Will Vince McMahon step down permanently as the Chairman & CEO of WWE?
In the last couple of days, sports entertainment as a whole and WWE in particular have been rocked by the news of the Vince McMahon scandal.
As everyone knows by now, WWE Chairman and CEO McMahon has been accused of having an inappropriate affair with a subordinate, then providing her with financial remuneration in order for her to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
When you put all the legal mumbo jumbo aside, that basically means he paid her what is commonly known as 'hush money'. And by all accounts, the former employee in question pocketed three-million dollars as a going away prize and never resurfaced from there.
Until now, that is.
Her story, as well as the stories of some other former WWE employees, was leaked to the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets. From there, it spread through both pro wrestling and mainstream media like wildfire.
The company's Board of Directors immediately stepped in to investigate McMahon's practices and those of WWE General Manager of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis, who was also implicated in the scandal.
If the Board finds McMahon's conduct to be seriously detrimental to the overall health of WWE, he could be given a vote of 'no confidence', meaning Vince could retain his shares but have no say in their day-to-day operations. It's also probable that he won't be welcomed at the company's Stamford, Connecticut, headquarters either.
As a professional wrestling fan, it's strange to be seeing all this unfold. The king has built his castle. Now, he might be getting evicted from it.
Stranger things have happened at this level of luxury. Donald Sterling was forced to sell the LA Clippers due to allegations of racism. The NFL may soon be trying to push out Washington owner Daniel Snyder. So being a billionaire and owning a sports franchise doesn't automatically exempt you from all human responsibility.
WWE has announced that Vince McMahon will be on Smackdown tonight
Earlier today, the company informed the media that McMahon would be appearing on the show, and you have to think he's going there to address these allegations.
Vince McMahon is going to appear on SmackDown tonight… https://t.co/TwhhYrd5gF
Perhaps he will merely appear in character and simply gloss over this entire mess. Or possibly use it as some kind of on-air, inside joke.
For years, Vince has been known to 'no-sell' everything. Maybe it's arrogance or narcissism, but it's almost as if he has a need to prove that nothing can hurt him.
He definitely graduated from 'Never Let Them See You Sweat University' with honors. He remains cool under pressure at all times.
One WWE employee noted that they were told Vince McMahon would be addressing WWE talent on Friday regarding the investigation story.
- WON https://t.co/Dfip9bUGqf
But what if - and this is HUGE 'what if' - he shows up on the Fox Network this evening to let us all know that, for the betterment of the company, he's stepping down? What if Vince just took all his money and walked away?
It's entirely possible that McMahon, 74, may finally just decide he's had his last battle. He fought the territories and won. He defeated his greatest challenger in WCW, and he's far and away the most influential man in the history of professional wrestling. For better or worse.
McMahon transcends sports and entertainment. He's a media icon, and this latest scandal seems to be gaining more traction than ever in this post-"Me Too" era. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the old man might just pack it in. More than likely, flipping us all the bird on his way out the door.
For now, McMahon has stepped aside, and his daughter Stephanie will assume his role on a temporary basis.
If he returns, it's likely that McMahon will not only tone down his actions, he'll likely have to tweak some elements of his programming for PR purposes as well. Any kind of sexual or romantic content on their shows will definitely be kept tame.
Many vocal fans have hoped for years that Vince McMahon would step away or sell his company. They argued that he was ruining the WWE that they remembered and loved. He needed to be stopped somehow.
For those fans, there's an old adage: Be careful what you wish for. We know what to expect from McMahon. We have no idea what a potential successor might bring to the table. Or how much more damage they could do to an already weakened product.
In many ways, the McMahons are the enemies we know, as opposed to the enemies we don't know. And while McMahon's boorish behavior should certainly be punished in some fashion, it's hard to see him waking away without a fight.