Shane McMahon Attempted To Buy Wrestling Promotion Outside WWE

According to a huge revelation, Shane McMahon once tried to buy a major wrestling promotion outside WWE.

Shane McMahon is known for being the son of former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. Shane also had a major presence on TV for years in the past as an onscreen character and in-ring performer. However, Shane is not part of the Stamford-based promotion currently.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed by Paul Heyman that Shane McMahon once wanted to buy the popular wrestling promotion, ECW. Heyman was the President and promoter of ECW for years before it was acquired by WWE.

Shane McMahon wanted to own a non-WWE promotion

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Paul Heyman disclosed that Shane McMahon attempted to buy ECW back in the year 2000:

At the very end, Christmas week 2000, when everything was dire. We had lost TNN. The money is now trickling in from In Demand. Now In Demand wants eight pay-per-views in 2001. We don’t even have national television. WWE says let’s look at the books because Shane wanted to buy it. So Shane wanted to buy ECW and run it on its own.”

Heyman further revealed that Vince McMahon wanted ECW to go bankrupt so Heyman could join WWE despite Shane McMahon pushing to buy the promotion:

Vince said it’s easier just to let it go into bankruptcy and we get Heyman. Shane still pushed and pushed and pushed. So for the accountants to take a look at all the books and to buy us the time not to be pulled into an involuntary bankruptcy by somebody, we were loaned $83,500 to make payroll that week so that we can survive the week for WWE to look at the books.”

There was no other payments made by WWE. There was no other secret funding. And this is all a matter of public record because it was a publicly traded company by this time. And it’s all there and it’s all in the bankruptcy papers. But never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Heyman stated that Vince wanted him to be involved with WWE instead of doing his own thing:

Vince found it more valuable to have me in the, as Vince would say, ‘I’d rather have Paul Heyman in the castle p*ssing out than out of the castle p*ssing in.’ Apple didn’t need Beats. Apple wanted Jimmy Iovine. Vince McMahon was tired of me being out on my own, being an independent, doing my own thing. Decided we need Heyman and wanted Heyman involved.” [H/T Ringside News]

Paul Heyman concluded that WWE had to secure ECW’s library and assets to get him involved with the Stamford-based promotion.

Also read: Paul Heyman Drops AEW Bombshell