Vince McMahon and WWE is the subject of a new blockbuster lawsuit from former employee Janel Grant. There is a lot to unpack in this situation, and another big name that everyone knows very well may be involved as well. 

WWE Talent Mentioned In New Lawsuit

In July 2021, according to the lawsuit, Vince McMahon instructed Janel Grant to create personalized sexual content for a WWE superstar he sought to re-sign. 

The lawsuit didn’t specify the wrestler but described them as both a UFC fighter and WWE talent. Given the timeline is 2021, it’s pretty easy to narrow down those choices, although Brock Lesnar was not named.

The lawsuit states that McMahon shared explicit photos with the WWE Superstar, who said that, “he likes what he sees.” 4 WWE Producers and television production techs were also allegedly received this explicit content.

In December of the same year, McMahon allegedly provided Grant’s personal cellphone number to the unnamed WWE Superstar. The lawsuit claims that the wrestler requested a video of her urinating, and after she complied, he used derogatory language, calling her ‘b*tch.” 

In March 2020, McMahon began sharing sexually explicit photographs and videos of Ms. Grant (including pornographic content he recorded) with other men both inside and outside the company, including with members of the television production “tech” team, executive(s), 4 producer(s), and a world-famous athlete and former UFC Heavyweight Champion with whom WWE was actively trying to sign to a new contract (and ultimately did sign that contract).

Lawsuit’s Allegations Get Even Heavier

The WWE Superstar, whom the lawsuit noted is widely acknowledged as a top talent with a substantial fan base that contributed to viewership and live event attendance, was allegedly recruited by McMahon for a sexual encounter with Ms. Grant. This purported recruitment occurred while she held the position of coordinator in the legal department. By July 2021, McMahon reportedly informed Ms. Grant that the WWE Superstar was intended to be their next “playmate.”

Similar to previous instances, McMahon allegedly expressed his fantasy of witnessing Ms. Grant engaged in explicit acts with the WWE Superstar, describing a desire to “rip” her open. McMahon also disclosed his intention to have WWE Superstar sign a new contract, while the Superstar expressed interest in returning to other professional pursuits.

Upon information and belief, McMahon began to recruit WWE Superstar for a sexual encounter with Ms. Grant while she was still a coordinator in the legal department. By July of 2021, McMahon informed Ms. Grant that WWE Superstar would be their next “playmate.”  As in other instances, McMahon described his fantasy of seeing Ms. Grant engaged in unmerciful sexual acts with WWE Superstar during which he would “rip” her open.

McMahon also confided to Ms. Grant that he wanted to have WWE Superstar under a new contract, while WWE Superstar indicated an interest in a return to other professional endeavors.

Around July 12, 2021, McMahon allegedly directed Ms. Grant to create personalized sexual content for WWE Superstar. After sharing the explicit photos with WWE Superstar, McMahon informed Ms. Grant that he was pleased with the content.

On July 21, 2021, McMahon or someone at his behest arranged for the WWE Superstar to fly into a local airport and travel to Connecticut for what McMahon described to Ms. Grant as a “business dinner” and a subsequent sexual encounter at McMahon’s condo. 

The dinner, allegedly discussing WWE Superstar’s ongoing involvement with the company, was preceded by a brief visit to Ms. Grant’s building. However, the WWE Superstar, reportedly too intoxicated, did not return for a sexual encounter and was taken back to the plane.

Vince McMahon retired from WWE after a hush money scandal went public. There was an internal investigation in the matter, and McMahon later returned to WWE to help usher in their eventual merger with the UFC. Now, some incredibly heavy allegations have emerged thanks to a new lawsuit.

New Unspeakable Vince McMahon Allegations

The Wall Street Journal has reported that a woman, Janel Grant, a former employee at WWE’s headquarters, claimed in the lawsuit filed on Thursday that she experienced abuse and sexual exploitation by McMahon during his tenure as chief executive. 

She received a payout from McMahon, and has filed a new lawsuit accusing McMahon, the company, and a former executive of sex trafficking. This legal action raises questions about the scope of an internal company probe conducted by a law firm last year.

Grant asserted that McMahon enticed her with promises of career advancement, only to exploit and traffic her to other men within the company. John Laurinaitis was also named in the lawsuit. 

Filed in a Connecticut federal court, the lawsuit provides a detailed account of Grant’s interactions with McMahon, including graphic descriptions of alleged incidents. According to Grant, on June 15, 2021, McMahon and another WWE executive reportedly locked her in an office at WWE’s headquarters in Stamford, where they took turns sexually assaulting her while other staff members were working.

On June 23, 2021, in the midst of a workday, McMahon allegedly locked Grant inside his private locker room at WWE’s offices and forced himself on her over a massage table, the lawsuit claimed. Later that day, McMahon’s personal assistant delivered $15,000 in Bloomingdale’s gift cards to Grant in her office.

According to legal documents, McMahon is accused of using sex toys forcefully, including dildos named after WWE Superstars, causing injuries such as bruising and bleeding. The lawsuit also alleges an incident where McMahon is said to have defecated on a woman’s head during a threesome.

As one example of McMahon’s extreme depravity, on May 9, 2020, he defecated on Ms. Grant during a threesome, and then commanded her to continue pleasuring his “friend”— with feces in her hair and running down her back—while McMahon went to the bathroom to Case 3:24-cv-00090 Document 1 Filed 01/25/24 Page 4 of 67 5 shower off. Upon his return from the bathroom, McMahon and his “friend” actively resumed the threesome, which lasted over an hour and a half, while Ms. Grant remained covered in McMahon’s filth. When McMahon’s “friend” left, McMahon ordered her to stay and to continue to sexually gratify him.

