Vince McMahon Era in WWE Reaches End

Vince McMahon tenders his resignation from WWE

Apr 3, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; Austin Theory takes a selfie with WWE owner Vince McMahon during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Vince McMahon has tendered his resignation from WWE.

And TKO Holdings.

On Friday, WWE President Nick Khan sent this memo to all WWE staff members:

“I wanted to inform you that Vince McMahon has tendered his resignation from his positions as TKO Executive Chairman and on the TKO Board of Directors. He will no longer have a role with TKO Group Holdings or WWE.”

The idea of McMahon willingly stepping down is, initially, hard to believe. But he had no other choice.

As Executive Chairman of TKO, McMahon held a fiduciary duty to shareholders. Sponsor pullouts, beginning today with Slim Jim, also represented a significant blow to any chance he had of continuing with WWE. During Royal Rumble weekend, with the company building toward a WrestleMania where record-setting gates are expected, the focus has shifted dramatically from the action in the ring to a graphic, disturbing lawsuit.

McMahon was served with the lawsuit yesterday, accusing him of sexual assault and sex trafficking by a former employee. If he truly intends to fight back and contest the charges, an ugly, graphic case will become even more of a black eye for the company. That was not a risk TKO CEO Ari Emanuel was willing to risk. McMahon’s resignation was the only option he was given, and he was told that he had to do what was best for the company.

It appears this is the final nail in the coffin for McMahon and WWE. As the company builds new relationships, including with Netflix, McMahon represented a liability instead of an asset.

In the end, McMahon became too big of a burden for the company he built into a juggernaut. McMahon’s legacy as a promoter will never be questioned, but his final hour will forever taint the empire he built.