Vince McMahon

N/A

Tag Type
Slug
vince-mcmahon
Visible in Content Tool
Off
Visible in Programming Tool
Off
Root
Auto create Channel for this Tag
Off
Parents
Primary Parent

Vince McMahon Mad at Undertaker, Seth Rollins Injury Update, More in WWE Roundup

Feb 20, 2019
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR WWE - Undertaker gazes at the crowd after what could be his final WrestleMania match on Sunday, April 2, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images for WWE)
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR WWE - Undertaker gazes at the crowd after what could be his final WrestleMania match on Sunday, April 2, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images for WWE)

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

      

Vince McMahon Reportedly Unhappy with The Undertaker's Upcoming Starrcast Appearance

Wrestling fans were shocked when Starrcast confirmed The Undertaker will be appearing at the upcoming event in May. The Deadman has essentially been a WWE lifer and generally reluctant to break character outside of the ring.

According to Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Robert Gunier of Wrestling Inc), Vince McMahon wasn't exactly thrilled when he learned of the development.

Meltzer said the WWE chairman was particularly upset with what he believed was Starrcast's perceived connection to All Elite Wrestling.

Although Starrcast isn't an AEW-sponsored convention, it will take place from May 23-26 in Las Vegas and overlap with the new promotion's Double or Nothing show on May 25 in Sin City.

      

Seth Rollins Didn't Receive Medical Clearance for In-Ring Action on Raw

Meltzer reported earlier this month (h/t Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co) Seth Rollins was battling a back injury that was preventing him from wrestling. His last match was a win over Dean Ambrose on the Jan. 28 edition of Raw.

According to Meltzer (h/t Wrestling Inc's Marc Middleton), WWE had hoped The Architect would be healthy enough to return Monday night on Raw. However, he didn't get the necessary clearance and was limited to a backstage interview and an interaction with Dean Ambrose.

Meltzer noted WWE's creative team had more expansive plans for Rollins, which had to be scrapped since he couldn't do anything too physical.

     

Inclusion of NXT Stars on Raw a Last-Minute Change to Show

Meltzer also reported (h/t Gunier) McMahon was behind the decision to debut Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Aleister Black and Ricochet on Raw. The WWE chairman acted somewhat unilaterally, creating "a lack of communication throughout the process."

In one case, Triple H altered the original plan for Ricochet, who was initially set to face off against Finn Balor but ultimately teamed with the Irishman in a tag team match against Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush.

The appearances of Gargano, Ciampa, Black and Ricochet weren't a one-off, either. They are slated to appear on NXT, as well as Raw and SmackDown Live going forward.

WWE Hot Take: Vince McMahon Suspending Becky Lynch Was Actually the Perfect Move

Feb 15, 2019

It must be WrestleMania season because the McMahons are inserting themselves into the biggest storylines again.

Except this time, it might just be perfect.

Becky Lynch is WWE's hottest commodity and had the possible main event of the entire show scheduled against Ronda Rousey. Given the year she's had and the speculation Rousey could end up leaving sooner rather than later, the fan-backed Lynch seemed like the perfect person to not only take the belt and headline the division but be heavily featured in the first-ever women's main event at the promotion's premier PPV.

But keeping Lynch as hot as she's been all the way up until WrestleMania wasn't going to be easy.

So Monday's edition of Raw happens. Over the course of the prior week, Lynch had gotten physical with both Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. She was told at the start of the show all she had to do was apologize. The end of the show rolls around, she owns up and does...only for CEO Vince McMahon to strip her of the main event bout against Rousey anyway, inserting Charlotte Flair instead. 

To say fans were outraged would classify as an understatement. 

https://twitter.com/aniket2411/status/1095172352973910019

Oh, and don't forget the video has more than 68,000 dislikes as of this writing:

Perfection. 