The lawsuit also includes screenshots of explicit text messages that McMahon allegedly sent to Grant, with one from May 2020 stating, “I’m the only one who owns U and controls who I want to f*ck U.”

The complaint from Janel Grant against WWE, Vince McMahon, and John Laurinaitis, filed in federal court in Connecticut today is here.https://t.co/eP9t8aXFiC

— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) January 25, 2024

Vince McMahon in WWE Now

Vince McMahon was removed from creative control of WWE when Triple H was appointed the company’s Chief Content Officer. McMahon still holds a seat on the company’s board of directors.

It was previously noted that TKO Group Holdings named Vince as a potential risk for their continued success. We have to wonder about the internal investigation that went down within WWE after the hush money scandal first broke. 

As of this writing, WWE has not released any public statement on the new Wall Street Journal report. We have also not heard whether Netflix’s upcoming documentary will need a fresh edit, but it’s very likely that there is more story to tell in this situation. It was reported that the upcoming multipart documentary will not pull any punches, and neither did this lawsuit.

Vince McMahon has quite a story to tell. Even though fans believe that they may know ever detail about Mr. McMahon’s life so far, there is a lot to be uncovered. A new Netflix documentary will shine a light on his entire career and controversies.

Netflix’s Vince McMahon Documentary

Dave Meltzer talked about the Vince McMahon documentary on Wrestling Observer Radio. He mentioned that the documentary, which was started by Netflix years ago, has changed from the initial plan. Vince McMahon wanted it to be genuine and not a fake portrayal of his life.

According to Meltzer, Vince’s interview was the most interesting part. The documentary will also be split up into several parts, with some already finished, and the remaining part would cover Vince’s return and the sale. It seems that Nefflix is going to go all in with telling the story of Vince McMahon.

When this documentary started, ordered by Netflix years and years ago, obviously, this was not the end result that anyone imagined. It was going to be something that they did. And Vince told them that he does not want a fake documentary. And Vince was probably the most interesting interview on the documentary. I don’t know all the different people they talk to. I only know what I talked about. And they were told this was anything but meant to be a puff piece if it ends up being, perhaps, much of the documentary.

Netflix’s Vince McMahon Documentary Will Cover Recent Events

Vince McMahon has a lot of skeletons in his closet, and some of those are widely known at this point. It will be interesting to see if Netflix pulls any punches, especially with their new blockbuster deal to secure the rights for RAW and non-US rights for all premium live events.

This documentary will also cover the latter part of Vince McMahon’s time in WWE, which will include his hush money scandal. Needless to say, this upcoming offering from the streaming giant could be a huge attraction, even for mainstream viewers who may first discover this new spotlight on Mr. McMahon via one of their endless scrolling sessions on the service.

Longtime WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn left the company recently after decades as Vince McMahon’s right-hand man in production. WWE fans have already seen changes in segments during RAW and SmackDown. A bit of backlash has also sprung up about Lee Fitting as Dunn’s replacement. There is a lot more to this story when you crack it open.

New Details about Kevin Dunn in WWE

In the aftermath of Kevin Dunn’s departure from WWE, notable changes have emerged, and recent developments shed light on the impact of this shift. Sean Ross Sapp dropped a detailed report on Fightful Select to shed light on new details. 

Numerous sources, approached by Fightful, provided insights into Dunn’s working dynamics. According to one source relayed by Corey Brennan, Dunn, contrary to expectations, was not excessively challenging to work with. However, he maintained a standard of excellence, expecting the best from everyone involved. 

Dunn’s influence extended across various facets of WWE broadcasts, encompassing graphics, lighting, camera work, audio, pyrotechnics, and video production. He actively engaged in providing feedback for improvements and played a central role as the orchestrator of the broadcasts.

Dunn’s consistent presence at almost every show was notable. In instances where he was absent, NXT producers stepped in to fill his role, particularly during the year-end shows he missed. Comparisons were drawn to Michael Cole’s regular attendance, but it was clarified that Dunn took a standard amount of holidays during his tenure.

It was also noted that Triple H took charge of the broadcast during WWE Survivor Series and CM Punk’s return, given Dunn’s absence from the show. 

Kevin Dunn as a Co-Worker in WWE

Colleagues attested to Kevin Dunn’s positive working relationships with Triple H, Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and segment producers. So, there was no animosity there, which is a departure from the narrative some painted. 

Collaboration and idea exchange were reportedly common practices, and there was a notable emphasis on safety. For instance, during Cody Rhodes’ return at WrestleMania 38, Dunn ensured a prolonged hold on pyrotechnics to guarantee the safety of the camera crew on the ramp.

Kevin Dunn may be gone from WWE, but he left a lasting impression on the entire pro wrestling business with his contributions. Although he was a scapegoat for fans and a controversial figure for others, Dunn was a constant in WWE, and he also left very large shoes to fill. 

Nothing will be held back in the upcoming Netflix project about the life, career, and controversies of TKO Group Holdings President Vince McMahon. 

WWE first announced during the 2020 Q3 earnings call that they were teaming with Netflix to create a docuseries on McMahon. In July 2022, it was reported that the project had been scrapped, and McMahon would infamously retire that same month. Just one month later, however, it was clarified that the project was still in production. 

Latest on Vince McMahon-Netflix Project

It shouldn’t be much longer before fans get to see the much-anticipated project about Vince McMahon. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer recalled his own ties to the project. 

“Today I went to Los Angeles to do a Netflix taping (about) Vince McMahon. I guess what I can say, because I’m not supposed to say much about it, is the Netflix series is gonna be out sooner than you think. — It’s a big freakin’ deal. They’ve interviewed all kinds of people. I was told the most interesting person they’ve interviewed is Vince McMahon.”

Meltzer added that the project leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the wrestling powerhouse. 

