OK – so WrestleMania 39 wasn’t all bad. In fact, some of it was pretty great. But the conclusion, which saw fan favourite Cody Rhodes lose to forever-champion Roman Reigns, left a bad taste in fans’ mouthes. Worse still, Vince McMahon has regained near-total control of the sports entertainment juggernaut in the wake of the UFC/Endeavour merger. Consequently, the company’s hot streak – much like the conclusion to WrestleMania – has come to a disappointing end. With the reality of McMahon’s unwanted return setting in, #FireVince has been trending on Twitter and is being chanted at shows.
The Scandal
Back in June 2022, Vince McMahon was forced to step down as CEO and Chairman of WWE in the wake of a hush-money scandal over affairs he had reportedly had with former employees.
In addition, a rape allegation by former referee Rita Chatterton resurfaced. Ex-wrestler Leonard Inzitari spoke to New York Magazine to corroborate the story. “I remember it like it was yesterday…She was a wreck. She was shaking. She was crying,” Inzitari said.
Of course, McMahon’s return to WWE creative pails in comparison to the severity of the misconduct allegations. But it’s still a disappointing conclusion to what had been a rejuvenating few months for a product that had been stale for years.
On the 03 April Monday Night Raw, ostensible Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque told fans that nothing had or would change. Of course, things had changed and Vince was back in full control, just as he was before his brief retirement. Scripts were re-written and the running order was changed on the fly – just like old times.
“Stupid idea from bad creative”
Whether McMahon changed the finish to the WrestleMania main event is unclear. But Cody Rhodes’ loss felt contrary to the story Triple H had been telling since Rhode’s return at January’s Royal Rumble. As widely reported, Vince personally convinced Cody to jump ship from competitor AEW in 2022 – but it wouldn’t be out of character for McMahon to make an example out of someone who was integral to a competing company.
One now has to wonder how Cody feels about his decision to leave AEW. The peak of his babyface run has unquestionably passed with his loss at ‘Mania. And between a rogue rubber chicken and apparent boos for Cody at the end of Raw, the tide may be turning on him thanks to the catastrophic loss.
Still, Cody’s story is an aside to the wider issues of a return to poor quality shows (Monday’s Raw being the worst-rated ever on cagematch.net) and the even bigger problem of having a man in charge with questionable moral character.
Fans are voicing their frustration with the #FireVince hashtag. Some have even shared plans to takeover shows with “Fire Vince” chants. What impact this will have, if any, remains to be seen. Vocal fan disapproval never did anything in the past. Endevor are apparently aware – but whether they care is a different story.
Regardless, the next few months are crucial for both WWE and AEW. The goodwill built over the last few months has already begun to dissipate. And with AEW announcing a blockbuster London show at Wembley Stadium and the signing of hot free agent Jay White, the fight for pro wrestling supremacy is far from over.
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