Frank Deford, the ‘Wrestling Media,’ and Me (Part 2 of 3)
January 18, 2010What the Critics Are Saying About Irvin Muchnick’s ‘CHRIS & NANCY’
January 18, 2010
In February 1992 Linda and Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation was fending off death by tabloid torture. For the full background, see this blog’s “Linda McMahon’s Husband Vince Fought the Law, and the Law Lost (Part 2 – 1992 Drug and Sex Scandals,” http://wrestlingbabylon.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/linda-mcmahon%E2%80%99s-husband-vince-fought-the-law-and-the-law-lost-part-2-%E2%80%94-1992-drug-and-sex-scandals/).
In the course of these developments, Frank Deford did a commentary on National Public Radio urging Hulk Hogan, whose name was on a brand of children’s vitamins, to come clean about his years of abuse of anabolic steroids.
Vince McMahon called Deford to complain. At one point in their conversation, McMahon screamed, “I have proof I’m not a mobster!”
Which was funny, because Deford had alleged no such thing.
Irv Muchnick
2 Comments
Ironically, I was reading the January 20th 1992 Wrestling Observer Newsletter a few days ago, which is archived on Dave Meltzer’s website for subscribers, and an excerpt from there explains Vince McMahon’s mob related paranoia :
“The FBI told me the reason they’re concerned and interested in McMahon is they felt the man might be connected to the Mafia. So I’m just going on the record now, if anything happens to me or any member of my family, I want the FBI to start their investigations with Vince McMahon and the WWF.” – Superstar Billy Graham quoted by Dave Meltzer.
This is an amusing finding, but anyone who internalizes one of Superstar Billy Graham’s wild statements has only himself to blame. Graham is the guy who, during the Chris Benoit cable TV news coverage, made a point of assuring viewers that he had never lied about his own steroid use — “except for one brief period when I filed a fictitious lawsuit” against WWE.