Blaze Of Glory

The end of Monday Night Raw closed with a scene of Vince McMahon's limousine in a wall of fire after a car bomb detonated. Viewers - in the seconds before the blast - saw the WWE chairman entering his vehicle.

Is this the end of the Mr. McMahon character? Or is it the end of McMahon's reign in WWE?

Vince McMahon is the reason why I am typing this right now. Had it not been for him, professional wrestling would still be the territorial run business it was before McMahon came along and used cable television to go national.

Over the years we have seen VKM go from being the commentator on a majority of his shows to the heel chairman of the company. A move that was prompted by his real-life feud with Bret Hart after the Canadian was double-crossed by his boss in Montreal over how a title match was to end.

In recent weeks we have seen a different side to the McMahon character. He was shaved bald at Wrestlemania after his wrestler, Umaga lost to Bobby Lashley. He then went on to win the ECW world title in his feud with Lashley but lost it to his rival a fortnight ago.

Ever since losing his title the WWE viewers have witnessed McMahon being even more eccentric. He would randomly refer to his dignity not being compromised. Some would say it was a hidden acknowledgement to something that was happening in his personal life.

The chairman has had a tendency to use his company's storylines in an ironic sense.

During the 1994 trial where he was indicted on charges of steroid distribution he ran an angle where Lex Luger was framed for turning on his fans by fellow good guy, Tatanka. This storyline ended with the accuser being the one who turned on the fans thus the blamer was the real baddie.

During the early 2000 when the then WWF was being targeted bu the Parents Television Council (PTC) for the violence on their shows, McMahon introduced a heel faction called the RTC (Right To Censor).

The dramatic end to last night's show could be more than a symbolic end to the character. It is possible that the loss of dignity that the chairman mentioned in previous weeks could be a sign of health issues he is facing in his personal life.

As the two cases above show - it is also possible that McMahon departing the WWE in this manner is an end to McMahon's involvement with the business.

I can't imagine the world of wrestling continuing without the mind of Vince McMahon. I personally hope that the issues he is facing in reality can be resolved. If not - it is going to be a lot different without his genius.