Emerging updates have cast a new light on backstage reactions to Vince McMahon’s urges to return to his former place of power within WWE.
A new report from The Wall Street Journal stated that Vince McMahon ‘intends to make a comeback at WWE’ even though he had stepped down in July of 2022 due to the various investigations into hush money payments to various women totaling at nearly 12 million dollars.
Speaking recently on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer made mention that even strong allies of Vince McMahon do not wish to see his return to the company.
While the likelihood of a Vince McMahon return is unclear, Dave Meltzer would go into the details of if Vince McMahon actually attempted to come back to WWE.
“I think the fact that he wants to (return) and the fact that this stuff then comes up at the same time where people go, ‘Hey there’s no way, there’s more allegations’, all in the same story – I don’t know that that’s a coincidence.
– Dave Meltzer
“Vince wants back. Vince is the majority shareholder. He owns the most voting power. He does not own 50% of the stock, but he does own probably close to 80% of the voting power. If it was a private company, he could be in tomorrow. But because it’s a public company, the Board of Directors have to make decisions, and the Board of Directors, their job is to look out for the company, and they may very well believe – and probably do – that Vince coming back would not be the best thing. Because he left because of these allegations that are public, if he came back, there would definitely be issues with some sponsors, there’d be queasiness. Even perhaps Fox and USA. You’re definitely risking that because, with these different allegations out and the payoffs and stuff like that – it’d be a big, big, big risk. Another key thing with that story is that because he wants to come back, that company’s not being sold. It can’t be sold, because then he’ll have no voting power. If it’s sold, he’s never coming back. And obviously as long as he wants to come back, he will not sell this company. And he does have, because of owning over 50% of the voting shares, he can block any sale that Nick Khan or anybody else, Stephanie, wants to do. With anyone. So that’s one of the big stories in this, is whatever talks of sale there is, it can’t happen until Vince gives up the ghost and says, ‘I’m not gonna come back’. As long as Vince has this attitude, they’re not gonna be able to sell. There’s a lot of other ramifications to this too. The morale situation, now everyone’s kind of uncertain again of what’s going on. There’s really a lot of uncertainty in the company. It would be major, major internal upheaval in that company for him to come back. But he’s Vince, and maybe he will. He will certainly try. In itself, just the fact that he’s trying, is gonna be a big, big story.
– Dave Meltzer
Apparently according to Meltzer, even people who were seen as allies of Vince McMahon would even ben against him making a return at this point in the game.
“I know allies of Vince – very much allies of Vince and very protective of Vince and things like that – who are not business allies of Vince within that company right now, because they know that it would be the worst thing. And they are very strong allies of Vince. People who you would think are his allies, you don’t know. People are happier in the company, they know the company’s running better, and so the people who are allies or looking at the best interests of the company, they don’t want him back.
When Vince was on the rocks, they were allies of Vince, and they didn’t think he was ever gonna go, and they thought he’ll ride it out and it’ll go away. But once he left, the idea of him coming back, I was surprised about a lot of people who you would think are his allies. And personally, I’m sure they are. But as far as wanting him back… I’m sure there’s (some) people that do.”
– Dave Meltzer
Vince McMahon formally retired on July 22nd 2022, leaving Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan to share the responsibilities as the new Co-CEOs of WWE.
H/T to WrestleTalk.com for the transcription
