5 signs that WWE is turning Shane McMahon into the second coming of 'Mr. McMahon'

Almost every era of WWE since the advent of the Attitude Era in the late 1990s has had an evil McMahon family member on-screen lording over the entire company. At first it was Mr. McMahon, but then his two children, Stephanie and Shane, began to take part more and more in the family business.

While Shane is the McMahon who competed in action the most, Vince did have his fair share of matches over the years. He routinely opposed 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin in their feud that defined that era. He also won the ECW Championship in 2007.

Shane stepped away for a long time and even though Mr. McMahon would appear here and there, Stephanie took the reigns as the 'Evil McMahon' authority figure around 2013-2014. She and her husband, Triple H, were literally called 'The Authority' and they abused their power on a nightly basis.

It was usually to put down the faces of the time, like Daniel Bryan, John Cena and later, the Shield. But once that had run its course, an evil McMahon in charge had gone away until the brand split. Stephanie gained control of Raw and Shane control of SmackDown during the brand split, but Stephanie's reign of terror was at its height a few years before the brand split.

And in today's WWE, Shane-O-Mac is running wild on both Raw and SmackDown. He was simultaneously feuding with the Miz and now with WWE's 'Golden Boy', Roman Reigns. When he returned to be the Commissioner of SmackDown, it was initially thought to be a tenure wouldn't last nearly as long as it has.

So why has Shane been the most featured McMahon over the last year? My theory is that since Vince is likely more focused on the re-launch of the XFL, they are trying to re-create aspects of the Attitude Era, like having another 'Mr. McMahon' running around drunk with power. Here are five signs that point to WWE trying to make Shane the second coming of his father during the Attitude Era.

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#5. The Attitude Era was one of the most prosperous eras in WWE history and they want to bring it back

'The Attitude Era' got WWF/WWE to where it is today.

One of WWF/WWE's most successful periods in history was when Mr. McMahon ruled over his company with an iron fist. He did whatever he wanted to whomever he wanted, and even his family members were fair game.

He headed the Corporation and the Corporate Ministry. During that time, he almost let the Undertaker 'sacrifice' Stephanie and he also cavorted with women in storyline in front of his catatonic wife.

Since the ratings have been so low dating back to December 2018, WWE seems like they are trying anything and everything as evidenced by both the Wildcard Rule and the 24/7 Title. A recent appearance from Mick Foley on Busted Open Radio revealed that they want to change things up in the third hour of Raw, possibly harkening back to the Attitude Era days.

Having a McMahon at the focal point of that time period was essential to the success, so they might be trying to recapture that magic. One problem, however, is if Shane can prove to be as diabolical as Vince (if that's what they're trying).

The other problem is that they cannot possibly think that Roman Reigns can be their new Stone Cold, right? Sure he's great in the ring, but Austin had charisma that Reigns lacks. The guy who could've been another Stone Cold isn't a member of the roster any more. And let's not forget - the sequel often pales in comparison the original.

#4. He's feuding with some of the bigger stars in Miz and Reigns

'The Big Dog' is the latest target of Shane-O-Mac.

While The Miz isn't one of the top three or four stars in WWE, he is in the Top Ten. Outside of Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins, only AJ Styles might be next in order after those three men.

The Miz storyline was obviously done to get McMahon over as a heel, and it did just that. After not only attacking the Miz but George Mizanin, Shane's status was never in doubt. But even though Miz might still be looking to get revenge on Shane for what he did to Mr. Miz, he'll have to wait for the current feud with Reigns to end.

Reigns is at the top of the pecking order in WWE, so even though he's feuding with McMahon, he won't likely lose that feud like the Miz did. (McMahons) Feuding with the top stars is a way to get them over, but they've tried almost everything to get Reigns over with all parts of the crowd.

Having an evil authority figure helps with that, but fans are too hip to how WWE operates in today's climate. Reigns is obviously getting cheered now because Shane is crazy with power, but what happens when he feuds with a normal Superstar?

And after feuding with the top guy in the company, what is the next logical step for Shane? If Kofi Kingston and Rollins both retain their titles, they should be looking in their rear-view mirror for McMahon and his cronies. The titles are the next logical steps on Shane's path of destruction.

#3. He's appearing on both Raw and SmackDown

Shane McMahon's torment of the Miz and others has often spilled over to Raw.

When Shane returned to WWE, the re-introduction of brand split saw him mainly stay on SmackDown. He would show up on Raw during 'invasions' to build to Survivor Series, but that was usually it. Nowadays, you can't have either Raw or SmackDown pass without seeing Shane turn red after delivering some of the most "devastating" strikes in wrestling history.

Reigns is primarily a SmackDown Superstar now, but since the Wildcard Rule basically allows him to appear on both shows, McMahon isn't far behind. While he did postpone his initial feud with the Miz, the Miz is a Raw superstar and he doesn't think things are over between them.

Not only has 'the A-Lister' been targeted on Raw, but so have the Usos, who have always been allies of Reigns. Shane hasn't discriminated in attacking wrestlers on either show. He's a McMahon, so he doesn't need an explanation as to why he appears on both shows. That sounds like a mad man drunk with power to me. Who is that reminiscent of . . . .?

#2. He's been the most-featured member of the family with Vince focusing more on XFL relaunch

Shane has taken the lion's share of McMahon Family appearances on TV lately.

Although the McMahon Family probably thinks that 'more of us' is the best way to pump up ratings, it probably isn't. It did help during the Attitude Era, but both wrestling and its fans have evolved since then.

Women are treated as wrestlers and not merely eye candy. The craft itself has evolved to feature several styles like Lucha, Strong Style and Shoot Fighting all under one banner. Having a constant McMahon presence on TV takes away from actual Superstars getting exposure and/or feuds that help get them over.

Stephanie has had a few matches at WrestleMania over the last few years, but she usually goes away after them. Shane has had a match at the last four 'Manias but has remained a fixture since the brand split was re-instated.

And now with the XFL re-launch set to go down in 2020, Mr. McMahon has been splitting his focus and time between it and the WWE. Perhaps that splitting of time has contributed to things going downhill.

Whatever the case is, with Vince's focus somewhere else and Stephanie only appearing sporadically, it appears that Shane is the McMahon that will continue to haunt some Superstars for the foreseeable future.

#1. He's flanked by cronies and lackeys, just like Vince and the Corporation

Shane McMahon has enlisted no shortage of allies in his recent run.

Depending on how long Shane is supposed to portray his evil, megalomaniacal self, he could pick up a new ally every week or month. He mainly started out allied with Elias, but once his madness spilled over to Raw, he was immediately flanked by Drew McIntyre.

The Revival have also been drafted into his army as they have been feuding with Reigns' cousins, the Usos. If Shane-O-Mac's reign of terror lasts until Survivor Series, we might be getting a match between Shane and his minions and the babyfaces that stand up to them.

So far, it has been the Miz, The Usos and Reigns. Bobby Lashley has also been used to do Shane's bidding, much like the Corporation and the Corporate Ministry did for Mr. McMahon at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s.

The Acolytes, the Undertaker, Ken Shamrock, the Big Bossman and the Rock all were a part of Mr. McMahon's group that sought to keep power in WWF. Is the formation of a new Corporation on the horizon? If so, they already have some formidable members with McIntyre, Elias, the Revival and Lashley. Look out, faces of WWE.

Do you think that Shane is becoming more and more like his father with each passing week? Sound off below!