Stephanie McMahon has always been a powerful voice in WWE, and now she’s sharing some key insights on what it takes to connect with fans in a new episode of her podcast, What’s Your Story?
In her chat with Bayley, McMahon opened up about what aspiring WWE wrestlers need to focus on to succeed—and it’s all about the emotions. McMahon emphasized the importance of building a deep connection with the audience, urging talent to focus on making fans feel something during their performances.
“The most important thing you can do is make the audience feel,” McMahon said. “You want to elicit an emotion. And you do that with your reactions. You do it with your face. You do it with your eyes. You do it by selling. You know, that is the purest form of it, right?”
McMahon referenced a quote by Maya Angelou, which she feels perfectly sums up the emotional connection in wrestling:
“People will never remember what you said, they’ll never remember what you did, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel.”
She continued, explaining that it’s not always about the matches themselves but the emotions attached to them. Whether it’s a positive or negative emotion, it’s how wrestlers make the audience feel that sticks with them.
“You need to find a way to make people feel something for you,” McMahon advised. “And that’s not easy… but whether it’s with your words, your face, your body, you have to make people feel.”
McMahon also stressed the importance of selling in wrestling, calling it “the most important” aspect of storytelling in the ring. For her, WWE’s foundation is built around strong, emotional storytelling, with selling playing a huge role in bringing the audience into that narrative.
Beyond the ring, McMahon shared her husband Triple H’s philosophy when scouting talent at WWE tryouts. According to McMahon, “He’s looking for people who show leadership and encourage the other attendees.”
Though McMahon is no longer in an executive role with WWE, her influence is far-reaching, and her podcast is part of the WWE & Fanatics Network. She is also set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas this April.
What do you think is the most important aspect of a wrestler’s success? Do you agree with McMahon’s emphasis on emotional connection and storytelling? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
