Vince McMahon Reportedly In ‘Great Mood’ Backstage At WWE SmackDown

Vince McMahon has a lot on his mind at the moment. The 76-year-old former-WWE Chairman & CEO stepped down from his corporate position earlier today, amidst an investigation into hush-money payments made to former female employees. While his daughter Stephanie McMahon takes over duties as interim WWE Chairwoman & CEO, Vince is still overseeing creative, including his upcoming reportedly in-character appearance on "WWE Smackdown."

According to a report from PWInsider, McMahon is in a "great mood" backstage in Minneapolis. McMahon was reported to be joking around, despite the weight of allegations that are currently weighing on him. There had been a rumor that Vince would address superstars and employees but this report notes that as of 4 pm that had not occurred.

The report goes on to detail a "weird" pre-production meeting, with no acknowledgment from Vince, nor were any questions asked about the WWE board of directors' investigation. Some were privately wondering about the number of NDAs that had been discovered, as well as how many existed beyond the scope of the investigation.

Even more glaring is that the pre-production meeting apparently did not cover the planned segment for tonight, to the point where some even wondered if it was still a part of the show. PWInsider said there were no indications as to what McMahon was going to say in the segment, but believes that may be by design, as the company wants to prevent leaks ahead of the live broadcast.

It sounds like the entire situation has cast a shadow on tonight's "WWE SmackDown," and highlights the dissonance created by McMahon stepping down from his corporate duties but not his creative duties. Along with McMahon's scheduled address, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is set to face Riddle.