Shane McMahon’s brief return to WWE is already over.
The son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, Shane returned as a “surprise” entrant in last week’s 30-man Royal Rumble match and had been penciled in for matches at Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 38. But after a major dispute at the Royal Rumble, Shane is gone just as quickly as he came back.
Shane has been “sent home” by WWE after a problematic night at the Royal Rumble, the latest development in a reportedly tumultuous relationship between father and son.
According to multiple reports, Shane’s issues with WWE started backstage at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view during the planning of the men’s Royal Rumble. Both Ringside News and the Wrestling Observer reported after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view that McMahon received major “heat” backstage when he “tried to book the Rumble match around himself” and even wanted to change the booking of rapper and fellow surprise entrant Bad Bunny. In others words, he wanted the match to be the Shane McMahon Show.
Shane reportedly grew “extremely frustrated” with Vince when Vince’s “failure to give Shane his stamp of approval on several ideas created some tension.” That tension backstage at the Royal Rumble resulted in a disjointed men’s Royal Rumble that was even viewed as subpar by those within WWE and was one of multiple things that paved the way for Shane’s abrupt departure from the company.
And yes, it was indeed abrupt. Very abrupt.
Despite his below average performances in recent matches, Shane was reportedly set to return to the ring for two significant matches, including a bout at the first-ever Elimination Chamber event in Saudi Arabia and one at WrestleMania 38. At one point, Shane was penciled in for a major match and feud with both Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins, the latter of which would have been set up within the men’s Royal Rumble match itself.
That obviously didn’t happen, and the battle royal received widespread criticism for failing to feature any significant moments or further any ongoing WWE feuds. Shane also lasted to the final four of the match, which is something that typically receives a lot of fanfare, but the lack of a story and the obviousness of Brock Lesnar winning the bout contributed to a disappointing ending to a, well, disappointing show.
Fan criticism of the bout was harsh but warranted, and among the most buzzworthy stories coming out of the event was the belief that it would lead to yet another WrestleMania match for Shane. Once a beloved fan favorite for his daredevil tactics in the ring, Shane’s recent lackluster feuds and matches with the likes of Kevin Owens, The Miz and Braun Strowman didn’t exactly leave fans wanting more.
Thus, Shane’s exit from WWE storylines last year was welcomed with open arms by WWE’s diehard fans, who viewed him as yet another “part-time attraction” who shows up from time to time and “takes a spot” from a deserving star. With Shane raking in a sizable salary last year despite a limited run on WWE programming, he became an easy target for criticism, especially because his run coincided with more than 80 releases that were largely a result of budget cuts.
After returning to WWE in early 2016, Shane quickly endeared himself to fans—yet again—and was one of the most popular performers in the company for an extended period, but as the nostalgia pop wore off, he became one of the more tiresome acts on WWE programming. Thus, his presence on Raw and SmackDown hadn’t exactly been missed, and the thought of him returning to the ring for yet another WrestleMania match was groan-inducing.
But with Shane gone, fans who want WWE to push its full-time stars are now more likely to see that happen.
As WrestleVotes report, Shane’s WWE departure is expected to have long-term ramifications on WWE that extend beyond the squared circle:
Exactly what those ramifications are remain to be seen, but in the immediate future, Shane’s sudden WWE exit will undoubtedly have a domino effect on several prominent stars—such as Rollins and Lashley—and shows, including the biggest pay-per-view of the year.
And many of those effects have already begun.
