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A few weeks ago, wrestling fans jumped in joy when it was announced that Vince McMahon would resign from the WWE. The news was made even sweeter by the fact that good ‘ol Paul Levesque (FKA Triple H) would be taking over creative duties. After years of seemingly falling behind, the Big E could finally blossom again.
However, remnants of Vinny Mac's reign still lingered in the WWE. One of the most notable names from McMahon's tenure was John Laurinaitis. The man formerly known as Johnny Ace was re-hired in 2012 after a… questionable stint with the company. Since then, Laurinaitis has earned the ire of many fans due to his actions.
Well, last night, the malady that was Johnny Ace was eliminated. PWInsider was the first to break the news about John Laurianitis' termination from the WWE. The former wrestler-turned-backstage man has been quietly kicked out of the company, partly due to his involvement in the allegations against Vince McMahon.
With this news, one can already feel that Triple H wants nothing to do with the Vince McMahon era of the WWE.
What does John Laurinaitis' termination mean for WWE?
For the uninitiated, Laurinaitis has been one of the most polarizing and controversial people in WWE and pro wrestling. That's saying a lot, considering that half of the pro wrestling scene is fueled by polarizing and controversial people. There's no denying that Laurinaitis has done some good within the scene: he helped many wrestlers reach the New Japan Pro Wrestling circuit. However, he's done way more harm in the last few years than good.
Remember when he hired Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox (along with other “Divas” wrestlers) because he saw them in a fashion catalogue? Remember when Brock Lesnar almost ended his career with a botched Shooting Star Press that Laurinaitis suggested? Remember when he, quite literally, almost got The Undertaker and Randy Orton sick because he told Bob Orton to bleed despite testing positive for Hepatitis C?
The list could go on and on, honestly. You might be wondering how Johnny Ace kept his position in the WWE for so long. Well, the fact is that John Laurinaitis was one of Vince McMahon's biggest yes-men. In fact, Ace greatly benefitted from Vince being in power, since no one could stop him from pitching whatever he wants. He also reportedly got some “benefits” to his job, benefits that are heavily frowned upon today for good reason.
Triple H and the WWE evicting Laurinaitis signals one clear thing: they are about to clean house. There were concerns that Vince McMahon could still have some control over the company, being Levesque's father-in-law. Perhaps Vince was still in Triple H's ear, urging him to keep his lackeys around. Well, clearly, that isn't the case.
With John Laurinaitis gone, fans are now looking forward to two more ex-Vince mainstays getting the boot soon. TV director Kevin Dunn and producer Bruce Pritchard have been just as maligned as Laurinaitis by fans. With the head of the table gone, it's possible that these two figures are headed out as well.
This truly is going to be the start of a new era in the WWE. Any concerns fans may have had about the well being poisoned can now be quelled. We'll see if this cut will kickstart a drastic shift in the tone and booking in the WWE.