Backstage News On Shane McMahon Status After Vince McMahon Exit
Could Vince McMahon's retirement pave the way for Shane McMahon's return to WWE?
According to Fightful Select, Vince himself was said to have made the decision to part ways with his son following Shane's involvement as a backstage producer in the Men's Royal Rumble Match earlier this year. After dismissing Shane from the company, Vince went as far as to say that Shane "would never get another pop in this company as long as I'm around," according to a person close to the former WWE Chairman. That same person said they fully believed Vince's comments "were in the heat of the moment" and one can never rule out Shane eventually returning backstage to WWE.
Shane reportedly fell out of favor with WWE following a chaotic Royal Rumble that left a lot of WWE Superstars "generally unhappy" from his involvement. Fightful noted that Shane "attempted to make too many changes" to the battle royal, for which he picked up heat from a host of talents backstage. Brock Lesnar, among others, reportedly took issue with the adjustments and felt Shane was being "unprofessional" in his candor. Furthermore, talents were unhappy about Shane inserting himself into the Royal Rumble and going out when Randy Orton was slated to enter the match, causing chaos and confusion over the order of entrants.
A person close to Vince told Fightful that Vince's frustration with Shane was "extreme, but justified," while noting that Shane comprising Lesnar's satisfaction was "the end of the line" and evoked the ire of the former WWE CEO.
In the aftermath of Vince's retirement, a lot of people who have worked closely with him "have been far more willing" to speak on situations like Shane's dismissal, Fightful added.
On a related note, Wade Keller of PWTorchVIP reported over the weekend that Shane is unlikely "to enter the picture" unless he "goes rogue and just shows up at a show." Keller also noted that WWE Chairwoman & Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and her brother are not on the best of terms.
For what it's worth, Shane was backstage for WrestleMania 38, but it's unknown if he was involved in an official capacity or just visiting family and friends. Shane vs. Seth Rollins was previously a planned match for the Showcase of Immortals, but the bout was reportedly pulled after Shane was sent home following the chaotic Royal Rumble.
Shane McMahon does not currently hold any executive position in WWE. In August 2021, he was appointed as the Executive Chairman of Ideanomics, a company that focuses on developing electronic vehicles.