“It’s covering the whole life of Vince McMahon. I’ve been asked about every single subject that you can think of regarding Vince McMahon, from childhood to last week, practically. Covered everything.”

A lot has changed for WWE and Vince McMahon in the three years since the Netflix deal was announced. On his show, Dave Meltzer explained how the project will reflect this. 

“The series, when it started and how it’s ended are completely different. When it started it was just ‘Vince McMahon, the owner of the company’, and now it’s not the owner of the company, and there’s all the reasons that he’s not the owner of the company, the payoffs – all that stuff happened, they were years into this documentary before all that stuff happened.” 

Vince McMahon may not be thrilled with the final project when it releases on Netflix… 

Matt Riddle was released from WWE in September, and he is now navigating the pro wrestling scene, doing his own thing along the way. He saw a lot in WWE, and it seems that he was also denied some major opportunities.

Matt Riddle’s Big Money in the Bank Claim

During a virtual signing hosted by Signed By Superstars, Riddle candidly discussed various aspects of his career during the two-hour session. He said that the Royal Rumble match win in 2022 was his, until Brock Lensar refused to put him over. He also claimed the Money in the Briefcase was also his for a time, but Vince McMahon picked his new favorite at the time to win instead.

The Original Bro revealed that he was originally scheduled to win the 2022 men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match. However, plans took a turn, with Vince McMahon favoring Austin Theory.

“Wanna hear something else cool? I was supposed to win Money in the Bank but Vince (McMahon) really likes Austin Theory and literally hours before, they changed it and Austin was added in and threw me off the ladder. After I took two huge ladder bumps off the RKO and everything else and it’s like… But, I love Austin Theory and I’m happy for him. Keep killing it bro.”‘

Theory was Vince McMahon protégée during that angle that didn’t really get to finalize before Vince McMahon’s retirement. Austin Theory was then stuck with the Money in the Bank briefcase after that, something that hindered him more than anything. Then WWE got the briefcase off him, and he’s been much better off since then.

Riddle may get another chance to compete in a Royal Rumble or Money in the Bank match. No WWE return is off the table at this point, and that’s one thing we all learned after watching CM Punk return at Survivor Series last year. We do know that Riddle claimed that he is not bitter about his WWE release, but that doesn’t give him any shortage of things to say.

Matt Riddle After WWE

The Original Bro is going to be busy, even if he’s not making dates for WWE anymore. At MLW Kings of Colosseum, Matt Riddle made his return to in-ring action for the first time since being released by WWE. This comeback also extends to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he openly challenged World TV Champion and company President Hiroshi Tanahashi.

LA Knight is riding a huge wave of momentum at 41-years-old. He is anything but a flash in the pan, although WWE was originally cautious about dropping a lot of merchandise for him due to that concern. Now, he can look back and see what he had to go through, and he has quite a story to tell.

LA Knight’s Road To WWE

LA Knight inked a developmental contract with WWE back in 2013, but his time there didn’t pan out, as he was released in August 2014. Naturally, this turn of events didn’t bring him any joy, but it didn’t kill his determination to make it to the top of the pro wrestling world.

Knight gained popularity as Eli Drake in Impact Wrestling, establishing himself as a major star due to his impressive promo skills and in-ring abilities. He later went to the NWA, where that Namer of Dummies character went with him. These factors paved the way for his eventual return to WWE a few years later.

While speaking to Chris Van Vliet of Insight, LA Knight disclosed that upon his return to WWE, he accepted a pay cut. This was a decision he was fully aware of. He willingly took the cut, confident that he could bet on himself to eventually earn more money.

”So finally, when I did make the jump over there, there was a little bit of not necessarily negotiation, but it was just kind of like, I knew I was going to have to take a pay cut coming in. But I was willing to take the pay cut on the bet that I could turn it into much more. Because I had hit the ceiling basically in IMPACT. And I had an awesome time (in) NWA for that little bit that we were able to do before the pandemic hit.”

LA Knight Was Miserable Working With Vince McMahon’s Creative

After making his way from NXT to the WWE main roster, Vince McMahon changed LA Knight’s name to Max Dupri. That creative shift did not result in much success.

The former Eli Drake went on to open up about how this time as a male modeling agent made his miserable with creative. That was Vince McMahon’s vision, and he was calling the shots.

“(Vince McMahon) had a vision for this thing that put such a microscope on it and I didn’t know what the hell it was… and it just wasn’t going well. I was very unhappy, and I’m sure he probably was, and then at some point it was just like all of a sudden I’m not on TV, and I’m like, well, I’m pretty sure I’m fired. I’m pretty sure this whole ride is over.”

What’s Next For LA Knight in WWE?

LA Knight has a much different position in WWE now. He is 1/4 of the Undisputed Universal Title match at the Royal Rumble on January 27th. He will battle with AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and Triple H with the biggest title on SmackDown on the line. That match at Tropicana Field may turn out to be a massive notch in his belt, as LA Knight has gone through a lot to get him to this point. 

Goldberg took his time arriving in WWE after WCW closed, because he had an insane deal with Ted Turner to sit at home and get paid. He eventually made his way to WWE, and he had a couple stints in the company. Despite his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, things did not end on a good note, and Goldberg is not afraid to talk about it.

Vince McMahon’s Broken Promise to Goldberg

Goldberg acknowledges Vince McMahon’s role in his career. The Chairman of the Board gave him a significant opportunity to perform in front of his family. Goldberg stated, “I owe him everything” when talking about McMahon, however, their relationship took a turn.

The turning point for Goldberg was a request to put Roman Reigns over in Saudi Arabia, despite his ongoing battle with COVID. During a conversation with Vince McMahon, Goldberg agreed to do the match under one condition. He wanted a retirement match in return.

