Vince McMahon retired in disgrace from all of his WWE roles in the summer of 2022 when reports of hush money payments to women began to circulate. Beyond the payments themselves were the salacious actions that spurned them needing to be made. McMahon, along with former WWE Head of Talent Relation John Laurinitis, were accused of sexually inappropriate behavior with female WWE employees.
McMahon returned to power in WWE at the beginning of last year as the company began exploring the process of selling, which they eventually did to Endeavor, merging with UFC and forming TKO Group Holdings. Once the deal closed, however, McMahon was stripped of the final say in the WWE creative process, with that power being vested in WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. In the months since, McMahon has largely vanished from the public eye and is reportedly taking orders directly from Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel behind the scenes.
On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T was asked about the possibility of Vince McMahon returning to WWE and competing in the men’s Royal Rumble match next weekend.
“Vince just came off of a surgery, spinal surgery not too long ago, and I don’t think Vince is gonna be in the Royal Rumble,” he responded with a laugh. “But I will tell you right now, I wouldn’t put it past him trying to get in. I’m serious, I’m dead serious, man. If anybody would try to pull something off like that, it would be Vince McMahon, but I do not think we’re gonna see Vince in the Royal Rumble in 2024; I just don’t.”
Booker T last competed for WWE in the 2023 Royal Rumble, and some are buzzing that he could return for this year’s installment.
If you use any quotes from this article, please give a h/t to Haus of Wrestling and credit The Hall of Fame podcast