Did Vince McMahon Take Advantage of the Mentally Handicapped?

I am a wrestling historian/statistician. I have a Masters Degree in Wrestling History with an emphasis on WCW under Eric Bischoff.

by Ike Eastwood (Contributor)

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January 14, 2008

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With the meteoric rise to superstardom enjoyed by Eric Bischoff's nephew Eugene, we all had a 'feel good' story to relate to. But was it more than that?

Some say that Eugene was a victim of abuse. That Mr. McMahon took advantage of this mentally handicapped individual. I can see both sides of the fence on this one. On one side you have someone that can't make rational adult decisions on their own, and are obviously being marketed to make a quick buck. On the other side you have someone living their dream.

Ethics is the thing that is in dispute. Should Mr. McMahon have pushed someone with the mental capacity of a 3rd grader to perform in front of millions? He truly laughed all the way to the bank at the expense of Eugene. What was the price paid by Eugene? Was he picked on more when in the WWE? Was the financial windfall he received from the WWE worth it?

Eugene has since been cut from the WWE's active roster, but no doubt will be a hotly debated topic for years to come. Hopefully future wrestlers who are mentally handicapped will be treated with a bit more dignity.

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comments (1) write a comment »

  1. Is this a joke? "Eugene" was a character. Nick Dinsmore, his portrayer, isn't handicapped.

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About the Author Ike Eastwood (contributor)

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