Steven & Captain Evil recently had Goldberg on the show as a guest, where he revealed why things are not okay between him and Vince McMahon. It all stems from a promise that McMahon made to Goldberg that saw him come back to put Roman Reigns over, one that McMahon broke. 

“I owe him everything, until we went to Saudi Arabia and he asked me to put Roman Reigns over, and I had COVID. I remember calling him from my house and said, ‘Listen, here is the deal. I’ll do it if you give me a retirement match.’”

“I did what he asked. As a performer, I was 56 years old. As a human being, you’re conscientious about how you look in a bathing suit, especially two months prior to being in that bathing suit, you couldn’t work out because you had COVID.”

“I put myself in a horribly sh*tty situation to get what I wanted to, but to satiate him and give him what he wanted.”

Goldberg’s Future in Professional Wrestling

Goldberg didn’t get his retirement match in WWE. He discussed having a retirement match in Israel, but there hasn’t been any word on that reported event in months.

Vince McMahon made a history of causing controversy with his decisions. Some former WWE Superstars don’t have the best things to say about how they were treated. The way Goldberg sees it, he didn’t get what he was promised.

Goldberg also wanted to be a part of Sting’s retirement match at AEW Revolution. Despite Tony Khan admitting to speaking with Goldberg in the past, it doesn’t appear that he will get to be a part of that historic moment.

The WWE Hall of Fame is a yearly ceremony that gives the company a chance to honor those who have contributed substantially to the pro wrestling business. The 2024 ceremony will be very different, because it is the first year that Triple H is in control of the operation.

Looking At The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame

A notable shift occurred in WWE this year. Triple H is the Chief Content Officer, and Vince McMahon was removed from his previous position of influence. Now, the WWE Hall of Fame is under Triple H’s control. 

With Triple H taking the helm instead of the longstanding influence of Vince McMahon, things could really change. As of this writing, no inductee for the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame has been announced. 

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that, although the fundamental criteria for induction are expected to remain consistent, the transition to Triple H’s leadership suggests potential nuances in the selection process.

“Regarding the Hall of Fame, this year will fall under Levesque for the first time instead of McMahon. It’s likely still the same basic rules regarding women, minorities and characters that the audience would know and those who make sense politically for a variety of reasons. I think Levesque may be a little more open to certain types since he was a fan of more than just WWE but once WWE owned the tape libraries a lot of that stigma was gone. I was told that, for example, if there is a political reason to put someone in that Nick Khan would want, that would be a factor but the Hall of Fame is under creative and that’s Levesque’s department and he’d in theory sign off on everyone.”

The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame May Be Different

The possibility of political factors influencing candidate selection was raised, especially if Nick Khan supports a particular individual. However, it was emphasized that the Hall of Fame is primarily within the creative realm, and decisions ultimately rest in the hands of Triple H. 

This change in leadership dynamics may signal subtle alterations in the approach to future Hall of Fame inductees. Then again, we have no idea which direction Triple H will take the yearly ceremony.

There are many perspective inductees for the 2024 Class of the WWE Hall of Fame. It will be very interesting to see who Triple H picks, because it will be the start of a new era for WWE’s hall of heroes. 

WWE has many ideas floating around, but not every concept comes to fruition within the company. One such discarded idea involved a faction inspired by Antifa, which WWE swiftly abandoned.

Mace joined WWE in 2016 and marked his main roster debut in 2020 as part of the Retribution faction. Unfortunately, the plans for this group, led by Mustafa Ali, were inadequately conceived. 

During a conversation with Denise Salcedo on Instinct Culture, Mace shed light on the initial concept behind Retribution. He disclosed that WWE initially envisioned the group resembling Antifa but decided against it due to the potential controversy that would have ensued.

“[Where did the pitch come about? When did you think of it? How did you feel being part of Retribution?] There was no pitch. If you remember correctly, the initial appearance of Retribution was a bunch of extras because there were a bunch of like really small guys at the time. That’s why, that’s actually how I ended up being in it. There were a bunch of little small guys that were extras. They had no idea who they wanted them to be from what I understand. And I think they were trying to do an Antifa thing. I think that was the idea.“

“But at the same time, it’s a very big company. There’s not really much room for controversy anymore. So, at some point they were like, ‘Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t. But we already did this big angle and we need to kind of finish it in some capacity.”

What Is Antifa?

Antifa is short for “anti-fascist.” The group emerged with roots in various political ideologies, united by a shared opposition to fascist and far-right ideologies. Operating primarily in response to perceived threats of fascism and white supremacy, Antifa often employs direct action methods to counter such ideologies. 

Members of Antifa groups emphasize decentralized, grassroots organization, with no formal leadership structure. The movement’s tactics include protest, direct action, and, at times, confrontations with those they perceive as promoting fascist ideologies.

WWE may have considered making Retribution fall in line with this idea, but they went in a different direction.

WWE’s Wild Booking Of Retribution Stable

WWE didn’t make Retribution a politically-charged angle on television, but that doesn’t mean they had a plan in mind. 

WWE started that Retribution angle during the pandemic, with no live crowds or pay-out planned. This stable was a Vince McMahon vision from the beginning, and it did create interest during their early stages.

I was told at the time that Vince McMahon was mostly writing the angle on a week-to-week basis. This is why things changed so much about the faction, how many members there were, and who were even under the masks, until the big reveal.

Notable members included current AEW talent Mercedes Martinez, NXT standout Dijak, former NJPW star Shane Haste, and SmackDown’s Michin. Despite their introduction in August 2020, the faction disbanded seven months later with very little fanfare, and without giving Mustafa Ali much of a chance to really lead the stable.

