22 long years have passed since the spine-curdling 9/11 attacks took place. While the terrific attack shook the entire world to the core of the heart, there was one man who stood fearless amidst this. It was none other than Vince McMahon who was all set to go to the WWE arena for the live episode of SmackDown.
Recently, Matt Hardy, on his Extreme Life podcast, opened up about the backstage scenario after 9/11 took place. The attacks took place early in the morning, and the WWE stars had to report to the venue at 1 o’clock on the same day. Confusion prevailed in the minds of everyone as to when and how the episode would take place.
Love you Dad. 3/26/68 – 9/11/01 pic.twitter.com/lVHblKoUOb
— ZV (@ZelinaVegaWWE) September 11, 2023
“I remember we were waiting like, ‘What is going to happen?’ because we have ‘SmackDown,’ ” revealed Matt Hardy. Before the confusion grew wilder, there was an email from the WWE authorities to put things on hold. However, they had to extend their stay in Texas and attend the live broadcast of SmackDown on September 13.
While everyone feared that this gathering would make them the next target, Vince McMahon was “a fearless human being” in the eyes of Matt. “Vince had his mind made up. He was like, ‘Nobody stops me, nobody stops World Wrestling Entertainment, and we’re going to do the show, dammit,‘ ” revealed the AEW star.
What did Vince McMahon say in his 9/11 speech?
Vince McMahon’s courage spoke volumes after he opened the event after the 9/11 attacks. Kicking off the show, he instilled in everyone a sense of patriotism as well as valor. “We will not live our lives in fear,” he boldly said. His statements also came as a direct blow to everyone involved in the heinous attacks.
“Proud of who we are, proud of our nation and damn proud to be Americans,” he said. Vince McMahon also said that everyone in the United States would fight back against the terrorism that went down in recent history. His fearless eyes spoke of the confidence that he had in his words. Multiple eyes went numb during his speech, but everyone stood tall against the injustice hurled at the country.
“America’s heart has been wounded, but her spirit shines as a beacon of freedom that never has been and nor ever will be taken away,” added Vince McMahon. The entire audience was filled in shades of blue, white, and red, and massive “USA” chants broke out. Not only did WWE become the first to gather a huge audience soon after the 9/11 attacks, but it also removed the fear that lingered in the minds of many in the audience.
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