Vince McMahon played a major role in this WWE WrestleMania 39 match’s finish.
Taking place at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, WrestleMania 39 boasted one of the most star-studded match cards of all time. While Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn won Night 1’s main event, Roman Reigns secured his victory over Cody Rhodes during the Night 2 main event.
However, as per a recent report from Fightful Select, former chairman Vince McMahon played a major role during the ‘Demon’ Finn Balor vs Edge (Adam Copeland) match on Night 2. While McMahon initially stepped away from WWE back in 2022, he returned at the beginning of 2023, as fans again started experiencing his creative influences.
In early 2023, Fightful Select noted that McMahon’s influence was being felt leading up to Mania 39, such as changes to shows and unused talents. One such significant change was visibly noticed during the Balor vs Cope match.
According to Fightful Select, ‘Demon’ Balor was initially scheduled to defeat the former Judgment Day leader Cope during their Hell in a Cell match. However, McMahon wanted Edge to pick up the victory over Balor, despite the Hall of Famer wanting to put over Balor. Reprising his ‘Demon’ persona, Balor fought Edge in an extremely violent match.
However, as soon as the match finished, fans started complaining about the ‘Demon’s’ unexpected loss. The controversial finish served no purpose for Copeland’s character, and it essentially killed all of ‘The Demon’s’ aura and mystique, marking his final appearance on the roster.
According to Fightful, creative and industry sources reported that Balor was initially slated for victory, however, McMahon intervened to alter the outcome. Fightful further noted that they weren’t sure if the talents were aware of the original plan, or the sudden change. According to the report, McMahon’s influence was felt even more after Mania, where he made multiple major changes to the Raw after WrestleMania, as one source compared him to the Tasmanian Devil.
While all these reports emerge about the former chairman, he is also currently involved in several lawsuits.
Vince McMahon Is Facing Multiple Other Lawsuits
Apart from Janel Grant’s ongoing lawsuit, McMahon and his ex-wife Linda McMahon are also facing a separate WWE ring boy lawsuit, relating to the sexual abuse of adolescent boys by a former WWE employee.
In other news: A new WWE recruit has named Rhea Ripley and another former champion as her dream opponents.