Add as a preferred source on Google The transfer of Janel Grant’s civil lawsuit to private arbitration has reignited speculation about a possible Vince McMahon return to WWE.
Dave Meltzer addressed the topic on Wrestling Observer Radio. He said a limited McMahon role would not surprise him but stressed that he was not reporting insider information.
“It wouldn’t shock me. I don’t know that I would expect it. I cannot imagine he would be put in charge of anything. It’s not like they’re going to have him replace [WWE President] Nick Khan calling the shots. He certainly isn’t going to replace Paul Levesque [Triple H] doing the booking. There’s no way they can go to that card. That’s not going to happen. But the idea of bringing him in in a figurehead position, trotting him out every now and then… like I said, it wouldn’t shock me at all.
The funny part is that if he came out as a surprise on a TV show, it’d be this giant reaction. That’s just the reality of the situation.”
The scenario Meltzer described would essentially be a ceremonial appearance at a major event, with no involvement in creative or corporate decisions.
A document filed by TKO with the SEC on April 23 reinforces McMahon’s distance from the company’s leadership structure. His name does not appear among the 12 board nominees, while Ariel Emanuel, Mark Shapiro, and Nick Khan remain in leadership positions.
The case leaving federal court does not amount to an exoneration. Grant will file for a final dismissal of the public lawsuit, but all parties retained the right to pursue their claims and defenses in arbitration. McMahon denies the allegations.
McMahon has not appeared on WWE programming since the June 27, 2022, episode of RAW.