This is how WWE can keep fans invested in the storyline and keep Lynch as hot as possible before WrestleMania rolls around in April. Since WWE wants to anoint the big-match participants this far in advance and still keep this silly schedule that has both Elimination Chamber and Fastlane sandwiched between the Royal Rumble and 'Mania, sometimes keeping fans' interest during the dead zone requires drastic measures. 

And this was drastic. What else is WWE going to do from January to April that would keep Lynch as hot? Before, she was chasing titles and then the Rumble so she could possibly main-event 'Mania. But with the Rumble won and 'Mania secured, she can't go winning titles between now and then. 

Keep in mind Lynch might have only stayed as hot as she did in the first place because she legitimately got injured and written out of a Survivor Series match against Rousey. Had the match unfolded, this slot might have been Flair's either way. 

Instead, Lynch remained white-hot, and both she and the fans sent a clear message to WWE: Lynch was going to eat one of their most valuable commodities, Rousey, alive for months. Remember Rousey's horrific promo on the January 28 edition of Raw in which she looked overwhelmed as the crowd turned on her because she had to cut a promo against Lynch? 

That was going to keep happening in droves. 

So in a way, inserting Flair into the picture, for now, protects both Lynch and Rousey. Lynch, in particular, can go back to being the Stone Cold-esque fan favorite in pursuit of something after being wronged. Rousey can remain in her purgatory of sorts, winning matches but avoiding damage in the promo department. 

Getting Lynch back into the main event isn't exactly hard to write, either. What better way to spruce up a ho-hum affair like Elimination Chamber or Fastlane than to have a main-event spot at 'Mania on the line? Maybe Lynch challenges Flair for the spot. Maybe she gets in the ring with Stephanie McMahon. Even better, maybe she has a physical confrontation with Vince McMahon himself, not unlike AJ Styles a few weeks back, and gets him to rescind his decision to remove her from the main event.

There is always the Flair angle here. She was always going to play a part in this storyline whether fans liked it or not. She beat the tar out of Rousey once and has unfinished business with her, and most of her promos regardless of feuds have kept Lynch as a central theme. And no, her predictable re-entry to the picture doesn't mean the match will end up being a Triple Threat at 'Mania.

Whether the match needs to be a Triple Threat is a totally different conversation. But at this point, don't put it past WWE to tie up some loose ends and bring this back to a one-on-one encounter between Lynch and Rousey. The former is one of the best, and the latter—given ample time to prepare, which she has here—has put on great performance after great performance.

For many, Lynch has not only created one of the best characters and angles in years lately, but she's also made wrestling fun again. And part of that fun is getting played by a storyline, even without realizing it in the moment.

Because right now, WWE couldn't be handling the situation better. Casual and hardcore fans alike are reacting and playing along with the angle, which will make it that much more memorable when Lynch blazes yet another unforgettable path that ends in a main event at WrestleMania.

Becky Lynch Suspended by WWE, Replaced by Charlotte Flair for WrestleMania 35

Feb 11, 2019

The Road to WrestleMania 35 took a detour for Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch on Monday night.

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon acted unilaterally to suspend The Irish Lass Kicker for 60 days, a stretch that extends beyond WrestleMania on April 7. He then announced Charlotte Flair will challenge Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship instead.

Earlier in the night, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon told Lynch she would have to apologize for striking them last week if she wanted to remain on the WrestleMania 35 card. The Man offered a half-hearted apology, which was apparently enough for The Authority.

Vince McMahon, however, had other ideas.

After Lynch announced she would take on Rousey at WrestleMania, Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Robert Gunier of Wrestling Inc.) reported WWE planned to make the Raw women's title match a Triple Threat affair with Lynch, Rousey and Flair all involved.

While plenty of fans will justifiably argue Lynch and Rousey would be perfectly fine in a singles bout, the storyline could be headed in an interesting direction.

Rousey may have an intimidating aura, but her feud with Lynch has exposed her limitations on the microphone. The Lass Kicker has also routinely roasted the former UFC star on social media.

