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Vince McMahon made his first appearance on WWE SmackDown tonight since stepping back as the company's Chairman and CEO.
Reports of Mr. McMahon's alleged misconduct and a subsequent investigation were made public earlier this week. As a result, he stepped back from his position, and Stephanie McMahon was named the interim Chairwoman and CEO of the company.
Vince's appearance on SmackDown was confirmed only a few hours before the show. Fans were excited to hear from him amidst the controversy, especially when backstage rumors suggested that he would stay in character.
While people didn't expect him to comment on anything publicly, many were shocked to see his calm demeanor on SmackDown. Some fans felt it was a brave move on Vince's part, while others questioned the pop he received.
Here are some of the best reactions:
WWE fans noted how he worked on this segment for ratings even though it didn't have a lot of material.
The contrast between fans who praised Vince for his work and those who questioned them is evident below.
WWE fans saw how he trolled viewers and commented on how he got away without saying anything of substance.
However, Twitter was united in believing it was a solid message to the Board of Directors about Vince McMahon's intention to stay precisely where he is despite the latest controversy.
Overall, viewers were disappointed that he barely addressed anything during his segment and struggled to understand the entire point of his promo.
What did Vince McMahon say on WWE SmackDown?
The former CEO walked out to a massive pop in the latest edition of WWE SmackDown. However, his presence on television was brief, and he only repeated the words from the company's tag line:
"It is a privilege to stand before you here tonight, the WWE Universe. Especially a privilege to stand here in this ring in Minnesota. I am here simply to remind you of the four words that we just saw, and they are what we call the WWE signature. Those four words are then, now, forever, and the most important word is together. Welcome to SmackDown," said Vince McMahon during his brief segment to kick off the show. (1:13-1:52)
This could be Vince McMahon's last appearance on WWE television for a while. However, he will still be in control of the creative team. It will be interesting to see if his absence will cause an evident impact on the overall product.
