WWE creator Vince McMahon is back with the WWE in a key role, however, fans of the legendary promotion may not have to worry about the product falling back into its bad habits just yet.
After decades of turning World Wrestling Entertainment — formerly the World Wrestling Federation — into a billion-dollar international juggernaut, Vince McMahon stepped down from his role as CEO in July and shockingly retired from the organization. It was a move many never expected to happen, but it was done to avoid dragging the company through the public relations mud and let an internal investigation play out.
Before stepping down, the Wall Street Journal published an expose on the corporate giant that revealed years of hush money payments McMahon had made to a mistress and former employees that accused him of sexual misconduct. Despite his departure, the promotion has succeeded and excelled with new leadership. Led by his daughter Stephanie McMahon as a Co-CEO and son-on-law Paul “Triple H” Levesque heading the creative side of the company.
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Well, it seems McMahon’s time away from the company has come to an end with the internal investigation into his improper actions in the books. Yesterday it was reported that he had formally applied to become the new head of the WWE board of directors. Which is in his right as the man holding the greatest amount of company shares.
On Friday, those maneuverings became official. But what does it all mean for the WWE and its content going forward?
What does Vince McMahon’s return mean for WWE?
As of now, McMahon’s new role with the organization is as the head of the WWE’s board of directors. This means he will not be directly in charge of what the company does on a day-to-day basis or have a say on creative decisions for their television content.
Based on a letter Vince McMahon sent to the board before making his return, his intention is to have a major influence as the WWE enters negotiations for new media rights deals this year. The company’s broadcast contracts with FOX and USA, respectively, end in 2024 and the industry norm is to negotiate new broadcast deals with interested networks the year before the current ones end.
As head of the board, McMahon will have the final say on those deals as well as decide who are the buyers in a possible sale of the company, which has been rumored over the last couple of years. As of now, the product should not change. But with McMahon back in the fold, returning to his spot deciding what happens on TV probably isn’t out of the question down the road.