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1091828327114002432

Now, Flair can be the clear heel heading into WrestleMania, a role with which she'll be more than comfortable. McMahon said The Queen will be the next women's champion as well, which seemingly teased he'll go out of his way to ensure that happens.

By pitting Lynch against Rousey, WWE would have risked having one of its biggest angles losing steam. The two can face off only so many times before the dynamic grows stale.

Now, Lynch not only has to overcome Rousey but also McMahon, the best villain in wrestling history, and his hand-picked champion, Flair.

WWE Must Create 3rd Main Roster Brand to Avoid Mass AEW Exodus

Feb 10, 2019
Dean Ambrose and EC3 on Raw.
Dean Ambrose and EC3 on Raw.

All Elite Wrestling has been making a lot of headlines recently for signing talent to in-ring and backstage contracts, and it might start affecting WWE soon.

Dean Ambrose is leaving in April, and other Superstars have contracts that expire this year and might be interested in seeing what other opportunities are out there.

The indy wrestling scene used to be a hard way to make a living, but a resurgence in recent years has allowed many wrestlers around the world to support themselves without day jobs. 

AEW is trying to have a big launch, and while Cody Rhodes and Co. haven't outright stated a desire to compete directly with WWE, if the promotion wants to be No. 1, it has to. 

WWE is running into a problem that has only gotten worse over the past couple of years. Management is hiring and calling up more new talents than it is letting go, which has led to severe overcrowding on Raw and SmackDown.

WWE called up six new Superstars at the end of December but has failed to find a way to use any of them effectively, with EC3 being the only call-up to gain a notable win—incidentally over Ambrose on Raw.

With so many Superstars on the main roster deserving of pushes and many more waiting to be promoted from NXT to the main roster, WWE's only choice is to either make significant cuts or add a third heavyweight division brand to keep people from jumping ship to AEW.

                        

What About 205 Live and NXT?

Some people are probably asking how WWE can have a third brand when it technically has five already. Raw, SmackDown, 205 Live, NXT and NXT UK all air weekly shows on television or WWE Network.

The problem is NXT and NXT UK are developmental brands, not part of the main roster. As for 205 Live, that is just an extension of Raw.

This is why we see Lucha House Party, Lio Rush and Drake Maverick make regular appearances on Mondays and why Mustafa Ali had to be officially moved to the SmackDown roster so he could appear on the blue brand.

Unless WWE makes NXT a full-fledged part of the main roster, which would defeat the purpose of having a developmental system, the promotion has to do something drastic.

                          

When Would It Air?

Raw is the king of Monday nights and SmackDown will be moving to Fridays once the new deal with Fox kicks in on October 4.

There is a way to schedule everything without any of WWE's shows overlapping each other on regular television and WWE Network.

Monday and Friday are spoken for. Tuesdays could be the home of NXT and 205 Live while NXT UK airs on Thursday. This leaves Wednesday open for a third show on USA or Fox.

Another two hours of wrestling might seem like overkill, but there is already so much content being produced by every promotion that adding a little more wouldn't hurt anything.

                         

Who Would Fill the Roster?

Between rookies and people who aren't being pushed, WWE has more than enough Superstars from Raw and SmackDown it could move to a third brand to fill the roster.

This would also be a chance for WWE to bring up some of the people from NXT who are ready for the main roster, such as Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane.

Stars like Tyler Breeze, The Colons, Sanity, Sin Cara and Mike Kanellis could get screen time every week as opposed to sitting backstage during television tapings. 

If WWE is able to feature more of its talent, more fans will be able to find someone to connect with other than the people we see on a weekly basis. 

The company has more than enough figures to fill roles at the announce table and backstage, so the only thing stopping it from making a third weekly show is figuring out logistics with regard to touring.

                           

What Titles Would Be Featured?

WWE would have to create another set of championships for a third brand, but that is the easiest part about making a new show.

Instead of the WWE or Universal Championship, the company could use this as an opportunity to bring back the classic big gold belt and continue calling it the World Heavyweight Championship.

