5 surprising things that already happened to Vince McMahon this year
There are a lot of crazy stories about Vince McMahon and lots of unexpected things that have happened to him. From being furious at sneezing to bizarre things he’s made wrestlers do, a book could be written about Vince being Vince.
However, this year has been particularly of note. He was investigated and retired. That wasn’t even everything, though. His entire life has changed, and his impact on wrestling has largely come to an end, in theory.
Here is a list that details some of the most surprising things that have happened to Vince McMahon in 2022 so far.
#5. Getting Investigated
Reports splashed across all the world that the WWE Board of Directors was investigating McMahon for paying hush money to keep some sexual relationships with former employees a secret. So far, the Board has stated to the SEC that the total payments amounts to over 19 million dollars.
The investigation rocked WWE and led to many sudden changes in WWE. John Laurinaitis, the head of talent relations, resigned. Vince stepped down as CEO and his daughter Stephanie McMahon became Interim CEO. Yet Vince remained in charge of creative for some time.
#4. First podcast appearance in years
The last time Vince appeared on a podcast was on the Steve Austin Podcast in 2014. McMahon has done very few interviews since then, most notably about the career of Andre the Giant for HBO. He did not do another podcast until 2022 when he was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show, which had various incarnations over the years, predating the WWE commentator's pro wrestling career.
For about an hour and a half, Vince McMahon gave us an inside look into his thoughts on the competition and the so-called “Internet Fans.” When Vince was younger, he used to do interviews and sports shows, and Conan O’Brien’s Show during the Attitude Era. But no one expected him to do something like this in 2022.
#3. A Match at WrestleMania
For years, it was believed that the last match of Vince McMahon’s career would be against CM Punk on RAW in 2012. Vince was seen as someone who was getting too old, and he did not wrestle for 10 years. Didn’t stop him from getting physical and taking a few moves over the years. In 2019, Roman Reigns gave Vince the Superman Punch on SmackDown.
On WrestleMania 38 Night 2, after Pat McAfee beat Theory, he challenged Vince. The billionaire CEO took off his suit jacket and went to wrestle… a word used loosely, against Pat McAfee in a match. Vince would come out on top, but end up taking what many call the worst stunner of all time from Steve Austin after the match.
#2. Netflix Docu-Series is still happening
With everything that has happened around the scandal, there were initial reports that the Docu-Series on Netflix was canceled. It now turns out that it was just postponed. It appears that Netflix was taking a wait-and-see approach.
Now, as reported by various outlets, Netflix has decided to move forward with the Docu-Series. With millions invested and the surefire reality that Vince remains a trending topic, even the current scandal will not prevent it from being released. This is a testament to Vince’s impact on entertainment history.
#1. Retirement
At 77, time for me to retire.
Thank you, WWE Universe.
Then. Now. Forever. Together. #WWE #thankful
WWE's ultimate heel announced on Twitter that he was retiring from WWE, which came as a shock to many. Vince never stepped down, never will go away, he will always stay at the helm of WWE... were it not for the scandal, that perhaps could have been the case.
WWE is headed into a new era without Vince McMahon. He's still the majority owner but does not hold any official positions in WWE anymore. He's not even on the Board of Directors. It is the end of nearly 40 years of WWE led by Vince McMahon. With the scandal still rampant, it is uncertain if he’ll be able to enjoy his retirement though.
Watch five times that Vince crossed the line: