With a Netflix docuseries and several criminal allegations to his name, Vince McMahon is widely considered disgraced from WWE.
In a recent episode of "Piers Morgan Uncensored," however, several top names associated with WWE discussed whether McMahon is truly detached from WWE. While most agreed that McMahon is past WWE, their reasonings for such differed.Phil Mushnick, known most notably for his time with the "New York Post" and his historic criticisms against McMahon, did not fully dismiss the idea of a McMahon comeback. While Mushnik doubted McMahon would reappear in an official capacity, he acknowledged that McMahon would "always be omnipresent."
"People like that don't go away," Mushnik said.
Ex-WWE broadcaster Charly Arnolt, known asCharly Caruso in WWE, chimed in, questioning why McMahon would need to return to WWE, given the product's current success. Mushnik claimed that wrestling is McMahon's "lifeblood," and that his sentimental ties to the pro wrestling business would draw him back to WWE. Arnolt disagreed, citing WWE's change in leadership as a key factor in dashing any hopes of a McMahon return.
"They're bringing in people that never before really had any business in the wrestling industry," Arnolt reasoned. "You have [Nick] Khan running the show over on the WWE side; you have UFC swooping in, buying WWE, TKO Group owning both of them. They're clearly going in a different direction, where they're very much geared towards entertainment. It's so much different than it used to be."
Jonathan Coachman, Tough Enough winner and ex-WWE star Maven, and former WWE writer Vince Russo offered their input, with Coachmanclaiming there was "no way" WWE would bring McMahon back. He cited the company's financial success as the main deterrent for a McMahon return and implored the panel to look toward WWE's future and the diverse pro wrestling community in their reasoning.
"We're not here to defend Vince," Coachmanemphasized. "What we're here to defend is that there are good parts of the business. There are good people that are in this business, and when you do a wide sweeping just everything is negative it's very, very shortsighted, especially when you look at the last 25 years, and you see these good people. Vince is done. Vince is not coming back, and we're all cool with that. And he doesn't need to come back, because they fixed a lot of the things that were issues during all of our times in the WWE."
Maven agreed with Coachman's assessment and explained why he doesn't feel McMahon will return."Vince is definitely done," Maven stated. "I think the world's moved on. It's a different time, and it's a different generation than the one that Vince knew."
Maven further cited WWE's attendance records and stock prices as an indication of their success, even "without the man that started it all." Russo, who worked with McMahon in WWE, claimed that the promotion isn't associated with McMahon in any way.
"Ari Emanuel would have to be the stupidest businessman on the face of the planet to still have any association with Vince McMahon. And, obviously, looking at the success of his company, he's not," Russo concluded. "1000 percent Vince has nothing to do with WWE today."
