Detailed Update On Shane McMahon Quitting WWE

The latest on Shane McMahon leaving WWE is that its a legit news story and not a storyline, as some have speculated. Aside from Shane’s initial statement on WWE.com Friday morning, WWE issued a press release on their corporate website confirming the departure. The story has been picked up by a number of mainstream news outlets.

At this point, there is still no definitive word as to why Shane is leaving.What we do know is that the news came as a shock to most within WWE, including those who have been working directly under him.

Anybody who knows the dynamics of the McMahon family are aware that Shane closer with Linda while Stephanie is closer with Vince. When Shane and Stephanie were growing up, both were being groomed to take over the company one day when Vince stepped aside. Vince was known to be especially hard on Shane at times. In recent years, Stephanie has assumed a much greater role backstage in WWE – working directly with her father on the creative side while Shane assumed a lower-profile role, working on WWE’s Internet presence, international expansion and other corporate functions.

Stephanie’s influence and bond with Vince have grown over the years, compounded by her marriage to Triple H, arguably the most influential pro wrestler in the world. With Linda recently stepping away from her position as CEO of WWE to campaign for the United States Senate, Shane lost a strong ally and might have seen the writing on the wall.

Most within WWE seem to think Shane left so he can join his mother Linda McMahon during her U.S. Senate campaign, and to avoid upsetting WWE’s shareholders while helping with the campaign. “Unless he’s going to fund a vanity venture, all signs point to him helping his mother (with the campaign),” said one former WWE employee. “She needs some backup.”

Another possibility is that Shane left to pursue other business ventures. Shane is a huge fan of mixed martial arts and has tried to convince his father to get involved in the sport over the years.