Vince McMahon's Retirement: Thoughts From WWE Legends

On July 22nd, 2022, the wrestling world was stunned when WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon officially announced his retirement from WWE. McMahon announced via Twitter the following statement:

"At 77, time for me to retire. Thank you, WWE Universe. Then. Now. Forever. Together.".

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Vince’s retirement announcement comes off the heels of McMahon being accused of alleged sexual misconduct. It was the likely catalyst that led to the now former WWE Chairman stepping away from WWE.

Today, we look at five WWE Legends who will share their thoughts on Vince McMahon’s retirement.

#5. “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash: "Thank you for what you've done for our industry."

Kevin Nash worked with Vince McMahon and credited Vince for giving him a launching pad as the character of “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel.

The persona helped Nash elevate himself from a low-card big man in WCW to a main-event level Superstar that dominated the WWE Championship scene in 1995.

Nash commented on McMahon’s retirement during the Kliq This podcast:

"To Vince McMahon personally, right now I'm sitting in my ocean front podcast studio, and my son and I will drive 1.6 miles down the beach to our ocean front home, and without you believing in me, I would have none of this. I just wanted to personally say thank you and thank you for what you've done for our industry,” said Nash.

Kevin Nash is currently retired and is the co-host of his new podcast called "Kliq This." He recently announced that he is looking to enter the legal cannabis industry to help others reduce body pain and mental turmoil.

#4. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair: "He's one of a kind."

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Ric Flair has done business with Vince McMahon on several occasions. The first was between 1991 and 1993 after Flair departed WCW due to a contract dispute. He would later return to WWE in 2001 and maintain that relationship with WWE on and off over the next couple of decades.

Flair told TMZ.com that he "hates" that McMahon is retiring:

"Yes, I think he's one of a kind and I've said this," said Flair. "He's made so many people rich and he has made chicken salad out of a lot of chicken s**t. Mojo knows what I'm talking about. He's made a lot of people rich."

Ric Flair recently wrestled in what was booked as his final match, retiring at the age of 73. Flair teamed with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in a tag match.

#3. Kurt Angle: "Vince has always been kind of a father figure to me."

Vince McMahon signed Kurt Angle when the “Olympic Gold Medalist” expressed he wanted to pursue a pro wrestling career.

Angle wrestled for WWE between 1998 and 2006 and would depart the company for TNA Wrestling. Feelings of burnout coupled with drug abuse and other issues contributed to Angle’s departure. Angle held a grudge with WWE and Vince McMahon for years, but would eventually reconcile and return to the company in 2017.

Angle commented on Vince’s retirement during an interview with Bleacher Report. Angle said that Vince is like a "father figure" to him:

“I text him five days ago when he decided to retire. I said, ‘Love you, Vince.’ I didn’t want to go into detail, about what happened, this and that. He said, ‘I love you too.’ That’s all we said to each other. Vince has always been kind of a father figure to me. We did have a falling out in 2006, but we mended that in 2017 and I love the guy to death. He’s such a great individual. We all make mistakes as human beings and Vince is no different, but he’s an excellent individual.”

Kurt Angle has retired and is hosting his new podcast called: "The Kurt Angle Show." Angle will be making an appearance next week on WWE Monday Night Raw in his hometown of Pittsburg, PA.

#2. Bret “Hitman” Hart: "I don’t think anybody’s ever made as big a footprint as Vince McMahon."

Bret Hart and Vince McMahon have always had a father-son-type relationship. Hart commented that proudly before the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” at the 1997 Survivor Series.

After years of hatred and frustration following that night, both Hart and McMahon would smooth things over in 2005. They began a new working relationship that eventually helped strengthen and mend the fences between the two.

Hart spoke to our own Bill Apter at Sportskeeda as he admitted that he was surprised to hear that Vince was stepping away from WWE:

“Like everybody else, I’m mostly just kind of surprised," said Hart. "I don’t think anybody’s ever made as big a footprint as Vince McMahon. I feel kinda sad about it, actually. I know people probably think I would be gloating or happy to see him go through what he’s going [through], but I don’t. I feel bad that it happened, or whatever’s happened. I think his loss, or his absence from the business, will be sorely missed.”

Bret Hart is retired and makes sporadic appearances at wrestling conventions.

#1. Eric Bischoff: "It was shocking!"

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Eric Bischoff went to war (literately) with Vince McMahon throughout the 90s as WCW and WWE went back-and-forth in the Monday Night Wars. Bischoff would later be hired by WWE in 2002 and thus began a new working relationship with the bitter rival promoter.

On an episode of Bischoff’s 83 Weeks podcast with co-host Conrad Thompson, Bischoff shared his thoughts on Vince’s retirement:

"It was shocking. I'm still processing it," said Bischoff. "It's still hard for me to believe. I woke up this morning, and I saw an image on my social media, and it was a picture of WWE Headquarters in Stamford [CT]. I thought, can you imagine what it's like walking into that building knowing you won't see Vince McMahon there ever again? At least not professionally as a leader?"

Eric Bischoff is currently a co-host of 83 Weeks with Conrad Thompson.

Also Check Out: 5 on-screen romances of Vince McMahon.