Former WWE Co-President George Barrios recently shared his memories of joining the company in 2008, including his first impressions of Vince McMahon and the unexpected reality he encountered behind the scenes.
Speaking on The Business of the Business podcast, Barrios explained that WWE was very different from what he had anticipated before joining the organization.
According to Barrios, one of the biggest surprises was the professionalism and dedication of the people working throughout the company. “I met the people who were there at the time, and it was actually totally different than what I expected.”
He went on to praise the employees he met during the hiring process, noting that their passion for WWE was immediately apparent regardless of their department or role. “They were incredibly professional, smart people who really cared about whatever they were doing for the company, whether it was marketing, production, finance, or something else. You could tell people cared.”
Barrios also recalled meeting Vince McMahon for the first time and admitted that his perception of the WWE Chairman was shaped largely by what he had seen on television growing up. “I met Vince during that process. Obviously, I’d watched him as a kid, but I had never put two and two together that he was actually the guy behind all of this. To me, he was the announcer in the yellow jacket.”
Like many fans, Barrios expected McMahon to be a loud, outgoing personality based on his on-screen presence. However, he quickly discovered that the real-life Vince was very different from the image many people had of him. “So I meet Vince, and I had my own perception of him, which I think most people still have today—that he’s a loud, extroverted guy with strong opinions. But, at least during the 12 years I worked with him, and from what I saw that first day, he was actually a very quiet guy, more stoic and introverted.”
Barrios noted that McMahon’s personality contrasted significantly with his own, creating an interesting dynamic throughout their professional relationship. “He was actually very different than me personally.”
While the two successfully worked together for more than a decade, Barrios admitted that those personality differences occasionally created challenges. “It’s interesting because those differences can make it difficult at times.”
According to Barrios, the most challenging aspect of working with McMahon wasn’t his reputation for demanding excellence or making bold decisions—it was simply communication. “I always say the hardest part of working with Vince—and it’s not what people expect—was the communication. He’s just a quiet, introverted guy.”
Barrios served as WWE’s Co-President alongside Michelle Wilson for many years and played a major role in the company’s business growth before both executives departed in early 2020. His comments offer a rare look behind the curtain at the corporate side of WWE and provide an interesting perspective on a Vince McMahon that differs from the larger-than-life character fans became familiar with on television.
For Barrios, one of the biggest surprises wasn’t WWE itself—it was discovering that the man behind the global wrestling empire was far more reserved than many people realized.
