What if Shane McMahon never left WWE?

Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon's time away from WWE changed the course of the company's history.

At the end of 2009, Shane McMahon left WWE. He’d already receded to a very occasional part-time role as an on-air personality, though disappearing altogether still left a hole in WWE’s roster, and removed him from the list of popular “surprise” stars to sprout back up for big shows and angles.

Shane abandoned his backstage executive role. It’s widely rumored that he was either outright told, or else could read the writing on the wall that his sister Stephanie, and his brother in law Triple H had usurped the role he once sought. Nonetheless, even if he wasn’t going to be the top executive in WWE, we have to assume he’d have still factored in as a corporate leader with significant stroke.

Shane did end up returning in 2016. As far as the public is concerned, this is a strictly on-air talent role, though given his family connections, it’s rumored he is a backstage power player, too, and may transition back into a formal executive role sooner than later.

In the meantime, it’s interesting to consider what things might have looked like for both Shane and the larger WWE organization had he never walked away from the company at all. This article looks at five potential outcomes.


#5 A division of power

Stephanie and Triple H might have remained in power, but Shane would have a piece of the pie.
Stephanie and Triple H might have remained in power, but Shane would have a piece of the pie.

The general consensus was that with or without Shane in the mix, Stephanie and Triple H were moving into top executive roles in WWE. Had Shane stayed the course, however, there’s plenty of reason to believe his father would have delegated significant responsibility to him.

In particular, Shane was reportedly a champion of WWE's international expansion as well as the ECW brand. It’s not too far out of reach to imagine he might have had the opportunity to head up ventures such as NXT or 205 Live had he continuously been in the mix, as opposed to Triple H getting the reigns.

Another possiblilty—Shane might have had a pronounced role in facilitating WWE’s more recent dealings with India, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and other international markets, and potentially have pushed along some of those negotiations sooner.

#4 Shane wrestles at WrestleMania 27

Shane WrestleMania
Shane McMahon would have gotten back in the ring much sooner.

There were a number of times during Shane’s absence from WWE when one could argue that the roster was hurting. Prior to the contemporary influx of NXT trained talent, with older stars fading, and injuries mounting, there were multiple occasions when even the biggest show of the year didn’t feel so special.

One of those times was WrestleMania 27—a show saved in part by The Rock returning in a non-wrestling role, and by Triple H and The Undertaker’s legends match. It’s telling, however, that the underwhelming showdown of WWE Champion The Miz defending against John Cena closed out the show.

This is exactly the sort of time when, despite working increasingly part-time on screen, WWE would have broken the glass in case of emergency. They might have plugged Shane-O-Mac into the proceedings to work an otherwise underutilized talent like Wade Barrett or Dolph Ziggler.

#3 Shane factors into The Authority storyline

The Authority
Shane McMahon may have been an ally or an opponent to The Authority.

One could argue that The Authority angle continues right up to present day through the off and on machinations of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s characters. The meatiest, most consistent part of this story, though, stretched from SummerSlam 2013 to WrestleMania 32.

For the majority of that two and a half year period, The Game and Stephanie abused their power over the stars of Monday Night Raw, only to be occasionally foiled by the likes of Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns. They oversaw the most recent full-fledged heel main event run of Randy Orton and the rise of Seth Rollins into a top-tier singles star.

The Authority has had its moments, though many fans would argue its story has stretched far too long at this point. We can debate the gimmick’s merits, but there’s little doubt if Shane McMahon had been around, he would have gotten involved in their story.

Perhaps Shane would have been an ally to further reinforce the duo’s power over the company. More likely, he would have played a foil, stepping into at least temporarily challenge their power.

#2 No People Power

John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis may not have starred on screen if Shane was an option.

2011 to 2012 saw an era in which John Laurinaitis starred as an on-air authority figure. Laurinaitis had some things going for him, such as the built-in credibility of really having been a WWE executive, the meta asset of fans already being predisposed not to like him based on his reputation, and the physicality of his own wrestling career behind him.

However, when it came to charisma and generating excitement as a heel character, he was largely void of electricity.

Indeed, if WWE wanted a heel authority figure at this point before Stephanie returned to full time on-air work, and while Triple H was still working face, Shane McMahon could have ably filled that void.

He’s a far more capable wrestling talker than Laurinaitis, with a built-in recognition from even casual fans of the Attitude Era. With Shane in the mix, WWE wouldn’t have had to take the same kinds of ill-advised challenges such as booking Laurinaitis so prominently.

#1 An influx of indie stars sooner

Zayn Owens Bryan
The indie revolution may have hit WWE sooner if Shane had a part in the decision making.

Shane McMahon is widely reported to have had an eye on the original ECW before others in power at WWE did, and to have helped usher in the more extreme elements of the Attitude Era. He is also known as an outside thinker who pushed for an international system to develop stars around the world.

Shane wasn’t known as a proponent of the WWE developmental system that took hold in the mid-to-late 2000s, centered on essentially manufacturing Randy Orton clones with a similar look, crafted in the WWE system without indie experience to mess with their aesthetics.

Had Shane stuck around WWE, he may have made his voice heard. Long before Triple H steered NXT into signing top indie talent, Shane may well have pushed similar thinking.

While a lot of top indie talent ultimately made it to WWE anyway in the last few years, we may have seen them in WWE sooner, and WWE may not have missed out on guys like Christopher Daniels, Chris Sabin, and Jay Lethal who still haven’t, and seem increasingly unlikely to cross the divide.