Not many details on what he will say or do, but WWE has announced that Vince McMahon will be on SmackDown when the show begins tonight at 8pm ET (June 17).
This is a surprising move considering McMahon is under investigation by the company’s board of directors for allegedly paying female employees to remain silent about their relationships with him. WWE announced earlier today that he is voluntarily stepping down as the company’s Chairman & CEO. His daughter Stephanie has returned from a leave of absence to take on these functions on an interim basis.
Vince will continue to do creative work for the company, and immediately after the hush money investigation, it was reported that he would be on the SmackDown tape this week to handle business as usual.
Another catch with the announcement of his appearance on FOX is that he goes by his kayfabe name, “Mr. McMahon”. This part has always been based on the real Vince, and almost everything that happens in the world of wrestling ends up being referenced in a storyline. Will anything we get tonight come from the fictional character who defeated Pat McAfee in a match at WrestleMania 38, or the man whose legacy is being revealed, based on an investigation launched behind the scenes at around the same time danger is?
In any case there will be an evaluation. workers will work.
Should be an interesting night. Join us on our live blog as we see what happens.
TO UPDATE: CNBC’s Alex Sherman reports McMahon’s appearance on SmackDown is rendered as his storyline character. Behind the scenes, Vince proves he’s still in charge of creativity by tearing up the script on the day of the show.
He will address the controversy, but does so in his role as his traditionally ruthless “Mr. McMahon,” said a person familiar with the matter. WWE writers were working Friday to revise the script for SmackDown, which was finalized earlier this week, the person added.