Ex-WWE Official On Vince McMahon – “He Needs To Be Gone”
A former WWE official has given their thoughts on reports that Vince McMahon intends to try and make a comeback to WWE.
After forty years as the boss of WWE, McMahon retired from his role in July 2022. He was replaced by his daughter Stephanie McMahon as company Chairwoman, while she along with Nick Khan are WWE’s co-CEOs. Triple H was tasked with leading the company’s creative direction on television and was given the title of Chief Content Officer.
Vince McMahon’s retirement came amid an internal WWE investigation into allegations of hush money payments made to female ex-employees of the company as a result of alleged sexual misconduct by McMahon. Former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis was also implicated in one of the allegations.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Vince McMahon is facing new demands for financial compensation as a result of alleged sexual assault. Former WWE referee Rita Chatterton has launched a demand for over $11 million while an unspecified amount is sought by a former spa manager who alleges McMahon assaulted her at a California resort.
Interestingly, the Journal’s report notes that McMahon was planning an audacious comeback to WWE, according to sources familiar with McMahon’s comments. Vince McMahon has said that he received “bad advice” to step away from the company from “people close to him” and that had he stayed on as WWE Chairman and CEO, he believes the allegations and investigations would have blown over.
But speaking on his Refin’ It Up podcast, former WWE referee Brian Hebner explained why he thinks Vince McMahon needs to stay well clear of his former company:
“I think he needs to be gone. He’s gotten rid of so many people that are now back. They’re just doing things differently there and I think it’s heading on an upward spiral and not a downward spiral. I just think that he would be more hurtful to what they’ve got going on now.”
“Not that the man is not a genius and I’m not suggesting that, but what I’m saying is there are also people that are out of touch, and I believe that he’s out of touch at this point. He’s also got some other accusations of people coming forward. Again, I’ve heard one or two I think, is what I heard. I don’t know how many, but one or two.”
“So now I’m just gonna go ahead and assume this is going to be delayed if this is even going to happen, but I think there’s a lot of people in WWE that actually worked there and worked for the company are probably going no, no, no, no, no, no, no, please don’t come back, please. I know I would be. But yeah, I just don’t see how that can be beneficial for the WWE at this point.”