The Television Championship could be a midcard title, which just leaves brand-specific women's and tag team titles. Since WWE just color swaps those anyway, it would be easy to make a new set with something like a green strap to represent the third brand.

This might seem like too many belts for one promotion, but that only matters if you want to watch every hour of wrestling WWE produces each week.

Most fans pick and choose what they watch because they don't have the time to see all of the content produced on a weekly basis, and that would stay the same with or without a third show.

                      

Why Would Having a 3rd Brand Help Keep Superstars Happy?

The main goal of this third brand would be to give more Superstars a chance to appear on television and have substantial storylines.

People aren't leaving WWE because the money isn't good enough. They want to be fulfilled in their career, and for some people, working house shows isn't enough.

Having a few more titles to fight for, more storylines to go around and more television time to feature deserving Superstars is WWE's only option next to cutting a significant portion of the roster.

Whether it airs on WWE Network, USA, Fox or some other channel, a third brand might be exactly what WWE needs to keep people from leaving for what could look like greener pastures.

Vince McMahon on Ratings, Roman Reigns WrestleMania Plans, More in WWE Roundup

Feb 8, 2019
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04: Vince McMahon attends WWE Superstars for Sandy Relief at Cipriani, Wall Street on April 4, 2013 in New York City.  (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for WWE)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04: Vince McMahon attends WWE Superstars for Sandy Relief at Cipriani, Wall Street on April 4, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for WWE)

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

           

McMahon Discusses Declining Ratings

Ratings for Raw and SmackDown Live have reached an all-time low in recent months, and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon addressed the issue during WWE's fourth-quarter earnings call for 2018 on Thursday.

According to Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc.com, McMahon blamed injuries to key Superstars and John Cena's absence because of Hollywood commitments for the ratings decline:

"The unfortunate aspect of sometimes in our business, is that we ... our performers are not cartoons. They get hurt. This year, leading up to where we are now, we've had an inordinate number of injuries. And when you have injuries ... you know, there's a whole bunch of them. Roman Reigns being the principal among them. And even John Cena, not an injury-type thing, but we thought we were going to have John be more of a part of our programming than we do. John, God bless him, is making more movies. And even John, I would think, would say, 'Geez, I thought I was going to spend more time with what I love to do,' which is WWE. So, he's been coming in and out, he's not really a part of our storyline."

McMahon cited injuries to a number of other WWE stars and added:

"It's like we ... you had all these injuries, which is really unusual for us, and they're characters. It's no different if you're writing a soap opera and all of a sudden your main character wasn't there. You're in the middle of production, what do you do? You very nimbly change the storyline, but it's not as good as the original one. Sometimes it is better because we're pretty good at it, but those are things that we're faced with and one of the reasons why television ratings have dropped. And one of the reasons, obviously, from a live-event standpoint, that's dropped too. Because if you don't have your favorites on television, obviously you can't see them at a live event either. We're wide open and Ronda [Rousey has] done an extraordinary job. There will be other individuals coming from different areas that will join us on a long-term basis, that will help us as well."

In December, WWE Raw set an all-time low for viewership on multiple occasions, including a low-water mark of just 2.194 million viewers.

A number of factors have contributed to WWE's ratings struggles, and it's true that injuries have likely played a role since WWE has been without some of its top stars at various points over the past year.

The roster seems to be getting healthier as WrestleMania approaches, though. Since part-time Superstars like Cena and The Undertaker may be integrated as well, it wouldn't be surprising to see a ratings bump in the coming weeks and months.

           

Reported Original WrestleMania Plans for Reigns Revealed

Roman Reigns has been out of action since announcing he had leukemia in October, but there was reportedly a major plan in place for him at WrestleMania 35 prior to that.

When asked on Twitter about what Reigns would have done at WrestleMania if not for his diagnosis, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that The Big Dog was set to face former Shield brother Dean Ambrose.

Since Reigns relinquished the Universal Championship in October, it stands to reason that Ambrose could have been a candidate to win the Royal Rumble.

