Matt Hardy Recalls Vince McMahon Monologue That Left Him Feeling 'Freaked Out'

Even before the reports of various misconduct, Vince McMahon has always been a unique character in the world of professional wrestling. He has been called a revolutionary, game changer, and genius when it comes to what he's been able to do with WWE since he took over the business from his father in 1982. But he's also been called intimidating, power-hungry, and out of touch. However, in the latest story told about the former WWE Chairman and CEO, he just sounds downright crazy.

On the latest episode of the podcast "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy," the AEW star recounted a conversation that he and Edge had with McMahon that left them feeling "freaked out" prior to 2005's "Summerslam." While going over the match, Hardy's former employer outlined his vision for a short and effective MMA-style brawl. He then discussed how he wanted them to tap into their "primal instincts" during the confrontation.

"This might sound crazy, but when two animals — the primal instincts kick in and survival kicks in, and it's their basic primal instincts, and we all have them, even as human beings," McMahon said, according to Hardy. "If you see someone weaker than you, you see someone that's crippled or in a wheelchair, deep down your primal instinct, you want to destroy them, you want to eat them, you want to eat them alive! [...] You want to take the person who's weaker than you, that is below you in the food chain, and you want to f***ing EAT THEM! Do you understand?! That's what I want to see out of this match."

Ultimately, due to their real-life issues at the time, Hardy believed that McMahon was trying to get him and Edge to bond over how "insane" their boss was being. If that's true, mission accomplished.