Chris Jericho Voices Opinion On Vince McMahon Controversy—Is It Time For McMahon To Quietly Step Away?

Things seem to be going from bad to worse as far as the Vince McMahon allegations are concerned, but if you ask AEW star, Chris Jericho, things should blow over soon enough.

The Wall Street Journal came out with a story last month about hush money chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon, paid employees he was having relations with and just this week, the same news source came out with a second piece stating that other instances of the same thing have been uncovered, bringing the amount he paid in hush money to over $12 million.

Now Jericho stated recently that he doesn’t condone what Vince did in any way…stating it’s morally wrong, but as many have already said, if he didn’t use company funds, there’s nothing illegal in what transpired.

He made the following statements while speaking on the True Geordie Podcast:

“I mean is there a surprise in any industry when it happens? And really, when you look at it, it’s not illegal. He had an affair, paid the lady off to not say anything, and moved on. People want to jump on it but there’s still always an undertone of, ‘It’s wrestling’. If you look, that story came out with a bang, and then you really haven’t heard anything about it since…

If this was, you know, Hollywood with Harvey Weinstein, that sort of thing. But the difference between that was he was holding women back from getting gigs, Harvey Weinstein, either bang me or you don’t get the starring role. This has never been said in Vince’s thing. There was a mutual acknowledgment of this affair and then he paid the lady to say nothing and she took the money so, you know. I really know Vince well and it sucks that it happened and it sucks that he did it but is anything really gonna happen from it? I really don’t think so…

I think it’ll come and go and, once again, is it morally right? Absolutely not…Is it illegal? No. Is it something that’s gonna get him in real trouble? I don’t think so because once again, unfortunately, ‘Oh, it’s just Vince McMahon, it’s just wrestling, of course, he’s going to do that.’ So, those things come and go and they happen, and it’s too bad but I really think it doesn’t really matter in the long run. Six months from now, I’ll either be right or I’ll be wrong.”

via Wrestling Inc. (Transcription)

Now not to correct Chris Jericho in any way; he is a legend and I respect him a great deal, but there are also allegations about rape—many cases—the sending of nudes of himself (McMahon) to talent (employees), and the possible stifling of some members of the female roster for not renewing a particular woman’s contract after she wouldn’t continue servicing him sexually. This was all in the Wall Street Journal’s piece and in others published since the story’s appearance. Perhaps at the time of Chris’ interview, he was not aware of the extent of the allegations….

In full, the issue with the aforementioned member of the women’s wrestling roster in WWE goes as follows: McMahon paid her the sum of 7.5 million in hush money; he then apparently demoted her, and when she decided not to continue ‘servicing’ him further, he let her contract expire and did not at all renew it.

In the end though, it does quite obviously tarnish the credibility of the character of a man, that if we look at the story of Vince McMahon, WWE themselves have told us in the past that Mr. McMahon and Vince McMahon are two separate entities. The allegations however, kind of join the two, making the fictional monster Mr. McMahon and the real life Vincent Kennedy McMahon, one in the same.

In the end it’s hard to tell the two apart, and seeing that Jericho himself brings up the Weinstein affair that happened at the height of the Me Too Movement, WWE perhaps needs to think about what’s best for WWE…. Do they really want people to think: ‘Well, it’s just pro wrestling…yeah…he did all that and well, it’s just pro wrestling’?

It’s funny…they didn’t do that for Chris Benoit…they just erased him. They didn’t do that for Enzo Amore when he was accused during the Me Too Movement and later cleared…. Aren’t they just pro wrestlers too?

Guess not.

Whomever is in charge at WWE right now—we’re told it’s Stephanie—needs to decide what’s best for the company and its legacy.

In the end, the place wouldn’t exist in part without Vince McMahon and the talented roster he has always had…men and women that sacrificed their health, families and well-being…without all of them he’d be nowhere, and still he should be remembered for what he accomplished over the years.

But now, as many have already said, it’s best if he is made to stay away. Besides, creative in WWE right now is disastrous and just odd. It isn’t like he’s had any amazing ideas in the last decade; let’s face it.

The best thing for WWE, is for Vince to step away and let what he built grow and flourish without him. Especially in light of all of this that’s going on.

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