variety, the six-episode series will chronicle Vince McMahon’s rise and fall—from changing WWE from a regional business into a global entertainment force to the scandalous sexual misconduct allegations leading to his resignation. The documentary promises to offer an in-depth look into McMahon’s life, featuring over 200 hours of interviews with McMahon, his family, business associates, iconic wrestling figures, and the journalists who revealed the allegations. Filmmaker Chris Smith, known for Tiger King, and executive producer Bill Simmons aim to present an unfiltered look at one of the most enigmatic characters in sports entertainment.

“The goal behind ‘Mr. McMahon’ was to pull back the curtain and reveal the true Vince McMahon, obscured beneath the persona he presented to the world,” Smith told Variety. “Over the four years of production, the story evolved in truly shocking ways, culminating in some extremely harrowing allegations. The final product is a revealing documentary that we believe offers a rich and nuanced portrait of the man and the complex legacy he left behind.”

Initially, Simmons and his team believed they were creating something similar to the Andre The Giant documentary for HBO. However, the direction shifted, revealing a deeper narrative, more akin to Icarus, the Oscar-winning documentary on the Russian Olympic Gymnastics team’s doping scandal. While the series is not expected to aggressively criticize WWE due to legal reasons, it does have the potential to substantially influence Vince McMahon’s public image.

Fans and critics alike will have to watch to see how Mr. McMahon unfolds and its impact on Vince McMahon’s legacy.

Source: Variety, Fightful