Shane McMahon made a surprise return to the WWE ring on Sunday night after more than a year away but the Wrestlemania comeback ended badly for the 53-year-old.
McMahon had not featured in the ring for some time, after his scheduled Eliminator Chamber match in February 2022 was cancelled. The son of WWE chairman Vince McMahon left fans gobsmacked in the early hours of Sunday morning though, after returning to take on The Miz in the promotion's flagship event at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Sadly for McMahon, however, the comeback was cut short after he appeared to land awkwardly in the opening stages of the match, prompting the in-ring referee to call for medical assistance.
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More than 80,000 fans watched on as a contingency plan came in the form of Snoop Dogg, the rap legend who had introduced McMahon to the ring and was ultimately forced to save the match by pulling out his own version of The People's Elbow on The Miz.
The hip-hop icon hadn't planned to wrestle but thought on his feet and reflected on the unpredictability of live sports entertainment after the curtain came down on Wrestlemania.
"I didn't even know I was going to be in that match until the match actually took place. But that is what I love most about Wrestlemania," he said.
"It is always unpredictable, there is always something to keep you on the edge of your seat, and tonight I was able to be a part of it from the inside and not just the outside. It was a great feeling to be a part of it and do what I did. This is my city baby, this is my Wrestlemania. You know what I am saying? This is Hollywood."
WWE chief content officer and McMahon's brother-in-law, Triple H, confirmed after the event that McMahon had torn his quadriceps muscle in the match.
In a press conference, Triple H said: "Unfortunately, Shane tore his quad early in the match — not that it was going to be a long match, probably — but he went down with a torn quad."
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