Instead, the third Shield member, Seth Rollins, was victorious in the Rumble and will go on to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal title at WrestleMania.

On the same night Reigns announced his diagnosis, Ambrose attacked Rollins and turned heel in the process.

Now, Ambrose's future with WWE is in question since WWE released a statement in January announcing that he will leave the company when his contract expires in April.

There has been some debate regarding whether the statement is legitimate or part of a storyline, but Ambrose doesn't appear to be part of any grand plans heading toward WrestleMania.

Reigns vs. Ambrose likely would have been a main event-caliber match on the WrestleMania card. However, it is now possible that neither Superstar will be part of The Showcase of the Immortals.

            

Kingston's Comments on McMahon's Vision for New Day

Kofi Kingston is part of one of the most successful teams in WWE history in the form of The New Day, but getting to the top wasn't necessarily easy.

In an interview with B.J. Lisko of The Repository in Canton, Ohio, Kingston discussed how he, Big E and Xavier Woods took a challenging situation and turned it into something great:

"From the very inception of New Day, we told Vince McMahon no matter what he gave us we would be able to make it work, because we believe in the chemistry we had. Going back and forth with Vince, we had a very different idea of what we wanted it to be. The idea he came back with, we said, 'OK, he's really gonna test us on this guarantee we gave him of making anything he gave us work.' But we just kept doing it, and we evoked a lot of emotion from people, and really, that was what it was all about. Eventually, we kind of got to do what we first wanted, and over time it turned into what it is now."

When New Day first formed in 2014, it was a happy-go-lucky face faction that the fans rebelled against immediately.

The boos actually worked to the group's favor, though, as it eventually led to a heel turn and allowed New Day to become the entertaining trio that fans love today.

Kofi, Big E and Woods are still going strong as a top act on SmackDown Live, and there have been no signs that they're slowing down anytime soon.

          

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Who Is the Next Mainstream Star and More in the WWE Burning Questions Mailbag

Feb 8, 2019
Becky Lynch slapping Triple H on SmackDown.
Becky Lynch slapping Triple H on SmackDown.

Welcome to the Bleacher Report WWE mailbag where we answer questions about the promotion and its future from readers.

WWE had an interesting 2018, and 2019 looks to be no different. While the company continues to be lauded for its charitable efforts and the Women's Revolution, it has also faced criticism for its relationship with Saudi Arabia and the way it has been handling certain Superstars and titles.

Management addressed concerns by having the McMahon family and Triple H appear on the December 17 episode of Raw to promise the WWE Universe it would listen to concerns from fans and wrestlers and make changes accordingly.

Let's see what the WWE Universe was curious about this week.

                           

Which WWE Star Will Go Mainstream?

A lot of WWE Superstars have appeared in television shows and movies over the years, but only a few have truly broken through the barrier between Hollywood and pro wrestling.

The Rock is a legitimate movie star, and Batista has been carving out a nice career for himself, so it's easy to see why more wrestlers would want to follow in their footsteps.

As far as the current roster goes, a few people stick out as having the mainstream appeal Hollywood would need in order to justify casting them in a major role.

The obvious answer right now is Becky Lynch. She has been on fire since SummerSlam both in the ring and on the mic, but she has other qualities producers would finding appealing, too.

As far as the men are concerned, Dolph Ziggler has already taken steps to ensure he has a career outside the ring should he choose to hang up his boots, so he is the most likely candidate to find regular work in Tinsel Town. 

The Showoff has been working on his stand-up comedy routine for years and has appeared on a few television shows and movies, including Max Landis' Me Him Her in 2015 and the WWE Studios film, Countdown. 

                      

Should WWE Publish Win-Loss Records for Superstars?

Using statistics in wrestling has always been tricky. Certain things like the number of titles someone has won are touted regularly, but other than Curt Hawkins, few Superstars reference their win-loss records.

