Uncertainty continues to surround all things WWE following Vince McMahon’s power play to rejoin the Board of Directors on January 6. There have been at least two backstage meetings to try and quell uneasiness felt by talent following rumors of a sale to Saudi Arabia. Wrestlers are also reportedly concerned that Vince McMahon will eventually make a play for Triple H’s spot as the head of creative, leading to even more variability. On top of all of that, there’s fresh speculation that McMahon might attempt to get back on television one more time before WWE is sold. It’s been reported that Vince wants to sell the company by the middle of 2023 and has begun working with several entities, including J.P. Morgan, to facilitate that.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer gave the following update concerning McMahon’s return to WWE television. “Is he going to go on TV? I don’t know. I know there are rumors running around that he will. I’ve asked people [in WWE], and they wouldn’t be surprised. But it’s not like there is a date. It’s not like we know he’s going to be on a week from Monday [Raw’s 30th Anniversary event] or he’s going to be at the [Royal] Rumble.” Meltzer also opined about why McMahon might want to get in front of a live audience one more time. “There’s that feeling that Vince is going to want to go out on TV, and he’ll get the big reaction.” (h/t to Thomas Lowson of sescoops.com for the transcription)
Vince McMahon Wanting A Pop Isn’t Too Surprising
A lot of the news and speculation that has come out since McMahon’s power play has been surprising. The shocking rumors of WWE selling to Saudi Arabia shook the professional wrestling community to its very core last week. At the same time, Stephanie McMahon’s outright retirement came out of left field too. Meltzer’s speculation that Vince McMahon wants to get back in front of a live audience isn’t surprising in the slightest. Not even considering everything that’s going on with WWE and with ongoing investigations into Vince McMahon’s past conduct.
This is a man who, in the face of the original wave of reports about hush money and a probe by WWE’s Board of Directors, showed up on back-to-back episodes of SmackDown and Raw in July. Instead of lying low and waiting for that process to play out, McMahon seemed to want to remind fans and detractors alike that this was still his company and that he could do whatever he wanted. That same brashness is leading some backstage to worry that Vince McMahon will try to seize creative control from Triple H in the near future, and could lead him to appear on either show—or both—in the near future.
As for when McMahon could pop back up on WWE television, Meltzer has already nailed two possible dates. Raw‘s 30th-anniversary show is set for January 23, and the Philadelphia crowd would likely give McMahon the recognition he might still be craving at the age of 77. The Royal Rumble happens a few days later, on January 28, and Vince could also decide to pop up on the premium live event. WrestleMania 39 will air from Hollywood on April 1 and 2, and the bright lights of Los Angeles might make it impossible for Vince McMahon to stay away from WWE‘s biggest show of the year.
Sources: Wrestling Observer Radio, sescoops.com