Vince McMahon Says Rival Wrestling Promoters Wanted Him Dead, Jim Ross Overheard

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon said his life was in serious danger when rival wrestling promoters were actively talking about killing him ... after he broke a cardinal rule by invading their territories with his promotion.

Vince made the shocking revelation on Pat McAfee's show, retelling a story of how Jim Ross -- legendary WWE announcer -- once told him he overheard a disturbing convo in a public bathroom.

Back in the day, Vince purchased his father's wrestling business. There was an unspoken rule wrestling promoters wouldn't invade each other's territories (the sport was very regional at the time). But, McMahon being a pioneer ... he had other ideas, and began traveling with his new promotion as it started to grow.

That decision didn't sit well with his competitors, and Ross told Vince -- 5 years after it happened -- they were so ticked over it, they discussed killing him.

McMahon said Ross was in a stall when he heard 4 of the biggest wrestling owners at that time saying they had a guy that could "off" Vince.

"I don't know how many different rivers I was supposed to be at the bottom of," Vince told McAfee. "Death threats are what they are. I always felt like, if you can knock off a President of the United States, then I'm easy to get to."

"In those days it was like when you ... from their standpoint invaded their territory, it was like 'ok those not just fighting words,'" McMahon said.

Luckily, nothing happened to Vince, and he's credited with evolving WWE into one of the biggest brands in the sports entertainment world.

The convo with Pat turned to a lighter note, as Vince shared with the former football player-turned podcaster his unorthodox workout "regimen."

The WWE boss told McAfee he finishes training around 3 AM after starting his workouts at 1:30 AM... and he views working out as a way to cope with the physical and emotional stress of running such a huge business.

The two laughed and reflected on some of WWE's most memorable moments ... with Vince offering Pat a chance to create his own memories by wrestling in a match at Wrestlemania 38 in Dallas on April 2 and 3.