A strange lawsuit filed against Vince McMahon and WWE is expected to be dismissed after a recommendation by a United States District Court. 

In August, Dana Wiley filed a lawsuit against WWE over an alleged meet-up with Alexa Bliss. The suit alleges that WWE failed to reimburse a $5,500 “down payment for a meet-up arranged via email correspondence, to personally meet World Wrestling Entertainment employee Alexa Bliss” on June 30.

The handwritten lawsuit also alleges that Vince McMahon breached an agreement with Wiley in which he would become a WWE employee. Wiley, who is currently incarcerated due to an attempted homicide, claims that McMahon had agreed to pay him $70,000 a month. 

Recommended for Dismissal

In a filing this month, United States Magistrate Judge Patricia L. Dodge stated that Wiley’s lawsuit was “incredible and improbably.” Judge Dodge adds that the suggestion that Wiley would be paid a total of $840,000 a year is “far-fetched at best” especially given his incarceration. 

The statement adds that much of the terms of Wiley’s alleged contract with WWE are “indecipherable.” Judge Dodge ends by stating that the plaintiff’s complaint should be dismissed. 

Wiley’s Previous Lawsuit

This is hardly the first time Wiley has filed litigation against WWE. He has previously sued Vince McMahon, members of D-Generation X, and the NWO, claiming that he had signed a fair use contract for those groups’ trademarks which McMahon and the others did not acknowledge.

Wiley claimed he signed the contract on the steps of a New Castle, Pennsylvania, courthouse after being sentenced “in an unrelated criminal case.” He also claimed that he signed this contract in 1995, a year before the NWO debuted in WCW and two years before Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Rick Rude & Chyna would form DX. The lawsuit was later dismissed. 

Bret Hart famously left WWE in 1997 after an incredibly controversial exit. That departure still lives on in pro wrestling fandom, but it seems that the incident is water under the bridge for everyone involved. 

The Montreal Screw-Job

The Montreal Screwjob went down during the 1997 Survivor Series match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. In the closing moments of the bout, there was a controversial and unexpected turn of events. Despite Bret Hart not intending to drop the WWE Championship in his home country of Canada, Vince McMahon, the owner, and operator of WWE at the time, instructed the referee, Earl Hebner, to ring the bell and declare Shawn Michaels the winner. 

This decision, which was made without Bret Hart’s knowledge, stirred immense controversy and changed the landscape of professional wrestling. It became one of the most talked-about incidents in the industry’s history. Not only did it inspire the legendary “Bret Screwed Bret” promo before memes existed, but it also lives on in pro wrestling history.

The Aftermath of the Montreal Screw-Job

During an interview with Steve Fall, Earl Hebner opened up about his current relationship with Bret Hart. It seems that the two have mended their bridge after that controversial Survivor Series main event in 1997.

“I have a merch shirt that says ‘Damn right I did.’ And a lot of people want me to say, Can you write on it ‘I screwed Bret?’ I go, ‘No. I can’t do that.’ A while back, maybe three or four years ago, I would do it but Bret and I made up. And before my brother passed, we were at a house show, or indie show and he was there and he called us into the ring and he put us over like big time. So now Bret calls me now and then and I’ll call him and we got a good relationship back and I’m not gonna screw it up by writing something over a dumb ass shirt. It’s gonna destroy our friendship.

Earl Hebner was questioned about any concerns he had before reuniting with Bret and the possibility of Bret being upset with him.

“For a long time it honestly it bothered me. It was bad for me, you know, cuz I carried it with me for a lot of years. We met one time an airport, and I wanted to talk to him and he said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ … I said, ‘can I talk to you for a minute?” He goes, ‘I don’t want to talk.’ I said okay, so I let it go and that was it. And as time went on, you know, it finally worked out well. We got to see each other [and] communicate.” 

Working With Randy Savage

Earl Hebner went on to speak about some talent who weren’t so easy to work with. One of those people was “Macho Man” Randy Savage, because he was such a perfectionist, and Savage wrote everything out in his matches move-by-move.

“Well, from the old referees and today’s referees and today’s matches back then in there, it’s a world of difference. It’s not the same. It’s just it’s like old school and new school. You know and the old school you had to work and be smart because they never gave you everything. You know a lot of times back then I’d go in there and I go, ‘What’s the finish?’ They said, ‘just count.’ Okay. We did know the finish a lot of times. I mean 99 percent of the time. We knew the finish Some of the old guys just come through and tell you what it was. They said watch the match and count.”

“Macho Man. I mean when it comes to WrestleMania, he gives you a sack of papers that thick of the whole match way before it was ever gonna go on. I mean two weeks before WrestleMania and then he comes back and I’ll go, ‘damn, this is a joke here.’ But that’s how he was, he was a perfectionist.”

Steve Fall went on to note how Diamond Dallas Page wrote his matches out move by move before bell time. This caused Earl Hebner to reply, “Oh Randy was the same way about like TVs and house shows, you know same thing…If you screwed up he’d go, ‘What the hell’s going on here?'”

Earl Hebner is full of stories, and he was a part of pro wrestling history along the way. It’s also nice to see that he was able to mend some of those relationships that he tarnished along the way.

Earl Hebner’s book titled “Earl Hebner: The Official Story” can be purchased at this link.

Vince McMahon shocked the pro wrestling world when he retired from WWE, a company he led for decades, only to come back and usher in a WWE sale. That sale never happened, but a merger did take place with the UFC, as Endeavor facilitated that corporate joining into TKO Group Holdings. Now, we have a new update on Mr. McMahon.

We previously reported that Vince McMahon has zero plans to leave WWE, despite selling so much company stock. He made that quite apparent with his most recent move by attending the company’s Holiday party. 

