If I May Speak Candidly… Is Shane McMahon the Answer to AEW’s Challenges?

The following content reflects my personal opinion and should be interpreted as such. Any views expressed here are solely mine and do not represent any official stance. This opinion piece is intended for entertainment and discussion purposes only, and should not be construed as factual information or professional advice. Reader discretion is advised.

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I don’t think I ever would have imagine that I would be writing a op-ed on the possibility of Shane McMahon, the son of Vince and Linda McMahon, the brother of Stephanie McMahon, the brother-in-law of the current chief content officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, could be—possibly be interested in joining AEW, but here we are. And if I am going to be brutally honest, I am not opposed to the idea. It might up the ante of wrestling just to the point where it needs to be—two equal rivals.

Although this is currently just a rumor and no one knows for sure if it’s true or just speculation, it raises the possibility that a McMahon doesn’t need to be on the WWE payroll to be successful. Perhaps a McMahon can seek professional reinvention elsewhere.

Let’s revisit where the rumor began and who shared it. On the June 20th episode of “Grilling JR” with Jim “JR” Ross and his co-host Conrad Thompson, the son-in-law of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, the possibility of Shane working in AEW was brought up. Ross thought it would be a good idea.

“Yeah, oh absolutely, it could happen, and how he could be utilized as a character on television, that’s what I’m talking about, is viable. He’s got great name identity, people recognize him. Hell, I don’t know. I would say it’s a long shot…but I can’t say that it’s impossible. Because it isn’t. And he’s a good guy, he still loves the business…he’s a sensitive guy. He takes after his mother (Linda McMahon). And that’s a good thing, ’cause she’s a nice lady.”

Thompson mentioned that he had heard from a third party that Shane was reaching out to different AEW wrestlers to “hypothetically discuss the idea.” This doesn’t necessarily mean he is looking to join AEW; he might simply be exploring his options. Shane could be determining where his creative expertise is most needed — whether it’s with WWE, a company founded by his grandfather over 70 years ago and run by his father for more than half that time, a company that his oldest son hopes to lead one day, or with AEW, a new company that has repeatedly proven itself as a consistent competitor to WWE, offering refuge to former wrestlers and giving them another shot at ending their careers on their terms, with creative control.

Now that we’ve set aside the imaginative possibilities and fantasies, let’s focus on the facts. Dave Meltzer revealed in last week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the idea mentioned on Ross’ podcast was merely hypothetical. According to an AEW source, Shane brought up the idea during a conversation with a former WWE wrestler who is currently on the AEW roster.

“One person noted to us that there was a conversation between McMahon and an ex-WWE talent in AEW, and it was described as not a pitch to get in or anything, just two people chatting when McMahon said something to the effect of can you imagine if I walked out there on Dynamite?, not as if he was pitching anything. They said it wasn’t serious and that would explain why no key people in AEW had even heard of it before Thompson talked about it.”

Now I guess it shouldn’t matter who the person Shane was talking to, but I know we are all just a tad bit curious. My guess would be one of two people; the adult theme rated superstar or “the stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun! Woooo..” Allegedly, of course. However, Tony Khan was asked directly if he has any plans to work with Shane O’ Mac and his response left more questions than answers.

“I’ve never met him or talked to him in my life.”

That is not really a “no” is it? I guess at the end of the day, this makes for good conversation. The son of the sworn enemy of Khan’s comes to AEW to shake shit up might make people tune in. I mean, think about it: You’re flipping through the channels and think to yourself: “Oh yeah, Dynamite is coming on, let’s see what happens tonight.” Suddenly, strange and unfamiliar music blares through the arena and on your TV. And a white-haired, middle-aged man appears, smiling and doing his iconic skip on the stage. And the audience members are literally throwing up from excitement. And now you’re trying to figure out if this is a reality or a drug-induced fever dream.

As of today, June 24, we have learned that Shane is no longer under any type of contract with WWE, whether as talent or a legend. While there is much speculation about this, what we know for certain is that Khan is “mums the word” about the situation, Shane isn’t confirming or denying anything, WWE is not acknowledging it, and we are online playing Blue’s Clues.