Wrestling
Eric Bischoff Reveals Why He Doesn’t Expect Vince McMahon to Return to WWE
BY SACNILK
Vince McMahon’s future in the wrestling business remains a subject of speculation after the former WWE chairman and his insurers agreed to pay $42.5 million as part of a proposed settlement connected to the shareholder lawsuit over WWE’s 2023 merger with UFC. The proposed payment comes on top of the $105 million previously agreed to by WWE, bringing the total proposed settlement in the shareholder case to $147.5 million. With the shareholder lawsuit settled and the Janel Grant case moving into private arbitration, speculation has grown over whether McMahon could eventually attempt to return to the public spotlight or have some role with WWE again. Eric Bischoff, however, isn't convinced that a major comeback is in McMahon's future. Speaking on 83 Weeks, Bischoff was asked about the possibility of McMahon becoming more visible again following the resolution of some of his ongoing legal issues. While he acknowledged that McMahon could potentially make smaller appearances, Bischoff does not expect to see him return as a major figure in WWE. “I don’t know, you know, we always say that. Everybody’s kind of like assuming Vince wants to get back in the spotlight. I don’t. I’m not sold on that,” Bischoff said. “I highly, highly doubt that we’re going to see a high-profile business with man. I think, you know, we’ll see him. You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes some smaller appearances in WWE Hall of Fame type appearances, but I don’t—he’s not going to be on regular programming. I don’t see a storyline with him. I don’t see him being kind of a face of the company in any way, shape, or form.” Bischoff believes the controversy surrounding McMahon makes a high-profile WWE comeback difficult, regardless of how his legal matters ultimately conclude. “The baggage that he has with him, regardless of how these things settle out, is just outweighs the benefit,” Bischoff said. The former WCW executive also addressed the possibility of McMahon eventually receiving a seat on the TKO board, an idea that was raised during the discussion. Bischoff was skeptical of that possibility as well, questioning what McMahon could bring to the board while pointing to the potential reputational risk. “What added value does Vince McMahon bring to the board? He doesn’t,” Bischoff said. “He brings baggage.” Bischoff then gave his bluntest assessment of the situation, comparing the reputational issues surrounding McMahon to other high-profile figures who have faced serious scandals. “I mean, he’s not Harvey Weinstein. He’s not quite there. He’s not Bill Cosby. But he’s in the same neighborhood. It’s the same zip code and that’s bad,” Bischoff said. He stressed that he was not attempting to make a personal judgment about McMahon, but instead was discussing the issue from a corporate perspective. “I don’t like talking about it much because there’s a lot of inferred judgment and I don’t want to do that,” Bischoff explained. “I don’t judge people’s actions like this, but I will say that the judgment that Vince demonstrated he lacked by having whatever the relationship was, consensual or otherwise. Having it on corporate property and corporate time using corporate funds and resources to one extent or the other, involving another executive in the company.”
