What Vince McMahon’s Backstage Return Means for WWE’s Future
How much influence does he have over the company’s creative direction?
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Vince McMahon makes his presence known—quietly
Last week’s edition of Monday Night Raw in Boston was star-studded. Featuring the return of John Cena, as well as appearances from Cody Rhodes, Trish Stratus, Lita, and Edge, it also provided a captivating finish when Jey Uso superkicked Sami Zayn and rejoined The Bloodline.
Yet all of that was secondary to an even more noteworthy homecoming, one that took place away from cameras. For the first time since returning to the company in January after having stepped down as CEO in June amid a growing sexual misconduct scandal, Vince McMahon returned backstage.
No one was caught up in a wave of emotion. This wasn’t a chance to celebrate McMahon’s return to Massachusetts, only 75 miles from South Yarmouth, the location of the old Cape Cod Coliseum, which he bought in 1979 when son Shane was only nine and daughter Stephanie was three.
This was entirely different, a chance for McMahon to reclaim what he believes still belongs to him. The 77-year-old McMahon returned to WWE in January after resigning in June amid revelations of hush money agreements made with former female employees who made claims of sexual harassment and assault by McMahon. Since his return as executive chairman, his focus has been the sale of the company—and he has allegedly not been involved in any creative manners, an area that Paul “Triple H” Levesque oversees.
But McMahon is notorious for his desire to be involved in every facet of the company. For decades, the company championed his insatiable desire to be the driving force of all things pertaining to WWE. So it was only a matter of time before McMahon returned backstage.
McMahon’s return was a chess move. More than just an opportunity to check in with the returning Cena, he had a motive attached to his return and it is undoubtedly part of a plan. There are endless options as to what McMahon’s appearance at Raw could mean, but the only certainty from my perspective is that it will serve as a prelude to McMahon going to WrestleMania and being back on-site for WWE’s signature event.
Speaking off-the-record with multiple people who were backstage, McMahon purposely stayed out of the way last week. His presence was noticeable, naturally, but he made sure that people noticed he was not involved. Despite being front and center, sitting in the middle of Bruce Prichard and Levesque in the gorilla position, McMahon did not wear a headset, and spent a large portion of the evening on his cell phone. When any of the wrestlers went over to ask Levesque for feedback after his segment, McMahon hardly even raised his head–and never offered any insight.
This laidback approach could be read as part of McMahon’s strategy. Being on-site for WrestleMania may be part of his motive, but it is more likely only a part of his plans. Plus, for McMahon, that appearance in Boston laid the groundwork—he can now show up at television tapings more frequently if he chooses. For what it is worth, McMahon was not present in Raw this week in Providence.
The appearance at Raw in Boston was a first move, so it cannot be properly or fully analyzed until further steps are taken. There are simply too many variables at play not to be speculative. But it is easy to speculate that Boston will not be McMahon’s final Raw before WrestleMania.
Last week’s Raw was a colorful show, full of stars, and it helped shape the card for WrestleMania 39. Some of the matchups appear to contain McMahon’s fingerprints, especially Brock Lesnar against Omos, and John Cena against Austin Theory.
Omos makes sense as an opponent for Lesnar. If the plan is to open one of the two nights of WrestleMania with a massive moment, then it will be hard to top Lesnar hitting an F5 on the gargantuan Omos.
Initially, Lesnar was slated to fight Bobby Lashley at the event, Sports Illustrated learned, but that was moved to February (in a finish that protected both men) at Elimination Chamber so Lesnar could then prepare for a program against Steve Austin. Yet WWE and Austin never came to terms. Whether that happens with Austin and a different opponent is yet-to-be determined.
Bray Wyatt was also briefly discussed as an option for Lesnar, but that was quickly discarded. It would be hard to imagine the buildup between Wyatt and Cowboy Brock. Can anyone picture the lights going out on Lesnar? Or a segment where he shares the ring with Uncle Howdy? It wouldn’t have worked on either end; Wyatt wasn’t about to show up in shooter boots and proclaim he was going to fight on Lesnar’s terms.
Plus, no one seems to leave a Wyatt program better than they entered it, a fact not lost on the business-savvy Lesnar. Wyatt is now dealing with an undisclosed health issue, and time will tell if that prevents him from appearing at WrestleMania. Gunther was another option for Lesnar, but the prevailing belief internally is that Gunther needs another year before conquering a star the caliber of Lesnar. After one more year of further establishing and cementing himself as a ring general, he and Lesnar could have a memorable encounter.
If McMahon is involved in creative, look no further than the Austin Theory–John Cena matchup at WrestleMania. McMahon envisions Theory as a future superstar for the company. John Cena, who remains a global star, is a star from yesterday, while the plan is to make Theory a star for tomorrow.
