WWE has undergone massive changes this year at the top of the company. Vince McMahon resigned via Twitter due to an investigation into hush money payments made to female employees. Former EVP of Talent Relations was also dismissed due to the scandal.
Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan took over as co-CEOs for the company. Triple H replaced John Laurinaitis as the EVP of Talent Relations and also took over creative responsibilities for WWE as “Chief Content Officer.
Seth Rollins On Vince McMahon Retiring From WWE
Seth Rollins was interviewed by Ariel Helwani of BT Sport this week. During the conversation, Seth was asked about former WWE CEO Vince McMahon and his reaction to the 77-year-old’s resignation from the company in late July.
Seth revealed that he and his wife, WWE Superstar Becky Lynch, found out in the airport at the same time and were shocked at the news.
“I was just, I couldn’t believe it. It is one of those things that you will never forget. I was in the airport, we were heading out to a live event. We were flying out on a Friday. The thing went out at like three o’clock central and so I got the text. I was coming through the security line and I got the text ‘check your app for a note from the chairman’.
I click it and sure enough, he just was retired. I was like (shocked face), and Becky (Lynch) was with Rue looking at a statue of a deer in the airport in Iowa. She was looking at the deer statue and I was like, she just saw my face from a distance and she’s like ‘what’s wrong?’.
I’m like, ‘did you get the text?’ and she’s like ‘no, what?’. I had her look at it and she was like ‘oh my God.’ I think both of us were just like ‘what?’. I always thought, you know Vince is older, so I thought at some point in my tenure in WWE as I intend to be here for quite a long time, he would retire, be forced out, die on the job, who knows.”
Rollins added that he was emotional after learning Vince was exiting the company because it felt like he was losing a friend and a mentor.
But when it happened, it was so abrupt, I was not prepared. Emotionally, it got me emotional because I love Vince. He’s been like a father figure to me over the past ten years. He’s someone that his approval means a lot to me.
So I kind of was just like wow, is that the last time I’m ever going to see Vince? Am I ever going to see him again?
When you have such a close relationship with someone, ups and downs, it just felt like I was losing a friend, and losing a mentor. I didn’t know whether to be excited or not. It kind of felt inappropriate to be excited about something like that.
More from SEScoops:
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- Seth Rollins Felt Inferior To Roman Reigns On The Biggest Night Of His Career
- Seth Rollins On His Hell In A Cell Match With Cody Rhodes
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit BT Sport with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.