PW Insider reports that Vince McMahon made a very rare appearance at WWE headquarters this week.

Vince McMahon, who has not been seen much at WWE Headquarters of late, was at the company’s annual holiday party, which was held at the new HQ for the first time this past Wednesday evening.

It was reported that Vince McMahon, who wouldn’t usually attend the holiday party in the past, was present and actively engaged in conversations with numerous company employees. Several attendees described him as “easy to talk to” and “cordial.”

It was also reported that, unlike previous years, there were no WWE Superstars present at the event. Typically, there would be around four to six WWE talents at the gathering to meet and interact with employees. Instead, they got Vince McMahon, and it seemed that he was in a mood to socialize.

Following the Endeavor acquisition, Vince McMahon’s involvement in the company has significantly decreased, and he has been rarely seen at the new Headquarters. This was a rare sighting for Mr. McMahon around WWE HQ, but it seemed to be a good one.

Endeavor gave Triple H their blessing, and he is off to the races in his booking direction. Vince McMahon has virtually zero input in WWE creative now, but he still has a reason to stop by headquarters.

What do you think about Vince McMahon’s most recent sighting at the WWE Headquarters? Let us know your opinion by engaging with us on social media! 

Vince McMahon was present at Raw backstage, and he also attended the 3/4 tapings in Boston. According to a recent report, it appears that McMahon does have some kind of input when it comes to running shows.

In Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is noted that Vince McMahon was at the tapings in Boston to visit John Cena. However, he ended up staying for the entire show and was in Gorilla all night. Even though McMahon was there, it was Levesque who was giving the orders backstage and producing the show.

Levesque is in charge of creative for WWE. Many would believe that McMahon is no longer involved in the creative process by this point, but it seems that it may not be the case. The report notes that Levesque himself has said that he would be happy to take input from McMahon, who has a wealth of “knowledge and experience,” considering he’s been in the professional wrestling industry for decades.

Meltzer noted that things such as Gable being called “short and ugly”, and calling Johnny Gargano “short and a comic book fan” are “fingerprints” of Vince McMahon. Elements of his influence, if you will. However, Levesque is more focused on the wrestling aspect of the presentation in WWE.

What we can take away from this though, is that Vince McMahon’s ideas are still very much a part of the company. He is, after all, McMahon has left an indelible mark on every aspect of the company with his influence.

A picture of Vince McMahon backstage also went viral online, claiming that he has a mustache. Even though it is claimed that he really does have a mustache backstage at Raw, the picture itself was doctored.

Vince McMahon’s return to backstage during this week’s Raw did not sit well with some members of the WWE roster, it has been claimed.

During this week’s Raw, McMahon was backstage at the event, marking his first appearance behind the scenes since his July 2022 retirement.

Upon his return to WWE in January, McMahon and the promotion assured talent that he was back to facilitate a sale, and was not looking to regain control over creative.

Testing the Waters

McMahon’s appearance backstage came as a surprise to the vast majority of people working at this week’s Raw in Boston, as his return had not been announced.

Fightful Select reports that one anonymous WWE higher-up “felt personally” that McMahon was “testing the waters” by showing up this week.

It is believed that now that McMahon’s return hasn’t sparked a massive backlash from the roster, that he could be showing up more in the coming months.

The report added that after making his return backstage, “many expect him to be seen at other upcoming events.”

Fightful reached out to WWE in an official capacity but did not get a statement on Vince’s appearance at the show. 

Intentionally Avoided

When McMahon’s return to WWE was confirmed in January, the roster were far from pleased, with morale taking a serious tumble.

Fightful’s report added that a few talents “intentionally avoided associating” with McMahon during his return at Raw.

While they didn’t want to see him on this occasion, these talents were of the belief that they will likely have to deal with McMahon in the future.

Why exactly was WWE’s Executive Chairman Vince McMahon backstage during this week’s Raw?

After returning to WWE in January, fans (and the roster) were concerned that McMahon would resume a position of power in the company’s creative team.

Instead, McMahon has kept his distance from WWE programming and has reportedly remained focused on finding a buyer for WWE.

Backstage Visit

This week, McMahon ended his exile from WWE programming by being backstage during Raw.

It has been reported that McMahon was visiting John Cena, who made his return during the show and confronted Austin Theory.

While many have stated that McMahon’s only purpose on the show, some have speculated that the Chairman had an ulterior motive.

During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that McMahon and WWE are doing “more than they’re letting on.”

Meltzer insisted that Triple H remained “in control,” as he has been since being appointed Head of Talent and Head of Creative last July.

When asked about whether McMahon had big plans backstage, or was there to simply say hi, Meltzer said “the truth is in the middle.”

McMahon Back on TV?

Vince McMahon has made his return to the backstage of WWE programming, but is a return in front of the camera next?

Immediately after his return to the company in January, there were concerns by fans and talent that the Mr. McMahon character’s return to TV was inevitable.

Any return to programming would earn WWE significant backlash given the seriousness of the allegations against McMahon and the scandal that led to his retirement.

Speaking on Bill Simmons’ podcast in January, WWE CEO Nick Khan said there are no plans for McMahon to be on TV, although he admitted that it could change “in a few months.”

McMahon appeared at both WrestleMania 37 (where he welcomed fans back amid the Thunderdome era) and at WrestleMania 38 (where he defeated Pat McAfee.)

Vince McMahon reportedly made his presence felt backstage at this week’s edition of Monday Night RAW and we’ve got an update on what he was doing there.

McMahon made his return to WWE as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in January. The party line is that McMahon was back solely to help WWE explore the possibility of a sale and help with the negotiations of the next TV rights deal.

However, many believe that it’s only a matter of time before McMahon becomes increasingly involved in the company’s creative process.

