Last month, Vince McMahon resigned from his position at TKO Group after a lawsuit from former WWE employee Janel Grant accused him of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and more. WWE and John Laurinaitis are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
McMahon and Laurinaitis have both denied the claims, with Laurinaitis’ lawyer claiming that he was also a victim in the situation.
During a recent appearance on NewsNation, former WWE Superstar Paul Roma revealed that one of his former tag team partners was propositioned to perform sexual favors in WWE.
On if he heard about such behavior from Vince McMahon: “Yes. It was pretty regular. You heard it on a regular basis, for the most part. Then, you wouldn’t hear it for a while, then it would come full circle. It wasn’t so much Vince as it was the people he had surrounding him. Talking about an industry where you have young, good-looking, well-built men in the ring, half-naked, three-quarters naked. It left the door open. You have people around him; Vice Presidents, bookers, that were very much into that. That put you in a really bad situation, especially once you start making some money. You kind of get comfortable with that. Then, you find out that your job is on the line. Either do it or get fired. I witnessed quite a few that walked away. Money wasn’t worth it for them to go that route.”
On talent being propositioned for sexual acts, including his former tag team partner: “They were asked to do things. Sexual things, with other men, that they did not want to do. My former partner being one of them. I was actually in a cab ride in Washington. We were coming back and the gentleman next to me kept saying, ‘It’s not worth it. It’s not worth the benjamins. It’s not worth the benjamins.’ ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘It’s not worth it.’ ‘What’s not worth it?’ ‘It’s just not worth it.’ We got back to the hotel. The next day, we’re filming for our second TV taping and he was gone. He jumped on a flight, went back home, and never showed up again to wrestle. He had an unfortunate accident, hit his head, and passed away while he was asleep. He had a bleeding of the brain.”
On what he was told by his former partner that wasn’t worth it: “He didn’t tell me who. He just told me what. To do what they wanted him to do. … Sexual favors. My former partner, one of my former partners, when I was part of the Young Stallions, he was propositioned. He said he went to one of the agents and told him what had happened. I said, ‘Why would you do that? You just ratted on both of us.’ He kind of threw us both under the bus, just starting out.”
On likely being propositioned by WWE executives: “Let’s leave it this way. That’s all it could be. If someone is going to give you money, it had to be that. There is nothing else. It’s not going to be one of the other boys that you’re wrestling with. They’re not going to offer you money. Even my former partner. Same thing, they offered him money, drugs, just lay on your back and you don’t have to do a thing. He came running right to me when I came into TV, and I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ ‘I already spoke to Arnold.’ ‘Why would you do that? You killed our team. What do you think he’s going to do? He’s going to go to the people that propositioned you. What do you think is going to happen to them? Nothing.’”
On if he knows the incident in WWE that Mario Mancini alleged is “worse” than some of the Janel Grant allegations: “I really shouldn’t, right now, but yes, I do know what it is. It is worse.
On he and Mancini being surprised that no one has come forward for it yet: “Just that Mario and I are really surprised. We spoke about it. We’re surprised that no one has come forward, but on the flip side, they’re of an age now that they’re maybe married, have kids, and they don’t want to open Pandora’s box. I can’t blame them. I said that to Mario. ‘Can you blame them? Would you really want to open this up? No. You wouldn’t want to open it up.’”
The recent resignation of Vince McMahon from his position at TKO Group has sent shockwaves through the wrestling community. The resignation came after former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit accusing McMahon of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and other serious allegations. WWE and John Laurinaitis are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Both McMahon and Laurinaitis have vehemently denied the claims, with Laurinaitis’ lawyer even stating that he was also a victim in the situation. However, former WWE Superstar Paul Roma recently appeared on NewsNation and shed some light on the issue.
Roma revealed that one of his former tag team partners was propositioned to perform sexual favors in WWE. When asked if he had heard about such behavior from Vince McMahon, Roma replied, “Yes. It was pretty regular. You heard it on a regular basis, for the most part.”
Roma went on to explain that it wasn’t necessarily McMahon himself, but rather the people surrounding him who were involved in such behavior. He mentioned that the wrestling industry is filled with young, good-looking, well-built men who often find themselves in compromising situations. Roma stated that there were Vice Presidents and bookers who were “very much into that” and would put wrestlers in difficult positions.
He further explained that once wrestlers started making money, they would sometimes feel pressured to comply with these requests or risk losing their jobs. Roma witnessed several wrestlers who chose to walk away rather than engage in such activities because the money wasn’t worth compromising their integrity.
Roma also shared a heartbreaking story about his former tag team partner who was asked to do things he didn’t want to do. He recalled a cab ride where his partner kept saying, “It’s not worth it. It’s not worth the benjamins.” The next day, his partner abruptly left and never returned to wrestle. Tragically, he later passed away due to a brain hemorrhage.
When asked about his own experiences, Roma hinted that he had likely been propositioned by WWE executives as well. He stated, “Let’s leave it this way. That’s all it could be. If someone is going to give you money, it had to be that. There is nothing else.”
Roma also confirmed that he knows about an incident in WWE that Mario Mancini alleged is “worse” than some of the allegations made by Janel Grant. He expressed surprise that no one has come forward about it yet, speculating that individuals may be hesitant to open Pandora’s box due to personal reasons.
The revelations made by Paul Roma shed light on a dark side of the wrestling industry that has long been rumored but rarely discussed openly. It is crucial for these allegations to be thoroughly investigated, and if true, for the responsible parties to be held accountable.
In recent years, the wrestling industry has made significant strides in creating a safer and more inclusive environment for its performers. However, incidents like these serve as a reminder that there is still work to be done to ensure the well-being and dignity of all individuals involved in the industry.