Key Reason For Vince McMahon’s Abrupt WWE Exit

The key reason Vince McMahon was forced out of WWE has been highlighted as the company announces a unique partnership.

Vince McMahon was told to resign as Executive Chairman of TKO just months after Endeavor completed its takeover of WWE. McMahon had been accused of serious sexual assault by a former WWE employee and as his career hung by a thread, a major sponsor proved pivotal in cutting that thread after they threatened to pull their sponsorship of WWE events.

That sponsor was Slim Jim, and now Slim Jim has announced a new deal with WWE that will see the company’s logo plastered all over any tables that are used during matches, as well as being featured in the middle of the ring on Raw.

Slim Jim Caused Vince McMahon’s WWE Exit

Discussing the sponsorship deal on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that the move is notable as it was Slim Jim pulling their WWE sponsorship, which proved pivotal in Endeavor deciding that Vince McMahon had to leave:

It was the key reason that Vince got nailed, that he had to resign. He would have had to anyway, that lawsuit was just too much but what forced it was Slim Jim were the first ones, they came out and said “We’re pulling our sponsorship if he’s still around.” Ari Emanuel told Vince this is the deal and Vince understood.

If Vince had stayed and they pulled it would have been a domino – I’m not saying everyone else would have done it but it would have been a domino and a disaster for the company from a PR standpoint so there was no choice.

It took only a matter of hours between Slim Jim making their stance and Vince McMahon announcing his departure from the company. If the sponsorship and the money that went with it hadn’t been threatened, it remains a mystery how long Endeavor would have kept McMahon on for as public pressure mounted to get rid of him.

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