This is relevant because Cena is effectively a nostalgia act (and, of course, a damn good one). His days as a full-time member of the roster have passed. Clearly, Cena believed he needed a biting promo to stay fresh, and that is what he delivered last week on Raw when he directed his fury toward Theory.
It was not my favorite Cena promo—there was no hook, no cliffhanger, and it felt more like a promo Cena would do if he ever broke through the most forbidden of doors and entered AEW—but it served its purpose. It does not forever bury Theory, and in no way does it hurt the match. Even if Cena didn’t end up telling a great story, the audience was red-hot for that segment.
An interesting unknown entering the first night of WrestleMania is which match will close the show. The Royal Rumble storyline indicates that Charlotte Flair should defend the SmackDown women’s championship against Rumble winner Rhea Ripley, but The Usos, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn could make history by becoming the first tag team match to close out the show.
The Usos should have closed out last week’s Raw in Boston, not Cody Rhodes. They earned that moment with exquisite execution of an intricate story with Zayn, but Rhodes coming out and protecting Zayn—even though their stories do not overtly intertwine—was the way Raw closed. After the show went off the air, the crowd in Boston cheered for Rhodes, then gave some love for Zayn, who effectively sold the beatdown—physically and mentally—from Jimmy and Jey Uso.
Any mention of The Bloodline brings us to the main event of WrestleMania 39, which is Roman Reigns defending the world title(s) against Rhodes.
Still rising in action, this has been a masterfully told story. An early highlight included using a famed Pat Patterson joke at Rhodes’ expense. The “You know who was talking about you? Nobody!” is a joke Patterson told for decades, so it was meaningful for all involved that his signature line was incorporated to this story as Reigns detailed his close bond with the late, great Dusty Rhodes, who is Cody’s father.
The Reigns-Zayn story was built around acceptance—and the struggle to attain it. It is different with Rhodes, as the plot now centers around jealousy, envy, and the pursuit of glory. Reigns smashing Rhodes with the truth was an integral first blow.
If Reigns loses, it is hard to imagine that he would not need an extended break from television. And, so close to the 1,000-day mark as champion, is it the right call to dethrone Reigns? Depending on the manner of his defeat, Rhodes could become even stronger. A loss could allow him to further fight off adversity—coming back from the torn pectoral muscle last year is one of the greatest things that he has done—and especially considering all signs point to him winning at WrestleMania, will the story grow even hotter if Rhodes is screwed out of a victory? Or is that too great a risk to take?
If you are asking when the final decision will be made on the winner, then you’re not alone. Is McMahon involved in creative? That is not known, but McMahon has a history that shows he cannot help himself. How can he keep his hands off creative now?
The finish of WrestleMania is more complicated than ever with WWE’s chairman of the board looming over creative like a shadow.
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The (online) week in wrestling
- Congratulations to Rey Mysterio, the most influential luchador in wrestling history, on his place in the WWE Hall of Fame. He is ending his career in the most loving way possible, ensuring that his son is in the best position to succeed–even if it comes at Rey’s own expense.
- Edge and Finn Bálor wrestling in a “Hell in a Cell” match at WrestleMania fits the nature of the feud—and it is a much better decision than forcing the match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. And am I way off base for thinking Bálor will win?
- With history dating back to 2004, it was great to hear Mark Briscoe challenge Samoa Joe for the Ring of Honor Television title. It would make sense for the match to take place at the upcoming Supercard of Honor pay-per-view on March 31, and it is a phenomenal way to have Briscoe—an underrated star—build to an incredible moment.
- The Undertaker has shared his pro wrestling Mount Rushmore: Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan.
- How cool is it that Trish Stratus, who made her WWE debut 23 years ago on March 14, is back as part of the roster?
- Scott D’Amore has been named the new Impact Wrestling president. It is well deserved, as he completely reinvigorated the company and brought it to its current standing as fresh, compelling and hungry.
UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards makes WrestleMania prediction
Leon Edwards is the reigning UFC welterweight champion.
And he is rooting for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
“I don’t want my son to be upset,” says Edwards. “I’m going with Roman Reigns.”
Edwards won the welterweight title in astonishing fashion last August, knocking out the dominant Kamaru Usman in the final minute of their five-round title bout. Edwards and Usman will clash in a trilogy bout this Saturday at UFC 286 in London, not far from where Edwards grew up in Erdington.
In addition to being one of the UFC’s champions, Edwards is also a devoted father. His son loves WWE, and the two enjoyed a memorable time in September when WWE held Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales. In addition to appearing on-screen while sitting ringside, Edwards also brought his family backstage and met with Triple H, The Undertaker, Liv Morgan and Reigns.
“Maybe I’ll be part of The Bloodline,” Edwards says with a smile. “I was really impressed. Roman met with my son after they came to Europe, and he was a true gentleman. I hope he keeps winning.”
Tweet of the Week
Pro wrestling is a far better place when The New Day’s Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods are prominently involved.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.