It is difficult to fathom wrestling mogul Vince McMahon ever escaping the dark cloud that constantly looms above his head since he was rocked by scandal in 2022. Not even a massive merger between WWE and the UFC is likely to fully restore his legacy.
McMahon was investigated by his company for allegedly agreeing to pay multiple women millions of dollars in order to keep silent about their relationships with him. There were also accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power that came to light in 2022. He temporarily retired as chairman of the board before returning earlier this year to actively pursue the sale of WWE.
After this whirlwind of events, many people assumed the scandal was a key source of motivation for the billionaire and accelerated this process. He denied that speculation Monday morning after the big news broke in an interview with CNBC.
“I'm always looking into what's best for our stockholders, what's best for the company. This is the best thing that's happened in a long, long time,” Vince McMahon said via TMZ Sports. “I've made mistakes, obviously. Both personally and professionally through my 50-year career. I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on.”
McMahon did not address any specific “mistakes” or accusations. He has stated that he will remain involved following this groundbreaking pact with Endeavor (own UFC), but not be “in the weeds.” His son-in-law Paul Levesque- better known as Triple H- had been manning the creative side of the business following his longtime boss' hiatus. He just wrapped up his first WrestleMania in that role.
Fans will be very interested to see how the power scale shifts, if it does at all, now that this long-awaited merger is complete.