Report: Those Close to Vince McMahon Thought Getting Back In The Ring Was “A Terrible Idea”

A new report has claimed that people close to Vince McMahon told him his in-ring return at WrestleMania 38 was a “terrible idea”.

On April 3rd, Pat McAfee achieved a childhood dream by getting in the ring with Vince McMahon’s protégé Austin Theory at WrestleMania 38. While the announcer and Theory went toe-to-toe in the ring, McMahon himself watched on from ringside. Surprisingly, McAfee was able to see off Theory, shocking the young star with a roll-up for the pinfall victory.

Following the bout, McAfee and McMahon exchanged words. It was then that things got surreal as, in a move nobody was expecting, 76-year-old WWE Chairman Vince McMahon took off his shirt and called in a referee to face off with Pat McAfee in an official match. Even more unexpectedly, McMahon defeated the SmackDown announcer, although it was with more than a little help from Theory.

McMahon and Theory’s celebration was short-lived, as ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin made his way to the ring and took out Theory before hitting Vince McMahon with one last Stunner for old time’s sake.

Now, Fightful Select has reported that McMahon made decided he would wrestle at the event months in advance, although many people close to the Chairman were vocal about it being a “terrible idea.”

In the days following the match, however, there were reportedly plenty of laughs backstage, with even McMahon himself recoginising how terrible his performance was. Ever the showman, McMahon is said to believe that “as long as people were laughing and entertained, it’s okay.”

It was also noted that McMahon laid out the whole segmeng, including Austin Theory’s music hitting after the match. This led to many laughs backstage when McMahon visibly jumped when the music was played.