As you know by now, Vince McMahon announced his retirement from WWE earlier today.
According to a report from Pwinsider, the decision was made privately about a week ago. One source with direct knowledge of the situation said a final decision was made “around ten days ago.” As things progressed and it became clear that Vince was in fact going to retire, the decision was made to appoint Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan as co-CEOs.
From this point forward, Vince McMahon will not be involved in the creative direction of the company. Kevin Dunn and Bruce Prichard are the two main people running tonight’s WWE SmackDown TV tapings in Boston, MA. Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Triple H are backstage helping out as well.
Vince McMahon’s decision to retire was only known to a very small circle, including his family. When the news came out earlier today, it sent “shockwaves” through WWE’s HQ and with the talent. Several long-time employees are said to be “stunned” by the news as they never envisioned something like this happening.
The decision to make the announcement on a Friday was done to try and prevent a negative fallout with their stockholders.
And finally, WWE sent out an internal memo to the talent roster just prior to the announcement being made public. The memo reads as follows,
“To all WWE Superstars: as I approach 77 years old (OMG am I really that old?), I feel it’s time for me to retire. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my passion, wisdom, and love of the business with you. No longer will you see the smiling, docile, level-headed, calm presence at Gorilla every week.
Your dedication to WWE will ensure that our company will continue to grow and prosper. Our organization is nothing without you. You are WWE’s only natural resource, chosen to perform in front of a global audience.
You are all WWE Global Ambassadors. Carry the WWE flag wherever you go. Wave it high and proud. And bust your ass to be all you can be as a person and as a performer.
One other thing — I won’t be with you, but I’ll be watching. Remember to keep your hands up, grab hold, and sell. Btw, SmackDown airs live tonight at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central on FOX.
Vince”
You can keep up with all your wrestling news right here on eWrestlingNews.com. Or, you can follow us over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.