While it makes logical sense to use wins and losses as a way to determine who deserves a push, it doesn't work from a storytelling standpoint.

WWE might decide on a whim to push someone who has been used mostly as a jobber up to that point, and if their actual win-loss record was brought up, they would never get that push.

Take Jinder Mahal for example. He spent months on Raw jobbing to other Superstars before management decided to give him a run with the WWE Championship.

Someone with his record would never be allowed near a title, but since nobody keeps track of these things other than a few small websites, WWE can give him a push anytime it wants. 

                         

Why Does WWE Want Charlotte added to Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35?

Based on Tuesday's SmackDown, it does seem like we will see Charlotte Flair added to Ronda Rousey and Lynch's match at WrestleMania 35, but it's not set in stone.

If this does end up being the plan, certain fans of The Man will be up in arms over The Queen trying to steal her thunder as she did at SummerSlam.

However, for the purposes of both match quality and storyline symmetry, adding Charlotte makes sense. For one thing, she is going to make the wrestling look better.

Rousey has been impressive in most of her matches, but she works a very specific style. It's hard to imagine her carrying a 30-minute technical clinic like Lynch and Flair. Like Brock Lesnar, Rowdy Ronda is better in small doses.

Doing this will also bring things full circle. Charlotte winning the title at SummerSlam is what kick-started Lynch's current push, and having The Man defeat her at the biggest show of the year would cement her as the top woman in the division.

It might not be what everyone wants right now, but if Lynch wins decisively at WrestleMania, none of her fans are going to complain.

                          

Why Does WWE Shorten Superstars' Names?

WWE has this weird habit of taking away a Superstar's first or last name shortly after they arrive on the main roster, and it appears to have happened again recently to Heavy Machinery.

Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight will now be known only as Otis and Tucker. The same thing happened to Elias Samson, Andrade "Cien" Almas, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Alexander Rusev.

For certain people, having one name just sounds cooler. Rusev is a tougher sounding name than Alexander, and the same can be said about Elias sounding better than Elias Samson.

In other cases, it might be a matter of pronunciation and spelling. Dozovic doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, so it made sense to drop it in his case.

For some people, like Andrade for example, the move seems to have come out of nowhere. It might be a merchandising or copyrighting decision, but WWE would never tell us why it makes those decisions.

For all we know, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon is a huge Madonna fan and thinks having one name makes someone more awesome. 

                               

Who Will be Part of the Next Batch of NXT Call-ups?

https://twitter.com/J0hnnyFueg0/status/1092608068293222400

WWE just called up six Superstars at the end of 2018 with Lacey Evans, EC3, Lars Sullivan, Nikki Cross and Heavy Machinery all getting the video-package treatment, though Sullivan has yet to appear on television.

Despite a crowded roster, the company will likely bring up another handful of Superstars around WrestleMania as it always does, and a few names are clear front-runners for those spots.

Shayna Baszler has dominated the women's division in NXT and will likely join Rousey on the main roster soon. WWE might use Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir during a Four Horsewomen storyline, but they will still be in the developmental brand for a bit.

Kairi Sane is another top candidate from the women's division to get a promotion, as is Candice LeRae, especially if WWE brings her up with Johnny Gargano as a pair like Lana and Rusev.

When it comes to the rest of the men's division, Aleister Black, Tommaso Ciampa, Velveteen Dream, The War Raiders and The Undisputed Era could show up on Raw or SmackDown tomorrow and be welcomed with open arms by the WWE Universe.

Even NXT UK has some deserving talents like Toni Storm, Rhea Ripley, Pete Dunne, Moustache Mountain and The Coffey Brothers, but WWE will probably keep them in the developmental system for a little while to help build it into a product the fans will recognize before making any changes. 

                           

Is AEW the biggest threat to WWE?

https://twitter.com/DanPecoraro86/status/1091170405887496192

Former Bleacher Report contributor and current Director of Client Partnerships at iHeartMedia, Dan Pecoraro, asked if All Elite Wrestling is the biggest threat to WWE since Ted Turner and WCW?

