Vince McMahon has surprisingly announced his retirement from WWE duties at the age of 76-years-old.
In a shock move, Vince McMahon has retired, effective immediately.
The WWE boss tweeted that it was time for him to retire, with an official WWE Corporate press release following, where Vince McMahon expressed his gratitude:
“As I approach 77-years-old, I feel it’s time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE. Throughout the years, it’s been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you. I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present Superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand.
Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment. I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of Sports Entertainment.”
Vince McMahon has served as Chairman and CEO of WWE since 1980 after founding Titan Sports, taking over from his father, the late Vincent J. McMahon. His behind-the-scenes role wasn’t established on-screen until the late-’90s, with the villainous Mr McMahon persona becoming a staple of WWE programming ever since.
McMahon has been absent from his executive duties over the past month or so amidst the allegations of misconduct against him and the WWE Board of Directors’ internal investigations. Stephanie McMahon has served in his absence as the interim Chairwoman and CEO; she’s now the official Chairwoman and co-CEO alongside Nick Khan.
Vince McMahon continued:
“Our global audience can take comfort in knowing WWE will continue to entertain you with the same fervor, dedication, and passion as always. I am extremely confident in the continued success of WWE, and I leave our company in the capable hands of an extraordinary group of Superstars, employees, and executives – in particular, both Chairwoman and Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and Co-CEO Nick Khan.
As the majority shareholder, I will continue to support WWE in any way I can. My personal thanks to our community and business partners, shareholders, and Board of Directors for their guidance and support through the years. Then. Now. Forever. Together.”
This follows a tumultuous period for WWE, with news of Triple H being named the new Head of Talent Relations.