WWE's Stephanie McMahon Recalls Talking Father Vince Into Letting Her Train To Wrestle

Stephanie McMahon has recalled training to become a wrestler in WWE and how her father and brother did not encourage her to pursue it.

Stephanie was a central figure in several storylines during WWE's Attitude Era, flourishing as a heel with her promos. She eventually stepped into the ring, something that neither her father, Vince McMahon, nor her brother, Shane McMahon, was keen for her to do, which she revealed in her "What's Your Story" podcast, where she interviewed NBA star Tyrese Haliburton. 

"My dad and my brother didn't want me to wrestle, ever. But I always wanted to. So I started training and learning, and eventually, I convinced him. I said, 'You know, dad, I'm playing this character, and, like, I'm a pretty bad guy. Someone's going to have to get to me at some point, and I've got to know how to protect myself.' And that was logical. So then I was allowed to start training," she revealed. "I trained for a long time."

On the podcast, Stephanie also recalled injuring her shoulder while training to become a wrestler after performing a wrist lock incorrectly. Stephanie first stepped into the ring in 1999, having only debuted on-screen earlier in the year. During her time as an in-ring performer, she also won the WWE Women's Championship in 2000, holding it for a few months. 

The former WWE executive, who is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2026, competed in a handful of matches during her in-ring career. Her last appearance in the squared circle came at WrestleMania 34 in 2018, where she teamed with her husband, WWE star Triple H, to face Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey in what was Rousey's WWE debut match.