For better or worse, Vince McMahon's appearance on WWE Smackdown will spike tonight's ratings
In what is the biggest story in the wrestling industry in years, WWE Chairman and CEO Vincent Kennedy McMahon has stepped back as he faces allegations of misconduct.
On June 15, the Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon, 74, was the subject of an investigation centered around an alleged affair he had with a subordinate, whom he then paid as part of a "hush pact."
The report also stated that Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis was implicated in the matter. One quote in the story said the employee in question had been passed off "like a toy" from McMahon to Laurinaitis.
This story started out as an ugly duckling, and it doesn't look like it's going to magically turn into a swan anytime soon. It's going to get worse as more details come out, and they likely will. The media is going to have a feeding frenzy on this one.
WWE’s board is investigating a secret $3 million settlement that longtime CEO Vince McMahon reached with a former employee with whom he allegedly had an affair, according to documents and people familiar on.wsj.com/3QokMry
Amidst all the controversy, Vince has temporarily stepped back from his position, which will be filled on an interim basis by his daughter, Stephanie, who went on a leave of absence a few weeks ago. That should give you an indication of what a mess this is, and how much it caught everyone off guard.
Vince McMahon remains undaunted and will be appear on WWE Smackdown tonight
In a sidebar to this story, Vince has insisted on appearing on SmackDown, which will air on FOX Network tonight. This decision has added even more fuel to this fire. Now, there's even more soap opera-like speculation regarding what he will say.
Will Vince come out to address these allegations and come clean in front of the WWE Universe? Or will he (as some have suggested) come out as the Mr. McMahon character and completely no-sell this breaking news story? At this point, anything seems possible. That's what's adding to the drama of it all.
No one can be sure what the unpredictable McMahon might do. He's shown in the past that when he's backed into a corner, he strikes back like a rattlesnake. And usually? He comes out smelling like a rose. That's the most intriguing part of the story. We get to see what this titan of his industry does to react to the controversial space he's in right now.
That's why one of tomorrow's biggest stories will be the huge spike in ratings that will happen tonight. People will tune in for a multitude of reasons.
What exactly can Vince McMahon say? This seems like a no win scenario bad idea. If it's live, holy moly. Hopefully it's a pre-tape... but I doubt it. https://t.co/y2caMUq3WB
People who are pro-WWE and want to see Vince exonerated will tune in and hope he lashes out and fights back. There's a large population of the total fan base that feels World Wrestling Entertainment is "their" company. That's what they grew up on, so they're very protective of it. And they've likely already made up their minds that this whole thing is no big deal and will blow over.
On the flip side of the equation, the anti-WWE, anti-Vince crowd will watch, hoping that he goes out there and slips on the proverbial banana peel. It's safe to say each side will be represented just about equally as far as the lovers and the haters go.
Then, there will be the people in the middle, the ones who only casually follow WWE, but have heard the news. They are the same people who slow down to get a closer look at a car crash because they're drawn to the chaos. These people will turn on Smackdown tonight just out of their own morbid curiosity.
Expect everyone to be talking about tonight's show when you wake up tomorrow, no matter what happens, or what Vince says. It will be gigantic news either way, and the ratings will be the highest they've been in weeks. That's because this story is hotter than the summer weather, and fans and everyone's sweating about what will happen next.
For years, WWE looked for anything to get the world to sit up and take notice of them again. Tonight, they have it... even if it's for all the wrong reasons.