Backstage Update On Internal WWE Reaction To Kevin Dunn's Departure

Few people outside of Vince McMahon have more claim to shaping the identity of WWE than Kevin Dunn. Dunn's recent departure from the company shocked many outside the company, but not those within WWE. WWE President Nick Khan felt the need to address the locker room about it before the first "WWE Raw" of the year.

"PWInsider" reports that Khan told the "Raw" locker room that Dunn led from a place of strength and that WWE would be leading from that same place in his absence. WWE Executive Vice President of Television Chris Kaiser is said to be tapped to replace Dunn, as Kaiser has been the one in the proverbial creative trenches, with Dunn essentially rubber-stamping decisions during the end of his tenure. The often divisive executive was spoken of with reverence and respect.

Dunn had often been considered the right-hand man of McMahon, serving alongside him since the premiere of "WWE Raw" in 1993. He had initially been expected to leave when McMahon departed the company in 2022 but remained with the company through its merger with UFC under the new parent company Endeavor, forming TKO Group Holdings. 

McMahon's control over the company slipped over the course of the merger and now the former Chairman holds very little of the sway that he once did. Dunn had reportedly also stepped away from his duties as Endeavor began to take over positions in the wake of the merger, leaving his departure as not much of a surprise to people within the company.