WrestleMania has always been about spectacle.
With its body slams under the lights, entrance music thundering through stadiums, and grown adults leaping from turnbuckles, it attracts millions of fans including dart’s world champion Luke Littler. But as WWE prepares to stream its most iconic event on Netflix for the first time this weekend, a darker story lingers in the background – one that no pyrotechnic or promo package can cover up. While 72,000 are expected to pack into Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium, with 120 million more tuning in worldwide, one man will not be present: WWE’s controversial founder, Vince McMahon.
This is only the second WrestleMania without the billionaire architect behind the scenes. Yet, it will be held under the shadow of an explosive lawsuit accusing him of sex trafficking, abuse, and assault.
McMahon didn’t just shape WrestleMania. He built it from the ground up. After purchasing the then-World Wrestling Federation from his father in 1982, he threw convention out the window and took the sport national. Combining the drama of soap operas with the spandex-clad muscle of sports to create a brand of entertainment that was uniquely, unapologetically loud.
He booked WrestleMania I in March 1985 like a Hollywood blockbuster, pairing Hulk Hogan with Mr T and bringing in Muhammad Ali and Cyndi Lauper for mainstream appeal. WrestleMania wasn’t just wrestling – it became instant pop culture and the springboard to a billion-dollar empire now mired in controversy and accusations. Even one of the sport’s biggest stars is under no illusions about how wrestling has been affected.
Ahead of tomorrow’s WrestleMania 41, Roman Reigns opened up about the serious accusations against McMahon during an interview with Vanity Fair.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, who will take part in a high-stakes triple-threat match against CM Punk and Seth Rollins, shared his thoughts on the situation involving former WWE employee Janel Grant, who filed a lawsuit in early 2024, accusing McMahon of sexual misconduct, abuse, and trafficking.
In her lawsuit, Grant alleges that McMahon:
Grant claims the abuse occurred frequently on WWE property. She alleges McMahon’s behaviour escalated over time, becoming more degrading and violent. Grant’s legal team has emphasised that she is a victim and survivor, not a “WWE storyline”.
The lawsuit, which also names WWE and former executive John Laurinaitis as co-defendants, remains active in the legal system. Following the lawsuit’s filing, McMahon, who has denied the allegations, stepped down from his roles within WWE and TKO Group Holdings, which owns the UFC.
Reigns, real name Joe Anoa’i, expressed his concern for Grant and described the allegations as “embarrassing.” He emphasised the importance of her well-being and expressed his hope that she is now in a safe and stable environment.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Reigns said: “She has to carry the weight of everything she experienced, and I just hope she feels safe and comfortable wherever she is now. It’s embarrassing – this isn’t the kind of thing you ever want to hear about, especially with your family involved in this industry.”
According to the interview, Reigns revealed that McMahon did contact him last year to wish him a happy birthday, but made it clear that the former WWE Chairman has fully distanced himself from the company’s operations since his resignation.
WrestleMania was the crown jewel of professional wrestling. The British Bulldogs’ tag-team classic at WrestleMania 2, where they defeated The Dream Team to win the WWF Tag Team Championships, became a defining moment in the sport’s history. Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid brought high-energy technical brilliance that drew in millions of fans from the UK.
There were countless other unforgettable matches that cemented WrestleMania’s legacy, including Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania III, which is often cited as one of the greatest matches of all time. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV became a storytelling masterclass. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 – the match that turned Austin into a megastar. McMahon created them all.
In addition to the match, he also gave the larger-than-life legacy of The Rock, John Cena, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, and more, who made their names on the grandest stage. Even Donald Trump was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame following his high-profile appearance at WrestleMania 23 in 2007, where he participated in the “Battle of the Billionaires” – a headline-grabbing match that pitted him against McMahon.
After Trump’s win, the event’s CEO was shaved bald as part of the match’s stipulation. The US president’s ties to the McMahon family run deep. Linda McMahon, Vince’s now ex-wife, served in Trump’s first presidential administration and is now his Education Secretary.
But now, the stage that made legends is under a different spotlight. In January 2024, a civil lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Grant accused McMahon of sexual misconduct, trafficking, and psychological abuse. It also named WWE and executive John Laurinaitis as co-defendants. McMahon stepped down from all corporate roles shortly after the filing, denying the allegations.
This wasn’t his first brush with controversy. In 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported he paid over £9.5 million ($12 million) in hush money to suppress previous misconduct allegations. He retired briefly, only to return in early 2023 before the current scandal forced him out once again.
Only in February, federal prosecutors ended their criminal investigation into whether the former WWE CEO and chairman tried to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct with multiple former employees. This year, though, he won’t be lurking in the backstage gorilla position. He won’t be calling any matches. Nor will he be welcome in the building.
Instead, WWE’s face is now Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the company’s chief content officer and McMahon’s son-in-law. Under his leadership, WrestleMania 41 feels different — not just because it’s debuting on Netflix, but because the company is fighting to prove that its future doesn’t have to look like its past. The scandal is not just about McMahon.
It’s about wrestling’s long-standing issues with power dynamics, exploitation, and blurred lines between on-screen persona and real-life abuse. It’s a painful irony. The show that McMahon built – the empire he cultivated with muscle, money, and manipulation – now marches on without him while his name is entrenched in scandal.
The Netflix documentary Mr McMahon, released in September 2024, chronicled his rise and fall. It included interviews with stars like The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker and reporters who uncovered his wrongdoings. It painted a picture of a complex figure who thrived in the chaos he created – until it consumed him. And yet, the legacy endures.
WrestleMania continues because of – and in spite of – McMahon. Triple H, who once played McMahon’s villainous son-in-law on screen, now serves as his real-world successor. In many ways, his vision for WWE is already reshaping the product – emphasising in-ring quality, fewer returns to tired tropes, and a focus on developing new stars like Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, and LA Knight.
Rhodes himself recently took a pointed shot during a promo: “They chose me,” he said to Cena. “Can you say the same, John? Or was it one guy in an office who chose you – a guy we don’t talk about anymore?” The line landed like a piledriver.
For many fans, the answer to McMahon’s legacy isn’t as simple as changing the channel or booking a new main event. Wrestling has always occupied a strange place in pop culture — part athletic competition, part improv theatre, part corporate machine. Its strength has always been its ability to reflect the absurdity and cruelty of real life. But that same rawness has forced the industry to look in the mirror.
The lawsuits, the hush money, and the allegations are not just part of McMahon’s story; they’re part of wrestling’s story. As WWE takes WrestleMania to Netflix, it does so knowing that this year, the world is watching more than ever—not just the matches but the message.
As the bell rings and superstars collide, fans will remember the great WrestleMania moments: The British Bulldogs’ iconic tag win, Andre the Giant getting slammed by Hogan, Kofi Kingston’s emotional championship victory, and Becky Lynch closing the show. Such moments live forever in highlight reels and fans’ hearts.
But this year’s WrestleMania will still be haunted by McMahon. The shadow he cast over WWE won’t submit overnight.
According to a statement provided by Laurinitis’ lawyer, Edward Brennan, the former WWE Head of Talent Relations maintains that he is a victim in this case.
“Mr Laurinaitis denies the allegations in the misguided complaint and will be vigorously defending these charges in court, not the media,” Brennan wrote on Laurinaitis’ behalf in February. “Like the plaintiff, Mr Laurinaitis is a victim in this case, not a predator. The truth will come out.”According to McMahon’s attorney, Robert Allen, federal prosecutors in Manhattan officially ended their criminal investigation into McMahon.
The probe examined whether McMahon attempted to conceal multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. No further action has been taken.
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