As Vince McMahon looks to bring back the XFL, we look at his other flop business outside the WWE
The wrestling don with the infamous strut is the king of sports entertainment but he does not have the Midas touch
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There has been speculation in the past few days that Vince McMahon may resurrect his disastrous American football league, the XFL.
The speculation came after it was reported that WWE filed a trademark for the XFL – and Vince has launched a company to explore for sports and entertainment opportunities.
Vince McMahon is most successful promoter in the history of professional wrestling but the XFL is one of several business disasters he’s had outside of the grappling game Here are the five worst.
No Holds Barred (1989)
Vince tried to capitalise on Hulk Hogan’s huge fame in the 1980s by producing a Rocky knock-off action film starring the Hulkster.
Hogan played wrestling champion “Rip Thomas”, who battles a crooked TV station boss and ex con wrestler Zeus – played by actor-turned- wrestler Tiny Lister.
To promote the film Zeus actually featured in WWE storylines and wrestled at SummerSlam and Survivor Series 1989.
No Holds Barred cost an estimated 8 million dollars and just about broke even. It’s also one of the worst films ever made.
The World Bodybuilding Federation (1991-1993)
Vince’s love of huge physiques is well known. And in the early 1990s he tried to expand his business by creating a professional bodybuilding league alongside WWE.
Just like WWE had stamped over the wrestling territories and nabbed their top stars in the 80s, Vince tried some crafty tricks again – this time competing against the International Federation of Bodybuilders.
Vince added spectacle and wrestling-style characters to the WBF – not to mention launched a bodybuilding supplement called ICOPRO – but it was a disaster.
The WBF recorded dreadful PPV numbers and big name stars – including WCW star Lex Luger and the TV’s Incredible Hulk Lou Ferringo – dropped out.
Vince’s impending steroids trial also meant introducing tighter drugs testing – which in turn meant smaller, less impressive physiques. Vince was estimated to lose $15million before closing the WBF for good.
The World (1999-2003)
At the height of its Attitude Era success, WWE opened its own wrestling-themed restaurant and nightclub on Time Square, originally called WWF New York.
The venue would feature regularly on PPV events, with wrestlers making guest appearances while fans watched the event on big screens there.
It later changed its name to The World and focused on its nightclub business. Despite WWE’s popularity at the time, the venue was never a success – and its manager was convicted of embezzling $400,000 from the business.
It eventually closed down in 2003 and was turned into a Hard Rock Café.
XFL (2001)
It early 2001, WWE was riding high. It had all-but destroyed its rival WCW (which it would soon take over) and Raw was still the hottest show on US TV.
WWE partnered with NBC to create the XFL – a tweaked version of American football designed to be more aggressive and with fewer rules.
It was promoted as an “extra-fun league” that would play in the NFL’s off-season.
The first game drew an impressive rating, but viewing figures declined rapidly over its short first season.
Within three months WWE announced the XFL was finished.
It was a financial disaster and all-round embarrassment, with reported losses of $70million between WWE and NBC.
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WWE Studios (2002-present)
Not content with unleashing No Holds Barred upon the world, Vince started his own film studio in the early 2000s – his latest effort to be accepted as “mainstream” entertainment.
WWE Studios has churned out some abysmal movies over the years – including 'comedies' such as The Chaperone and Knucklehead, starring Triple H and Big Show respectively.
It co-produced a few passable mid-range thrillers, such as The Call with Halle Berry and Dead Man Down with Colin Farrell (though always with a bit part role for some WWE mid- carder).
But the studio is best known for wrestler-led action movies, such as The Miz’s dreadful The Marine series.
WWE Studios has also been a constant money-loser and reported losses of $3.9million in the first nine months of 2017.