Whats the story?
As first reported by The Dirty Sheets Podcast via our "DS Breaking News" show, Vince McMahon was backstage at Raw for the first time in three weeks. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the following Soundcloud link.
In case you didn't know...
Vince is a workaholic who has devoted his life to WWE for over three decades. Several Wrestlers have commented on Vince calling them at 2 am to discuss an idea or seeing him in a Hotel at midnight in his gym gear.
The Heart of the matter
Vince returned this week for Raw in Jersey after missing all the WWE's West Coast shows and the UK tour. According to our sources, the writers were not upset that Vince took three weeks off because Triple H took over the reigns and instilled a more relaxed atmosphere.
However, despite McMahon not being there, the change was not noticeable on TV. Rather than pushing out the envelope, it seemed like the creative team were even more limited due to his absence, with Raw doing it’s two worst ratings of the year. This is likely to discourage the Chairman from missing too many more editions of his flagship show.
Also read: 5 shocking things Vince McMahon has overlooked in the last 12 months
What's next?
This extended break was seen as a real indication that Vince McMahon may be winding down. Moving forward, McMahon is likely to limit his travelling to short-haul locations, meaning that the duo of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are likely to inherit even more control over of the company. However, if we see a trend of ratings decreasing in his absence, he may well postpone his plans to fade into the background.
Author's take
While McMahon may have been at home for three weeks, his thumb print was still all over the Raw shows. He was probably influential in some way, probably via conference and phone calls. I would venture a guess that Vince was even less reluctant to sign off on developments in his absence, resulting in shows that were actually more dull than usual.
If that was not the case and the shows were fully run by Triple H with McMahon’s blessing, then the future of the WWE doesn’t appear to look too enthralling. Despite being credited for the success of NXT, Triple H may find 5 hours of TV a week is an entirely different kettle of fish – one that he may not be equipped to deal with.
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