Why Vince McMahon was at RAW

WWE hosted Monday’s RAW from Boston’s TD Garden arena. In the hours leading up to bell time, news broke online that McMahon was backstage. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful tweeted:

“Everything that I’ve heard thus far indicates that people at WWE Raw believe Vince McMahon was at the show to visit John Cena. He’s visited Cena multiple times outside of WWE over the last year.”

PWInsider provided additional clarity, noting that WWE’s head honcho was “not there to take over creative or to even run the taping”, but “primarily” to visit with Cena. Even with Vince McMahon in the house, the production of Monday’s Raw was no different than usual.

Meanwhile, the 16-time World Champion John Cena made his awaited return on RAW. He roasted the WWE United States Champion Austin Theory during a promo segment. It was later announced that the two stars will clash for the title at WrestleMania 39.

Zelina Vega’s love of anime is hardly a secret, but the Superstar struggled to explain one of the most popular series ever to Vince McMahon.

Vega’s time in WWE has been somewhat mixed and in late 2020, she was fired from the company minutes after expressing support for unionization.

Rehired in the summer of 2021, Vega would win that year’s Queen’s Crown Tournament and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.

Crunchyroll? Is That Sushi?

Vega has been able to incorporate her love anime and Japanese culture into her WWE character, and can often be found cosplaying on social media.

Recently, Vega discussed how she was able to have an entrance inspired by Naruto’s Madara Uchiha for the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble match.

Vega told I Hear Voices hosts Will Friedle (Batman Beyond) and Christy Clark Romano (Kim Possible) that explaining the concept to Vince McMahon proved to be quite the task.

“I told him ‘I want Neil Kaplan [English voice of Madara] to do my entrance for the Royal Rumble.’ Vince was like, ‘why? Well, he is the voice of Madara Uchiha. ‘Who’s that?‘ I was like, OK. Do you know what Crunchyroll is? He’s like ‘it’s sushi, yes.'”

Zelina Vega

Vega realized that for McMahon to understand her ideas, she would need to speak his language.

“[I said] Crunchyroll is like the Netflix of anime. He’s like ‘okay, I get that.‘ So Naruto is like the WWE of anime. He’s like ‘okay, I like Naruto. This is good.‘ Madara is kind of like what Paul Heyman is to Roman! He was like ‘okay, we need it.'”

Zelina Vega.

Zelina would get her Naruto-inspired entrance and would last over 17 minutes in the match, scoring one elimination (Sasha Banks) before being tossed out by Rhea Ripley.

h/t – 411 Mania

Ever since Vince McMahon made his return to WWE as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors in January, fans have feared that he would eventually return to the head of creative. 

McMahon said that he returned to WWE to explore the possibility of a sale and help with the negotiations of the next TV rights deal. McMahon has yet to take over creative from Triple H and for now that will stay intact, but McMahon did make his presence known at WWE Monday Night Raw this week. 

He’s Back

At Monday’s show in Boston, MA, McMahon is at the show. Sean Ross Sapp, Dave Meltzer, and Bryan Alvarez reported the news. It’s unclear whether he will appear on the broadcast or why he’s there, but it may have something to do with John Cena. 

When Cena made his return to WWE TV last June, it was McMahon who introduced him. Despite the hush money scandal going on that eventually led to him stepping down as CEO and Chairman, McMahon did make a few appearances on WWE television. 

Cena will return on tonight’s Raw where it’s expected that he’ll set up his WrestleMania 39 match with Austin Theory. 

Triple H took over creative last summer and has publicly said that he will get suggestions from McMahon. However, he is still in charge, not his father-in-law.

Last week after WWE made the Brock Lesnar vs. Omos match at WrestleMania 39 official, it was reported that the match was an idea by McMahon, who was high on Omos when he was in charge of creative. 

Vince McMahon may be back in charge of WWE, but the promotion is trying to distance its controversial chairman from WrestleMania 39.

McMahon made his shocking return to WWE two months ago, after retiring from all roles with the company in July of last year.

McMahon reportedly began plotting his comeback shortly after his retirement, believing he had been given bad advice by those closest to him.

Director no Longer

Given the California setting for the April event, WWE have leaned heavily into the Hollywood theme, with movie-style posters for Superstars being used in graphics.

For the poster of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, the credits during a recent graphic included the phrase ‘Directed by Vince McMahon.’

Fans have speculated as to whether this was just a nod to McMahon’s ownership of WWE, or if it is a sign that he is more tied to creative than WWE is admitting.

In a more recent graphic though, McMahon has been ousted as ‘director,’ and the graphic now reads that WrestleMania 39 is directed by Selma Tinware.

Ms. Tinware is a name not known among wrestling fans, primarily because she does not exist, and Selma Tinware is merely an anagram of WrestleMania.

WrestleMania 39

WWE WrestleMania 39 will be (in theory) the first Showcase of the Immortals without McMahon heading the creative team.

In addition to the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Reigns and Cody Rhodes, the SmackDown Women’s Title will be on the line as Charlotte Flair will defend against Rhea Ripley.

Asuka looks to end the near-year-long reign of Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, while it will be Goliath Vs. Goliath as Brock Lesnar is set to face Omos.

Bryan Danielson had leverage when going through contract talks with Vince McMahon in 2021, as the possibility of him going to NJPW, or AEW was real. 

Danielson has often talked about wanting to work in Japan and be part of NJPW’s G1 Climax tournament, one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of wrestling that sees several great matches take place among NJPW’s top stars and sometimes some outsiders.

In a recent interview, Danielson spoke about wanting to work the tournament but doubted that AEW President Tony Khan would let him do so because the tournament takes place over the course of a few weeks. He would also run the chance of Danielson getting injured. 

