Vince McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie McMahon, is facing criticism following a controversial comment regarding Mike Tyson’s sexual assault charges during the Netflix documentary series, Mr. McMahon. This series explores the history of WWE and the serious allegations against Vince McMahon.
Warning: Some viewers may find this content distressing.
Despite being renowned in the boxing world, Tyson was convicted in 1992 for the rape of 18-year-old Desiree Washington, receiving a six-year prison sentence, of which he served three years.
Tyson made his WWE debut in 1998, and one of the central themes in Mr. McMahon is Vince’s relentless pursuit of business opportunities. During the Attitude Era and amidst a fierce rivalry with WCW, Vince McMahon brought Iron Mike Tyson to the forefront, featuring him at WrestleMania 14 as part of a reported $3 million deal.
Longtime WWE employee Bruce Prichard explained, “The idea for bringing in Mike Tyson came from Vince, and Shane McMahon (his son) was heavily involved.” Prichard further noted they were looking for a “big personality”and mentioned that Tyson had been released from prison approximately three years prior.
The documentary includes a 2013 interview where Stephanie McMahon, who left WWE in 2023 shortly after allegations against her father emerged, was questioned about “Mike Tyson’s baggage.”She responded to the interviewer, “He hadn’t been arrested for rape yet, though, when we did that, right?”
The off-camera team promptly confirmed that he indeed had been arrested, prompting an awkward silence as Stephanie stared at the interviewer. This moment has since sparked discussions among Netflix viewers following the documentary’s premiere on September 25.
One X/Twitter user remarked, “The look on Steph’s face after that was priceless hahaha it was like she immediately knew she f**ked up,” while another noted, “Find a girl that looks at you the way Stephanie McMahon looked at producers for mixing up Mike Tyson’s rape allegations.”
Another user pointed out, “Mike Tyson was convicted of rape in ‘92. Mania 14 was in ‘98, and Mike Tyson was controversial at that time for biting Evander Holyfield in ’97. Her timeframe does not add up whatsoever.” A fourth user quipped, “Dude, I was in 1st grade and I knew Mike Tyson had been convicted of rape.”
Conversely, some commenters defended Stephanie, asserting that WWE wasn’t the only organization capitalizing on Tyson’s fame at that time. As one user stated, “There was not a single American media house that wasn’t using Mike Tyson’s insane popularity for boosting their ratings back then, even after the rape case, but go ahead and question the woman who was a 21-year-old college girl back then.”
Mr. McMahon is currently available for streaming on Netflix. For further coverage of the documentary, explore insights on why WWE has faced accusations of promoting “racist trash” and find out how to watch the critically panned Hulk Hogan movie, No Holds Barred, for free.
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