Biggest Takeaways from Shane McMahon Tell-All Podcast Hosted by Mick Foley

Shane McMahon's introspection and conversations with Mick Foley on Monday night were a reminder of the value of WWE's live-podcast interviews. Even with Foley not being as compelling as Steve Austin as host and even with Shane-O-Mac not being as compelling a figure as fans have seen on these discussions in the past, there was plenty of history and stories to keep one watching.

On the WWE Network after Monday's Raw, Foley led the way as Shane reflected on his life as Vince McMahon's son and as The Undertaker's opponent. Shane shared a unique perspective on well-worn topics.

A shoulder injury led to Foley sitting in the chair Austin normally does. He was not nearly as smooth or masterful an interviewer as Stone Cold. In the end, it won't matter.

The curious, insatiable part of the audience will still seek this out. There are too many bits of interview gold not to.

Growing up in the Business

Shane let the audience travel with him back to the past, discussing his relationship with his father and what a childhood as part of the circus of sports entertainment was like. He matter-of-factly recalled how absent his dad was. 

"I missed him a lot. It was difficult growing up," Shane said.

He seemed not to blame Vince for being gone so much, understanding that this was just part of the business. The same went for his reflections on how tough his father was on him. He said that Vince's "expectations are extremely high." 

And with his dad likely watching this interview unfold from behind the camera, he told the world Vince rarely praised him...rarely patted him on the back.

We got to see Vince through a teenager's eyes...the chairman angry with his son for zipping a motorcycle down the road or pushing him into the family swimming pool. Shane shared how he hung out with "Superstar" Billy Graham backstage or suffered practical jokes from Don Muraco, who apparently stuffed him into a trash can at one point. 

All this provided early exposure to the wrestling industry—a business he said he "learned through osmosis." 

And while fans know a second or third generation has a wealth of advantages when it comes to learning the medium, Shane's tales provided a peek at that process. Shane was a student of the game before he even knew it.

Mindset for a Daredevil 

Shane began competing in the ring in his mid-20s after refereeing and even helping the ring crew as a boy. Foley asked him why he would venture between the ropes when he didn't have to. 

"I never got to showcase my athletic talent," Shane explained. 

He wanted the WWE ring to be that showcase. And so he learned under Dr. Tom Prichard, Al Snow and Tommy Dreamer. Their tutelage was tough, but it helped give him the physical means to display all the mental aspects of the medium he had picked up from growing up around wrestlers.

What drove him then to fly through plate glass and dive from insane heights? He enjoyed the adrenaline, but he also "just wanted to prove more." Shane said, "There's something about being the boss' kids."

What he thought might be a run or one or two matches evolved into a more substantial career. He kept wanting to grow...to outdo himself. Pride drove him, too. 

Shane's Side 

Foley tackled familiar topics with an attempt to let us see them through Shane's eyes.

The infamous Montreal Screwjob has been talked about probably more than any other wrestling incident. Before Survivor Series 1997 arrived and Vince was steeling himself to cheat Bret Hart out of his world championship, Shane said that his father was highly emotional.

"He was heartbroken. He was distraught. He didn't want things to go down," he explained.

Apparently Shane saw the aftermath of the screwjob coming. He warned his dad that Bret "The Hit Man" Hart would try to hit him. Shane said Vince felt like he had to take it, but he was only willing to suffer a single punch.

When the Monday Night War ended and the last WCW Nitro aired, Shane was right there, with the storyline dictating he buy that company before his father could.

He called walking into the WCW locker room and explaining WWE had taken over a "very awkward, tough setting."

And although fans have read plenty about why Shane left the company seven years ago, they hadn't yet heard him explain the reasons for his exit. Shane said he wasn't enjoying himself at work.

"I wasn't going to allow a deteriorating business relationship affect our personal lives," he told Foley.

Leaving offered him a fresh perspective, but it was a move that surprised and hurt his father. And while couldn't fathom how he could leave all that money on the table, he said, "Some people look at it as insane, I look at as growth."

WrestleMania

Colliding with The Undertaker at AT&T Stadium provided a number of moments Shane will always savor. He got most emotional when discussing his contributions to WrestleMania 32.

Both The Undertaker and Vince called him before the event. Those conversations and a desire to have his kids see him perform are what inspired him to make a comeback. 

Of the bout's seminal moment, Shane-O-Mac explained that others thought it was a bad idea to make the leap from the cage. He felt it was essential to the story of the match. Plus, he will forever be a risk-taker.

"I'm an adrenaline guy. I need to feel it," he told Foley.

He was proud of the match and so was Vince. Shane broke down after the bell, embracing his father, becoming "a sobbing mess" backstage. Being a part of WrestleMania, creating a lasting image that night and getting to share that all with his boys and his dad clearly meant a lot to him.

There was so much emotion in the telling of that story, Foley didn't press on and ask any more questions. That left a number of key things unanswered. 

We don't know how long Shane is sticking around. We don't know his thoughts on the current product. And Foley seemed to believe there was tension between Shane and Triple H, but the interviewee denied it. What had Foley heard to make him so certain there was animosity between the brothers-in-law?

So even though Shane was not an electric personality in this environment, WWE has reason to do a second installment of the interview.