Danielson said in the interview that he would give it a 33% chance that he gets to compete in a G-1.

Vince Said Yes

Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that McMahon would’ve let Danielson work the tournament. 

“In 2021, when Danielson was negotiating with both sides, he did not get Khan to agree to allow him to do G-1, but Vince McMahon said he could do G-1. My gut is that Vince McMahon had no idea what G-1 was at the time.”

It should be noted that WWE and NJPW reportedly had talks around this time about a potential partnership, mainly about WWE letting Danielson wrestle in Japan if he re-signed. A partnership was never made, though. 

Danielson is scheduled to challenge MJF for his AEW World Championship in a 60-minute iron man match at the Revolution PPV this Sunday.

Brock Lesnar will face Omos at WrestleMania 39 next month, but this isn’t the match WWE originally had in mind.

Last week, Omos laid out the challenge to the Beast Incarnate, who most recently competed against Bobby Lashley at WWE Elimination Chamber.

On this week’s Raw, Lesnar accepted the challenge and laid out MVP, Omos’ manager, in a message to the Nigerian giant.

Nixed Match

Fans have been surprised by WWE’s decision to go ahead with this match, which was not even being hinted at just a few weeks ago.

Prior to WWE Elimination Chamber, Bray Wyatt stated that he would face the winner of Lesnar Vs. Lashley at WrestleMania 39.

Fightful Select has learned that a match between Lesnar and Wyatt was pitched for the April two-night event, but Brock turned the idea down.

No specific details were given as to why the former Universal Champion refused the match with Wyatt.

It was confirmed to Fightful that Brock Lesnar personally approved the Omos match.

Other Options

In December 2022, it was reported that GUNTHER was being lined-up as Lesnar’s WrestleMania 39 opponent, and the two did have an altercation in the Men’s Rumble match.

Fightful adds that while GUNTHER was also pitched for Lesnar, this match was nixed and that the match had already been scrapped when news in December came out.

At the time that the GUNTHER-Lesnar match was a possibility, there was no mention whatsoever of the Intercontinental Championship being a factor in the match.

Bobby Lashley was also pitched as an opponent for Lesnar at WrestleMania, though the All Mighty will seemingly be facing Wyatt instead.

Vince McMahon

In a tweet, Wrestle Votes implied that Vince McMahon personally had a hand in making the Lesnar-Omos match a reality.

Fightful hasn’t confirmed that internally, but sources close to Lesnar had indicated that “could be true.”

While sources in WWE have stated that McMahon has no official capacity with the creative department, one anonymous talent has stated that they believe the Executive Chairman has more of an influence on creative than publicly believed.

Ever since Vince McMahon made his return to WWE as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, there has been speculation on whether he would return to creative or if he had a say in the creative direction on the main roster. 

Triple H took over creative last summer and has publicly said that he will get suggestions from McMahon, but he is still in charge, not his father-in-law.

However, McMahon reportedly does have some influence over the WrestleMania card regarding at least one match. On this past Monday’s episode of Raw, WWE made the Brock Lesnar vs. Omos match at WrestleMania 39 official. 

The Report

The WrestleVotes Twitter account, which has broken several big stories in the past, reports that the idea did come from McMahon, who was high on Omos while he was still in charge of creative. 

“I’m told the highly anticipated, very compelling Brock Lesnar vs Omos WrestleMania matchup was the idea of one specific, powerful person who pushed it through,” the tweet read. 

It’s been reported by multiple media outlets that there have been several changes made to the WrestleMania card in recent weeks including Lesnar’s plans for the show as those were changed sometime within the last week or two. 

Fightful Select reported that one person in the company thinks McMahon is running creative, but that hasn’t been confirmed and WWE sources have denied this.

WrestlingNewsPremium reported just last week that people in WWE pointed out how this match is a sign that McMahon has been getting more involved with creative.

Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, and Saudi Arabia have been considered the leading bidders in potentially acquiring WWE as the company is up for sale with Vince McMahon leading the way. 

Now, the CEO of Endeavor has commented on the possibility. On Tuesday afternoon, during Endeavor’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Ari Emanuel was asked about this and noted that they were not going to do anything that would change their leverage position.

Ari Emanuel Speaks

“As it relates to WWE, it’s an unbelievable product. Vince, you know, created a great business. We’ve had a longstanding relationship with them over two decades. We’re doing on-location business with them, streaming business with them. His business is really valuable. But we’re not going to do anything as it relates to changing our leverage position right now.”

This past January, the sale talks picked up after Vince McMahon forced himself back as Chairman of the company and brought back George Barrios and Michelle Wilson with him to the board of Directors to facilitate a sale of the company. 

Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that McMahon was looking for $9 billion for the company.

It appears as if Endeavor isn’t interested in purchasing WWE.

Earlier today, Endeavor held a media call for the company’s stockholders. During the call, the company’s CEO, Ari Emanuel seemingly removed Endeavor’s name from the hat of potential WWE buyers:

“[WWE] is an unbelievable product… [Vince McMahon’s] business is really valuable. But we’re not going to do anything as it relates to changing our leverage position right now.”

Vince McMahon’s WWE Sale Plans

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Vince McMahon has a ‘magic number’ when it comes to a WWE sale. In an update revealed by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, it was unveiled that McMahon is looking for around $9 million for the company.

“Vince McMahon is looking to get as much as $9 billion in a potential sale of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. “The company has already received offers, said the people, who requested that they not be identified because the discussions are private. WWE declined to comment. Shares of WWE rose as much as 4.9% to $91.48 Friday in New York. As of the close Thursday, the asking price was 37% greater than the company’s $6.5 billion market value.”

SEScoops will provide any updates on the status of a WWE sale as they become available.

(H/T to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics for the transcription)