Vince McMahon has resigned from all of his roles in TKO, which include TKO Executive Chairman and the TKO Board of Directors.
This move comes after a lawsuit was filed against him by a former WWE employee, accusing him of being involved in a sex trafficking and abuse scandal.
On today’s WWE NXT: Vengeance Day media call to promote Sunday’s pay-per-view event, Shawn Michaels, who oversees WWE NXT creative, was asked the allegations. He said,
“It’s an incredibly sad situation. As everyone knows, I have very little and absolutely nothing to do, and gladly so, with the corporate stuff that goes on. We try to focus here in NXT on the men and women that come through these doors and we do. I think we foster a safe and supportive atmosphere down here. I know that they reinstalled and upgraded I think in 2022, some of those regulations and whatnot. But look, we’re always conscious about that and one thing that I do, it’s incredibly important to support the talent and give them a safe working environment. I’d like to think that we do that absolutely, but look, we will always continue to try and be better about that and I’m very glad to say that I think we do a really fantastic job down here.”
He continued, “I can sit here and say it sucks, but we’ve always — and I’ve mentioned it to you all in the past, we take that very seriously. I take all of the youth that come through here incredibly seriously because this is a tough line of work, regardless of what’s going on. Leaving home and coming here and pursuing your dreams is a big thing that we take incredibly seriously and we understand that young men and women that come through our doors are impressionable. So we absolutely encourage the openness and again, telling everyone to please tell us the truth and let us know how we can help. That’s something that has been here for a long time and we continue to do our best to improve on that because it is, it’s one of the most important things to me is to be able to ask those questions you’re afraid to ask. We certainly empower them to do that and give them the opportunity to do that. Right now, I feel like everybody — I’m not really trying to spin it, coming off of Royal Rumble weekend, and even going into Vengeance Day, I think that the talent in WWE and in NXT are extremely excited about the future. Look, I know we are as well and we’re looking to capitalize that at Vengeance Day. Tough situation like I said, but I got to tell you from a talent standpoint, we feel like the windows of heaven have opened up and we’re ready to go forward.”
Michaels also discussed the policies to keep people safe in the company. He said,
“We absolutely have all of those policies in place. As I said, we upgraded them in 2022. I have no doubt that they’ll be looking at continuing to improve those, but we absolutely do. We have numerous people on our medical team for outreach to go to outside of the Performance Center. We do understand that I can look at a talent and my head writer and my coaches, as they do, we can tell them to tell us the truth or express to us what’s going on. But as you know, they may not feel comfortable doing that, so we also provide help outside of here as well and have people that we can work with to get them in a complete objective environment that isn’t associated with the WWE or NXT in that respect. Again, because we, we do. Especially here. Again, we want everybody to be focused on what it is there doing and not have any struggles going forward. Again, I like to think we do a great job here and that’s seen on a regular basis.”
In a shocking turn of events, Vince McMahon has resigned from all of his roles in TKO, including TKO Executive Chairman and the TKO Board of Directors. This decision comes after a former WWE employee filed a lawsuit against McMahon, accusing him of being involved in a sex trafficking and abuse scandal. The allegations have sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling industry and have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of talent within the company.
During a recent media call to promote the upcoming WWE NXT: Vengeance Day pay-per-view event, Shawn Michaels, who oversees WWE NXT creative, addressed the allegations. Michaels expressed his sadness over the situation and emphasized that he has no involvement in the corporate affairs of TKO. He stated that the focus in NXT is on creating a safe and supportive environment for the men and women who come through their doors.
Michaels highlighted the importance of providing a safe working environment for talent and mentioned that regulations were upgraded in 2022 to ensure their well-being. He acknowledged that pursuing a career in professional wrestling is challenging and that the young men and women who join NXT are impressionable. Michaels encouraged openness and honesty among the talent, assuring them that they can ask questions and seek help without fear.
The WWE NXT team takes the safety of their talent seriously and has implemented policies to protect them. Michaels mentioned that these policies were upgraded in 2022 and will continue to be improved upon. The company has a dedicated medical team that provides outreach services outside of the Performance Center. They understand that talent may not always feel comfortable discussing their concerns within the company, so they offer assistance from external professionals who can provide objective support.
Michaels concluded by expressing his excitement for the future of WWE and NXT. He emphasized that despite the difficult situation, the talent is looking forward to upcoming events like Vengeance Day. He assured everyone that the company is committed to continuous improvement and creating an environment where talent can thrive.
The allegations against Vince McMahon are serious and have raised important questions about the safety and well-being of talent in the wrestling industry. It is crucial for companies like TKO and WWE to prioritize the welfare of their talent and take appropriate measures to address any concerns. The resignation of McMahon and the statements made by Shawn Michaels indicate that steps are being taken to ensure a safe working environment for all involved. As fans and supporters, it is important to hold these companies accountable and demand transparency and accountability in order to protect the individuals who make professional wrestling possible.