This is the hardest question to answer because things don't work like they used to. When WCW was a threat to WWE, it was because WCW was winning the ratings war and poaching talent left and right.

While AEW might be able to steal away some high-profile names from WWE, we are not going to have another Monday Night War to threaten WWE's existence. 

For one thing, people consume content differently than they used to. Fans can choose to watch as little or as much wrestling as they want thanks to DVR and online streaming services.

At this point, the only real threat to WWE's continued success is WWE itself. If the company makes a few bad business decisions, stockholders might lose faith and begin dumping their shares.

We also have to remember how things went the last time someone took WWE's biggest stars. McMahon started pushing people like The Rock and Steve Austin and ended up being even more successful than when guys like Diesel and Bret Hart were holding the WWE title. 

If John Cena, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton all left tomorrow, management would pick five new people to take their place in the pecking order. In fact, that might even be the thing WWE needs to regain some of its lost supporters. 


To submit questions for the next WWE mailbag, tweet them to @BR_Doctor on Twitter using the hashtag #BRWWE.

Bob Stoops Named GM, Head Coach of XFL's Dallas Franchise

Feb 6, 2019
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 02:  Head coach Bob Stoops of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on against the Auburn Tigers during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 02: Head coach Bob Stoops of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on against the Auburn Tigers during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The XFL named Bob Stoops as the head coach and general manager of its Dallas franchise in an announcement Thursday afternoon. 

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio first reported the news Wednesday. 

Stoops resigned from his post with the Oklahoma Sooners in June 2017. He spent 18 years in Norman, finishing with a 190-48 overall record. Under his watch, the Sooners were national champions in 2000 and won 10 Big 12 titles.

The XFL is set to launch in 2020 and announced the locations of its first eight teams in December: Arlington, Texas; Houston; Carson, California; East Rutherford, New Jersey; St. Louis; Seattle; Tampa, Florida; and Washington, D.C.

Stoops would be the first coach officially hired by the league.

According to Florio, the XFL will make the announcement Thursday, the timing of which was carefully planned.

The brand-new Alliance of American Football will get play started Saturday. By not only naming a new head coach but also one with Stoops' resume, the XFL can take some of the spotlight away from the AAF this week.

The fact the XFL would target Stoops, who said in October 2017 he didn't plan on returning to coaching, is a sign of the league's big ambitions. 

Video: Brock Lesnar Throws WWE Title Belt at Vince McMahon After WrestleMania 34

Jan 28, 2019
Brock Lesnar celebrates, with his manager Paul Heyman, after winning the WWE Universal Championship match as part of as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on November 2, 2018. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)        (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)
Brock Lesnar celebrates, with his manager Paul Heyman, after winning the WWE Universal Championship match as part of as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on November 2, 2018. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)

Brock Lesnar did, in fact, throw the WWE Universal Championship toward Vince McMahon following his victory over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34 last April.

Immediately after the 2019 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, WWE Network aired a behind-the-scenes documentary focused on WrestleMania 34 as part of its WWE 24 series. In the documentary, Lesnar is shown tossing the title in McMahon's direction and walking through the curtain to the backstage area.

A Twitter user provided a clip of the incident:

Pro Wrestling Sheet's Ryan Satin reported immediately after WrestleMania that Lesnar and McMahon had gotten into a "real-life verbal altercation."

"We're told there's a belief that Brock may have gone off script a little bit near the end of the match, but we've been unable to confirm if this is true," Satin wrote.

Lesnar and McMahon certainly appear to have worked past whatever issues they had at WrestleMania.

Lesnar has wrestled five times since then. Even after dropping the universal title to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam, The Beast Incarnate was crowned the champion again at Crown Jewel last November after Reigns relinquished the belt.

Lesnar defeated Finn Balor at Royal Rumble on Sunday, all but ensuring he'll remain the world champion heading into WrestleMania 35.