SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
Last Friday, Vince McMahon was rolling the dice.
Then Monday, he played with house money.
Embroiled in his latest scandal, McMahon has stepped down as WWE CEO. While he remains the head of the creative team, it is a real possibility that his days as the head of the company are numbered.
But McMahon reminded us that he does not plan on leaving in exile or disgrace. In fact, McMahon doesn’t intend to leave at all.
That approach juxtaposes the seriousness of the alleged misconduct: The Wall Street Journal reported McMahon paid hush money in the form of a $3 million settlement to a former employee with whom he had an affair. McMahon isn’t alone, as John Laurinaitis—who is the head of talent relations—was placed on administrative leave. He is alleged to have had an affair with the same employee.
The news that McMahon had stepped down as CEO on Friday was followed with an announcement that he would appear on that night’s SmackDown. That particular move was a gamble. McMahon did not know the reaction he would receive, and the possibility existed that he would be met with boos. That didn’t happen, as he instead was welcomed with praise and adulation, proving a critical point: There may be an ongoing review of alleged misconduct, but people still want to see—and support—McMahon.
McMahon’s appearance on SmackDown led to a ratings bump on Friday, which he replicated with an appearance—and strong rating—Monday on Raw. McMahon had a far better indication of what he was walking into on Raw, and the crowd responded in a largely positive manner.
Both of his television spots were examples that it is business as usual in WWE. McMahon made that abundantly clear in a short amount of time on SmackDown and Raw, where he championed John Cena’s return next week (ever image-conscious, it would be fascinating to know Cena’s response to that segment). Yet none of that means McMahon is innocent, and there is still potentially a long road ahead for him.
Further complicating matters is that McMahon is a CEO that also controls the majority of voting power. But just because he has previously prevailed in the face of controversy does not mean he will here. If a clear pattern of misconduct comes to light, that would be a serious problem for McMahon—and very well could permanently remove him as CEO.
Whether McMahon survives this all depends on what comes next. WWE is a publicly traded company bound by corporate governance that needs to be adhered to, so ugly truths being exposed would have severe consequences. But this isn’t all doom and gloom for WWE, as the company has been on a record-setting pace of profit. This is a massive opportunity for interim CEO Stephanie McMahon. While the position is designed to be temporary, this represents an opportunity to prove she can effectively lead the company. To do that, she will need to continue generating strong profits, and maintaining the company’s momentum.
The future of WWE remains centered on Vince McMahon. But how long that will last is a poignant question.
The (online) week in wrestling
• Terms are unknown, but Vince McMahon and Oliver Luck settled their XFL dispute—Luck believed he was due $24 million in compensation after getting fired by McMahon—out of court.
• Hiroshi Tanahashi will wrestle Wednesday night on Dynamite in a tag match with Jon Moxley against Chris Jericho and Lance Archer. Days in advance of Forbidden Door, where Moxley appears destined to regain the belt, this is another reminder of how much fun it is to watch Tanahashi in AEW.
• WWE can still heat someone up and make them look unstoppable. Case in point: Bobby Lashley.
• It’s goofy, and far from the highest form of the art, but I do find the Ezekiel-Elias story line entertaining. And all the credit is due to the man behind both characters.
• Wrestling lost two important figures over the last week: Dave Hebner, who was part of the famed twin referee angle that cost Hulk Hogan the title to Andre the Giant, and Tim White, who was well known as a referee but even better known for his friendship with Andre.
• In case you missed it: Christian Cage turned on Jungle Boy last week on Dynamite, and the Young Bucks are the new AEW tag team champions.
• Jordynne Grace is the new Knockouts champion, and she is an emerging star for Impact.
• AJ Styles became AJ Styles in Impact. It was a great touch to have him part of Slammiversary on Sunday.
• If Bryan Danielson is part of Forbidden Door, it is instantly a better card. Personally, I would have Bryan as the champ in AEW.
• In AAA’s Ruleta de Muerte, a tournament where the loser has to unmask, it will be either Pentagon or Villano IV who loses his mask at the third and final Triplemanía show of the year in October.
• After an up-and-down run with WWE in NXT, Kushida is back in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Eventually, it would be great to see him evolve beyond the junior heavyweight division and make a run at the IWGP world heavyweight title.
Return of Brock Lesnar sets up SummerSlam match against Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns’ summer is starting to come into view.
After defeating Matt Riddle in a captivating match this past Friday on SmackDown, Brock Lesnar reappeared for the first time since losing to Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania.
The Lesnar return sets up a SummerSlam match against Reigns, this time in a Last Man Standing encounter. That is a wise choice, as it allows Reigns to extend his championship run without actually pinning Lesnar.
Without a doubt, Reigns-Lesnar still has value. But is it smart to revisit the match only a few months after Mania?
The original plan for Reigns at SummerSlam was Randy Orton. His back injury hasn’t healed the way that was hoped internally, causing a change to the main event on one of WWE’s biggest events of the year. And despite showing last week that he is an outstanding opponent for Reigns, this summer’s stadium show in Nashville is not going to be the defining moment for Riddle.
Riddle excels in certain areas; he can sell a beating in an extremely authentic manner, he is dynamic in his interaction with the audience, and he delivers dynamic spots that light up the crowd. But Riddle cannot draw money like Lesnar.
Riddle had his ribs taped this Monday on Raw, effectively selling that beating from Reigns just days earlier. Rolling the dice with Riddle at a big show like SummerSlam would have been an emphatic step forward in terms of building a new main event presence, but this is a company that has not taken chances on creating new stars since Paul Heyman’s run as Executive Director of Raw ended two years ago in June of 2020. So instead of saving Lesnar for the fall, which was the original plan, he returns in a hastier fashion for the SummerSlam main event. And Lesnar is a pro–he will do whatever he is paid (handsomely) to do, which is most likely putting Reigns over again.
Perhaps the timing is not right for Riddle. His revenge story would not have resulted in him taking the title from Reigns at SummerSlam. Lesnar is bigger box office in terms of ticket sales, viewers watching Peacock, and notoriety, all of which are great for Reigns. No one executes the designation of their character better than Reigns, who is finally cast in the absolute best role after years of failing to fully connect with the audience.
And it bears mentioning–last week’s SmackDown, buoyed by an appearance from Vince McMahon, drew a strong rating. But well after the boost from McMahon’s opening segment, there was even more interest in the main event, which gained viewers to see Reigns defend the title.
Tweet of the Week
Then, now, and forever–the Internet remains undefeated.
