After building up the WWE into a worldwide household name, ending the careers of several wrestlers and becoming one of the most reviled personalities on TV, Vince McMahon has been given the pink slip from the WWE board of directors.
On last night’s RAW, McMahon decided to postpone a title match between Ray Mysterio and The Miz. Wearing an outlandish pink sports jacket and bearing his normal cocky smile, McMahon told wrestling fans that the title match would be pushed back a week. Instead of a title match, McMahon would grandstand for several minutes before hinting to fans that John Cena needed to be fired as part of one of many changes he would be initiating to revitalize the company. He also stated that no one man was bigger than the WWE.
Cena heard the news and immediately came to the ring. But instead of delivering a hateful tirade, Cena delivered an articulated five-minute speech that shot down McMahon’s character like Marcus Antonius shot down Caesar’s conspirators in Shakespeare’s famed play “Julius Caesar.” He belittled McMahon for ruining Shawn Michaels’ career and for the CEO’s mistreatment of both Michaels and Bret “The Hitman” Hart. The dispute between Michaels and Hitman shrouded the careers of the two wrestlers for nearly two decades, before ending in 2010 in a public show of peace on the January 4, 2010 episode of RAW. Cena also said that he would continue wrestling at a network that respected him “brother”, hinting that he would join Hulk Hogan on TNA Wresting.
However, the news was disrupted when McMahon’s son-in-law Triple H showed up on the scene to deliver some very startling news. According to HHH, the board of directors had voted to remove McMahon from power effective immediately. A very misty-eyed McMahon was barely able to hold it together as Triple H told him that he would take over the duties from his father-in-law. HHH also said I love you dad.
It was one of the more emotional scenes on WWE, but it was not without a cheery chant from the WWE fans who promptly cheered “Na na na na, hey, hey, good bye.”
Was this merely “kayfabe” or did WWE break “kayfabe” because of McMahon’s handling of WWE in the past six months, and truthfully throughout his career – primarily beginning in the 90s when he turned into the evil-CEO character? The tears seemed real and based on WWE’s 31% drop in the stock market, it may be a welcome decision for investors looking to regain lost equity. McMahon’s words to Cena seemed to be a self-fulfilling prophecy on himself. Triple H reiterated McMahon’s words that no one man is bigger than the WWE, including McMahon. So we can only assume that he knew he’d get the boot before hand. However, as a contracted wrestler too, the WWE probably threw it into the story for maximum effect.