WWE Rumors: Shane McMahon’s Big Push On Both Brands Is ‘Infuriating’ Other Wrestlers, Per ‘Fightful Select’
He’s 49-years-old, not a conventionally trained wrestler, and prior to late last year, was primarily utilized on-air as an authority figure. Despite all that, Shane McMahon has received quite a sizable push on both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live, taking advantage of WWE’s “Wild Card Rule” to appear on both shows and even defeating Roman Reigns — the man whom many still consider to be the company’s top babyface — at the Super ShowDown pay-per-view earlier this month. As a new report alleges, it’s not just the fans who are apparently unhappy with McMahon’s current status as a top-tier talent.
Quoting a members-only report from Fightful Select, WhatCulture wrote on Tuesday that there are a number of wrestlers who believe that Shane McMahon’s main event push “in the middle of a Wild Card scenario that already limits screen time for others is infuriating.” As explained by the latter publication, Shane — who is the son of WWE owner and chairman Vince McMahon — has traditionally been known as “divisive” during his time as an onscreen performer, but has recently been getting the wrong kind of reactions from fans due to his perceived overexposure on Raw and SmackDown.
“That last word is critical,” WhatCulture wrote, referring to the “infuriating” reaction wrestlers allegedly have to McMahon’s push.
“If the report is accurate (and the source’s track record suggests it probably is), then it sounds like the WWE locker-room has finally had enough of the boss’ son taking what could be their televised opportunities – and understandably so. Imagine being Ali or Buddy Murphy at the moment.”
Never gets old for @shanemcmahon… #RAW #BestInTheWorld pic.twitter.com/0rrn6H7xZt
— WWE (@WWE) June 18, 2019
The latest rumors from Fightful Select come shortly after it was reported by the WrestleVotes Twitter account that the payoff to McMahon’s main event push could be a reign as WWE Champion, where he could be booked to defeat reigning titleholder Kofi Kingston at an upcoming event. While WrestleVotes stressed that their source was merely speculating on the matter, Forbes wrote that the tweet nonetheless led to “panic” among WWE fans who are already frustrated with the creative direction the company has recently taken.
Shane McMahon’s apparent unpopularity among fans marks a stark contrast to the goodwill that surrounded him when he returned to WWE television in 2016 after a seven-year hiatus, per Daily DDT. At that time, he was booked as a babyface authority figure who wrestled on occasion, primarily at WrestleMania and other major pay-per-views, where he typically showcased his ability to perform high-flying maneuvers but ended up losing to the likes of The Undertaker and AJ Styles.
