Will Vince McMahon return to WWE? Not if the WWE Universe can help it.

McMahon retired from the promotion in July of this year after over four decades in charge, due to allegations of misconduct with female employees.

An investigation into McMahon determined that $12 million had been paid in Non-Disclosure Agreements over 16 years that should have been listed on the promotion’s expenses.

The Comeback

McMahon’s departure in July was a shocking moment many fans thought they’d never see, but the 77-year-old is reportedly eyeing up a return.

The Wall Street Journal reports that McMahon regrets retiring earlier this year, and believes that the allegations against him would have “blown over” had he stayed in the role.

McMahon also believes he was given bad advice to retire by those closest to him, though the report does not name any specific persons who advised him to go.

The Petition

While fans will ultimately have no say on if McMahon does make the mother of all comebacks, some fans are letting their voices be heard.

On Change.org, a petition has been started that is hoping to prevent the billionaire’s return to the company.

The petition notes that in the post-Vince McMahon era “employment has increased, revenue has increased and overall enjoyment and become a watchable product again in grand scale.”

It adds that keeping McMahon away is “best for business.”

The petition currently has over 300 signatures with a goal of 500.

You can check out the petition and sign it yourself by clicking here.

The Wall Street Journal published an article on Tuesday titled, WWE’s Vince McMahon Faces Fresh Demands From Women Alleging Sexual Abuse.

In addition to McMahon facing new legal challenges stemming from alleged sexual misconduct, WSJ also reports that the former WWE boss is planning a comeback to the organization he stepped away from in July 2022 after running it for 40 years.

The internal reaction to the news of McMahon wanting back in WWE has been quite negative, according to Fightful Select. One source in WWE told Fightful that the news was “exhausting.” This person is hopeful that McMahon’s run with the company is in the rearview despite having a positive relationship with their former boss before he left in the summer.

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Another star said they were concerned for the wrestlers that have been re-hired if McMahon did return as it was WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H who brought back numerous wrestlers that were cut by the McMahon regime.

A high-ranking WWE official isn’t concerned about a McMahon comeback, despite Vince still having final control over the company due to his stock holdings. The company has been in great shape since Vince left, with the stock price, television viewership and overall morale improving in the second half of this year.

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WWE Morale

One staff member stated that morale had increased tenfold since McMahon resigned and didn’t believe he would be back, whether he wanted to be or not. 

A longtime employee said they also believe McMahon’s family will actively encourage him to remain retired, and they think McMahon’s return would do irreparable damage to the WWE brand. The same source said that the few doubters that thought WWE would collapse internally have been proven wrong, with one notable name even admitting as much.

The unanimous reaction among numerous WWE staffers, talent, and employees was that McMahon was not wanted back in his previous roles.

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Former WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon has faced fresh demands over accusations of sexual misconduct following his retirement from the promotion this year.

McMahon’s retirement came following accusations that the billionaire paid millions of dollars in NDAs to keep female employees quiet about extramarital affairs.

An investigation into the matter found that while McMahon paid out of his own pocket, these payments should have been listed with WWE as they benefitted the company.

Rita Chatterton

In the 1980s, Rita Chatterton served as a referee in the then-World Wrestling Federation, making her the first female ref in company history.

Chatterton’s tenure with the promotion would end in 1986, and Chatterton has alleged for decades that she was raped by McMahon in a limousine.

She said in a series of 1992 interviews that Mr. McMahon told her she had to satisfy him if she wanted a $500,000 contract with WWF.

In correspondence to McMahon’s representative, obtained by the Wall Street Journal, a lawyer for Chatterton demanded $11.75 million in damages for the alleged assault.

McMahon has always denied the allegation and told people close to the situation that he will not pay the amount to Chatterton.

McMahon alleged in a 1993 lawsuit that Chatterton was induced to make a false rape charge against him by a former wrestler with an ax to grind.

That suit alleged that the promotion dismissed her in 1986 because she was a danger to wrestlers in the ring, but this suit against Chatterton was withdrawn by McMahon in 1994.

Chatterton’s lawyer John Clune writes in the recent letter that his client “has suffered years of ongoing depression, substance abuse, disordered eating, lost income, and overall a decreased quality of life.” 

Clune adds that Chatterton had passed a polygraph and that multiple sources corroborated her account, two of which corroborated her claims to the Wall Street Journal.

WWE Hall of Famer Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine told the WSJ that he did not believe Chatterton’s claims, arguing that she was not attractive enough for McMahon.

Leonard Inzitari, who went to wrestling school with Ms. Chatterton, said earlier this year that the ex-referee was shaking and crying as she recounted the alleged rape before a WWF event in 1986.

When asked, Inzitari told the Journal that he believes Chatterton’s telling of events.

Spa Manager

Chatterton isn’t the only person alleging assault from the former WWE CEO, as a former spa manager alleges she was assaulted by McMahon in 2011 in Southern California.

The Spa manager reported the alleged assault to the resort she was working at at the time, and also told her husband about what had happened.

The woman’s husband reportedly drove to the WWE event McMahon was in town for with a baseball bat and tried to confront the boss, but was turned away.

The spa manager’s lawyer, Michael Bressler, has been in touch with McMahon’s attorney since July.

California, like New York, has a recently-introduced law that allows alleged victims of sex abuse to file lawsuits that would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations.

Neither WWE, McMahon, nor his legal representatives responded when requested for comment.

Could Vince McMahon return to WWE after his shocking and controversial retirement from the promotion earlier this year?

McMahon, who ran WWE for four decades, stepped down as CEO and Chairman in the summer over allegations of misconduct with female employees.

The 77-year-old was alleged to have paid millions of dollars in Non-Disclosure Agreements to women to not speak about his extramarital affairs, and allegedly coerced at least one woman into performing oral sex.

Comeback

It was the Wall Street Journal that first reported on McMahon’s NDAs that ultimately led to his retirement from pro wrestling.

In their latest article, the WSJ reports that McMahon told people that he intends to make a comeback, though it is unclear when he plans on returning.

The billionaire reportedly believes that he was given bad advice in July by people close to him that encouraged him to retire and that the allegations against him should have “blown over.”

Despite stepping down, McMahon remains WWE’s majority owner, controlling the most shares in the company.

Spokespersons for WWE, McMahon, and WWE’s legal head Jerry McDevitt, did not respond to the Wall Street Journal when asked for a comment.

The Investigation

After the allegations of McMahon’s behavior were first publicized, WWE conducted an investigation into the matter which has since concluded.

This investigation determined that these payments, though made by McMahon personally, should have been booked as WWE expenses because they benefited the company.

In McMahon’s absence, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan have been appointed co-CEOs with Stephanie also serving as Chairwoman of WWE.