What’s the story?
It is believed that the power couple of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are on the edge of their seats with Shane McMahon’s return to the company earlier last year. According to PWPIX, both Hunter and Stephanie were not excited about Shane’s return because they felt that his on-screen presence would have an impact on the creative direction as well.
This belief has now materialised as Shane McMahon has a lot of input for the creative team in WWE, according to the same report. Stephanie and Hunter believe that the company is theirs to be inherited after Vince McMahon but Shane’s presence has turned out to be a complexity in itself.
Vince, on the other hand, is reported to be having fun after pitting his family members against one another.
In case you didn’t know...
Last month, Vice.com published an article that revealed an incident that took place at WWE production office back in 2012. The article has been removed since then, but the events that transpired are true to the letter. Shane reportedly had a meeting with Vince, who was disturbed with the low ratings for WWE at that time.
Shane had brought along his friend, James Frey, CEO of Full Fathom Five. Shane proposed that his team would take control of creative and the writer’s room, while Frey and his Full Fathom Five team would serve as consultants. The entire meeting had been orchestrated by WWE’s Executive Vice President, Television Production, Kevin Dunn.
The heart of the matter
Kevin Dunn and Shane McMahon are extremely close. A senior official had reported that there was tension between Kevin Dunn, and Hunter and Stephanie. The power couple always felt that the company was theirs for the taking, but they were never in a position to negotiate with or control Kevin Dunn.
This animosity between Dunn and Hunter has led to Dunn siding with Shane McMahon. It is reported that Dunn is a vocal supporter of Shane in meetings and this has made things difficult for Triple H and Stephanie.
The sibling rivalry has been a highlight of Shane’s return to the WWE. Many times, things got too close for comfort, as Shane and Stephanie took shots at each other. Stephanie accused Shane of running away back in 2009, while Shane retaliated by saying that the Authority was running the company down to the ground.
What’s next?
There was a rumour that Shane would face Triple H at WrestleMania 33 with Ric Flair saying that it would be one of the best matches on the card, given the rivalry between the two. That plan may be on hold for the time being as Triple H will look to feud with Seth Rollins come WrestleMania.
It is certain, however, that Shane will be at the helm of things at least for SmackDown Live for the foreseeable future.
Sportskeeda’s take
Shane’s return has made WWE television better. It has ushered in the New Era with the brand split and several Superstars getting more opportunities. In fact, the last SmackDown Live episode of 2016 beat Monday Night RAW in ratings for the first time since the brand split. Vince will obviously take notice of things and do what’s best for business.
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