5 signs that WWE is turning Shane McMahon into the second coming of 'Mr. McMahon'
Almost every era of WWE since the advent of the Attitude Era in the late 1990s has had an evil McMahon family member on-screen lording over the entire company. At first it was Mr. McMahon, but then his two children, Stephanie and Shane, began to take part more and more in the family business.
While Shane is the McMahon who competed in action the most, Vince did have his fair share of matches over the years. He routinely opposed 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin in their feud that defined that era. He also won the ECW Championship in 2007.
Shane stepped away for a long time and even though Mr. McMahon would appear here and there, Stephanie took the reigns as the 'Evil McMahon' authority figure around 2013-2014. She and her husband, Triple H, were literally called 'The Authority' and they abused their power on a nightly basis.
It was usually to put down the faces of the time, like Daniel Bryan, John Cena and later, the Shield. But once that had run its course, an evil McMahon in charge had gone away until the brand split. Stephanie gained control of Raw and Shane control of SmackDown during the brand split, but Stephanie's reign of terror was at its height a few years before the brand split.
And in today's WWE, Shane-O-Mac is running wild on both Raw and SmackDown. He was simultaneously feuding with the Miz and now with WWE's 'Golden Boy', Roman Reigns. When he returned to be the Commissioner of SmackDown, it was initially thought to be a tenure wouldn't last nearly as long as it has.
So why has Shane been the most featured McMahon over the last year? My theory is that since Vince is likely more focused on the re-launch of the XFL, they are trying to re-create aspects of the Attitude Era, like having another 'Mr. McMahon' running around drunk with power. Here are five signs that point to WWE trying to make Shane the second coming of his father during the Attitude Era.
#5. The Attitude Era was one of the most prosperous eras in WWE history and they want to bring it back
One of WWF/WWE's most successful periods in history was when Mr. McMahon ruled over his company with an iron fist. He did whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted, and even his family members were fair game.
He headed the Corporation and the Corporate Ministry. During that time, he almost let the Undertaker 'sacrifice' Stephanie and he also cavorted with women in storyline in front of his catatonic wife.
Since the ratings have been so low dating back to December 2018, WWE seems like they are trying anything and everything as evidenced by both the Wildcard Rule and the 24/7 Title. A recent appearance from Mick Foley on Busted Open Radio revealed that they want to change things up in the third hour of Raw, possibly harkening back to the Attitude Era days.
Having a McMahon at the focal point of that time period was essential to the success, so they might be trying to recapture that magic. One problem, however, is if Shane can prove to be as diabolical as Vince (if that's what they're trying).
The other problem is that they cannot possibly think that Roman Reigns can be their new Stone Cold, right? Sure he's great in the ring, but Austin had charisma that Reigns lacks. The guy who could've been another Stone Cold isn't a member of the roster any more. And let's not forget - the sequel often pales in comparison the original.