On July 22nd, 2022, Vince McMahon announced his retirement, ending his decades-long tenure at the top of WWE.
McMahon’s exit came as he became engulfed in allegations of sexual misconduct, and claims he had paid “hush money” to numerous women in an effort to suppress the allegations. Although Triple H now has creative control of WWE and Stephanie McMahon is co-CEO alongside Nick Khan, Vince remains majority shareholder. This has led many to wonder how much influence he retains over the day-to-day operation of the company.
Furthermore, it was recently reported that McMahon is actively looking to return. The report claimed that the former WWE Chairman had told those close to him that he had previously received bad advice, and could have out-lasted any controversy.
Bully Ray Comments On A Hypothetical WWE Return For Vince McMahon
During a recent interview with Bill Apter for Sportskeeda, WWE Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley was asked what a hypothetical return for McMahon might look like. The star also known as Bully Ray said that it would be “business as usual,” before comparing McMahon to consigliere, Tom Hagen in The Godfather. The pair then joked that if McMahon did return to WWE, he should do so in-ring in the Royal Rumble Match.
The report suggesting that Vince McMahon was looking to return to WWE also contained allegations of a further sexual assault. It was also noted that McMahon is also refusing to meet legal demands of two women he allegedly sexually assaulted. One of the women is former referee Rita Chatterton who is seeking $11.75 million in damages for an alleged rape committed by McMahon back in 1986. It is also alleged that the former WWE Chairman sexually assaulted a spa owner at a resort in California in 2011.
Despite fears from McMahon’s allies that a return could “cripple the company,” he has found support from the likes of Teddy Long and Ric Flair.