WWE’s recent mass release of talent included the entire Maximum Male Models team, shedding light on the intriguing backstory of this gimmick and Vince McMahon’s involvement.
Mace, one half of the Maximum Male Models, shared some insights during a Twitch stream about the genesis of their gimmick and its connection to Vince McMahon. It appears that Vince McMahon was a staunch supporter of the Maximum Male Models concept and had great plans for it. The idea was introduced to them shortly before significant changes occurred within WWE’s management, with Hunter (likely referring to Triple H, Paul Levesque) taking over after Vince McMahon’s temporary absence.
Mace hinted at the significance of the timing, suggesting it wasn’t ideal for their gimmick’s launch. He mentioned that they were entrusted with what they considered to be a golden opportunity. They were told that if they fully committed to the Maximum Male Models act, they could potentially achieve long-term success because it was something Vince McMahon had passionately wanted for eight months.
“Everything happened in the company where Vince left, Hunter took over. That was like three weeks after we debuted.”
“I don’t know if there has ever been worse timing. When we were approached to do Maximum Male Models. I’m not going to give the whole story, saving it for my book.”
“It was given to us like, ‘Here is the golden goose. If you guys grab the reigns on this and commit to it, you’re going to be rich for a very long time because this is Vince’s baby. He has wanted to do a male model act for eight months. He wanted this so bad.’”
“Every week, we were supposed to do a new fashion show. We would go to the mall and buy the clothes. It was on us to buy the clothes. They gave us $2,000 to buy stuff. The rehearsal for the first fashion show was surreal. People were made to leave for us. For thirty minutes we rehearsed.”
The gimmick involved weekly fashion shows, with the performers responsible for purchasing their own clothing using a $2,000 budget provided by WWE. The dedication to the act extended to rehearsals, where they received specific instructions and even fashion advice from Vince McMahon himself. The focus on their gimmick was such that at one point, during the Money in the Bank event, Vince McMahon cleared the entrance area for their fashion show rehearsal.
However, as Mace continued to explain, the fate of the Maximum Male Models took a turn for the worse. Despite the attention and support they received from Vince McMahon, their momentum came to a sudden halt with Triple H in charge of creative. They were informed that they needed to revamp their act, which led to their removal from TV and even being cut from the background of segments. This decision came after they were initially set to have a match with the Good Brothers, only for it to be postponed.
“It was Money in the Bank. They were like, ‘get the ladders out of the way. We have to rehearse the fashion show.’
“Vince McMahon came out and showed me how to turn, and to change my white pants because he hates white pants.”
Mace recalled a specific moment during the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal when they thought their storyline would continue. However, it became clear that their presence was not intended, and they were promptly removed. This pattern repeated in another match, raising questions about who allowed them to participate.
In the end, despite Vince McMahon’s initial enthusiasm for the Maximum Male Models, the team found themselves without a clear direction or repackaging. This ultimately led to their release from WWE.
“It’s very rare for Vince to come out in rehearsals. He stays in his office. He came out for this. ‘Is this our ticket to superstardom?’”
“Sadly, the week after we did the segment where we took pictures of Otis, we were supposed to do a match with the Good Brothers, it got cut and pushed back. We get pulled into a person of high rankings office…I’m not going to say what he said. I’ll save it for my book.”
“We were essentially told we were going to have to revamp the Maximum Male Model and adjust, and until then, we would be off TV. We would get cut from being in the background of segments. It all came to a head when we were in the Andre Battle Royal.”
“Producer Jason Jordan comes up with the spot where we get eliminated by Otis and Chad, Maxxine is celebrating, we question her. ‘Great, our story is going to continue.’
“No, we were not supposed to be in that match. When that spot aired, the person in the office who told us we weren’t supposed to be on TV stood up and said, ‘Who the hell let the models on?’
“It happened again because we were in the battle royal for the IC Title shot. We do a spot with Dexter Lumis and Johnny Gargano. The same thing happened.”
“‘Who let the models be in the match again?’ Once that happened, we stopped traveling, it was over. Then came the process of pitching stuff because we were told we would be repackaged. Obviously, that didn’t happen.”
