Former WWE Head Writer has recalled the time Shane McMahon threatened to kill both Bruce Prichard and Michael Hayes if anything happened to Stephanie McMahon during an XFL event.
Back in 2001, Vince McMahon made his first attempt to launch a new American football league with the XFL. During the failed bid to take on the NFL, Stephanie McMahon was brought in as a sideline reporter who would be live on camera in among the rowdy XFL crowd.
Discussing that time in his book, ‘There’s Just One Problem…’, Gewirtz says Shane McMahon took the two executives aside and told them in no uncertain terms that, if anything happened to Stephanie, he would kill them.
“Before she did her first on camera in the stands, Shane pulled Michael and Bruce aside. ‘I just want you two to know, I love you both like family, but if anyone lays a hand on my sister, I will legitimately kill you.’ Just the type of thing you want to hear before leading a famous person into a drunken mob.”
Perhaps luckily for Hayes and Prichard, that iteration of the XFL lasted only one season before falling ratings led the fledgling brand to close down operations.
Rebirth of the XFL
Despite the failure of the XFL in 2001, Vince McMahon attempted to revive it in 2020. This time, it was forced to suspend its games mid-season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon after, the league filed for bankruptcy and all employees were terminated.
Unexpectedly, a consortium led by The Rock and Dany Garcia purchased the XFL’s assets in August 2020 and since then has confirmed the league will launch for the third time in February 2023.
Recently, the new XFL President, Russ Brandon, has detailed how the league will act as “petri dish” for the NFL by experimenting with new equipment and rules as well as providing a development path for officials and coaches.
H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the above transcription.