Additional ramifications could occur in connection to the lawsuit filed against Vince McMahon.
On Thursday, January 25th, The Wall Street Journal reported their latest findings on the CEO, which included Vince McMahon being accused by a former WWE employee Janel Grant of sex trafficking and multiple instances of sexual assault. Additionally, former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis and a wrestler are referenced as being part of the disturbing allegations.
The wrestler in question is not directly named in the lawsuit but is described as “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).” The Wall Street Journal has identified this wrestler as Brock Lesnar and has included a photo of the former World Champion in the article.
Lesnar, who has not been seen since SummerSlam, was rumoured to be making his return to TV imminently, with the Royal Rumble match on January 27th being the most likely location. In light of new information, this return is understandably not guaranteed. As reported by Fightful Select, the Rumble was the intended target for Lesnar to make his onscreen return. The report concludes by stating that due to Lesnar’s implied inclusion in the McMahon lawsuit, this may change.
PWInsider has since reported that Brock Lesnar will not be appearing at the Royal Rumble, and his spot will be taken by one of the stars of NXT.
TKO Issues Statement In Response To Vince McMahon Allegations
Following the lawsuit from Grant being made public, WWE’s parent company TKO Holdings issued a statement regarding the allegations. The statement was provided to Variety and reads as follows:
“Mr. McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE. While this matter predates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”