These quotes will interest many of you for probably the same reasons they interested me.

I can’t tell you exactly what those reasons are, because I haven’t identified them for myself.

Is it because Vince McMahon is arguably the most important figure in the history of an industry, art form, and pastime I’ve devoted a big part of personal and professional life to? Or because he’s accused of doing a lot of horrible things to people, with the allegations in Janel Grant’s 2024 sexual trafficking lawsuit against McMahon & WWE just being the latest? Is laughing about the ridiculous ways Vince has tried to conceal his age a harmless way to cope with the possibility McMahon was a monster in addition to being a visionary-if-ruthless businessman, an often-times brilliant wrestling booker & promoter, a philanthropist, and a beloved friend & relative? Or does even laughing at his expense somehow minimize the harm he’s accused of having done or allowed to be done to Grant, Rita Chatterton, Nancy Argentino, Tom Cole, and others?

Again, no answers here. But here are the quotes from Charles “The Godfather” Wright about his night attending Vince McMahon’s 80th birthday in New York City over the weekend of Aug. 22-24, which was held at the Baccarat Hotel — with live performances at Gotham Hall. Wright’s remarks come from his new AdFreeShows podcast, Poddin’ Ain’t Easy:

“I’m not going to mention everybody who was there but, of course, Taker was there and Kane was there and Bradshaw was there. We had a good time. Cena was there. A lot of entertainers were there. Jelly Roll performed.”

He described running into McMahon on his way into the party, which is where the Austin Powers reference in the headline comes in:

“I’m like, ‘Vince, thank you for inviting me.’ He goes, ‘Charles, I just want you to know there’s nobody here that’s not my true friend.’ And we talked for a second and then we walked in, but he had on, like, a Dr. Evil suit.

“I didn’t want to say it to him but, first of all, he looked better than when I’ve seen pictures of him lately, he looks a lot better than that. He’s walking a lot better than that. He introduced me to his girlfriend or whatever she was. But I thought, Dr. Evil, you’re Dr. Evil.

“I go in, everybody of course is talking to Vince. He gets to me and Taker are talking and Kane and (Vince) walks away and Taker goes, ‘Dude, Vince looking like Dr. Evil. I’m like, ‘Dude, that’s exactly what I was thinking!’”

Seems a little too on the nose, and we’ll likely never know because Godfather confirms reports that no cell phones or cameras were allowed at the event (the picture Jerry Lawler briefly posted on Instagram was from a professional photographer hired to work the event).

Wright summed up the party thusly: “Had a good time, had a good time.“