Shane McMahon Quits WWE

The WWE homepage as well as the WWE Corporate website are reporting that Shane McMahon has resigned from WWE effective January 1, 2010. At the time of his resignation, Shane McMahon was the Executive Vice President of Global Media. Both Shane and Vince McMahon are quoted in the press release posted on the WWE Corporate website. Shane is quoted as saying "It has been an incredible experience to help build WWE into a global phenomenon. However, having been associated with this organization for the majority of my life, I feel this is the opportune time in my career to pursue outside ventures." The Vince McMahon quote reads "Even though I am personally saddened by Shane's decision to leave the company, I am proud of the enormous contributions he has made. He will unquestionably bring passion, commitment and extensive business experience to any endeavor he pursues." Vince McMahon is currently the WWE Charmian and CEO.

Shane McMahon addressed the WWE fans directly on the WWE website. You can read his comments here. Highlights include Shane thanking his father, the fans and the WWE Superstars.

Similar to many professional wrestling fans, my first thought was "Is this real or this is a work?" Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Weekly and the PW Torch have confirmed that Shane McMahon is indeed leaving WWE. According to Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Weekly (run by Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez), it was rumored the night before he resigned that Shane McMahon may leave WWE at the end of 2009. The same story claims that those within WWE was "caught off guard" by Shane McMahon's resignation.

So what is next for Shane McMahon? James Caldwell, the assistant editor of the PW Torch, believes that McMahon will stay within the "entertainment business." Professional wrestling fans would love nothing more than for Shane McMahon to get involved in a separate wrestling promotion such as TNA Wrestling or ROH or start his own promotion, thus creating a real-life Invasion Angle. I would be shocked to see Shane McMahon go directly against Vince and the WWE, though.

Shane McMahon is a fan of both MMA and pro boxing. Remember when Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought the Big Show at Wrestlemania? It's well known that McMahon was an integral part in making that match a reality. Obviously, Shane McMahon isn't getting into a boxing ring or MMA cage anytime soon. He'd most likely be an extremely successful promoter, though. Shane McMahon promoting MMA or boxing isn't out of the question as WWE and pro wrestling in general is far, far less popular in the United States than it was a decade ago. MMA has leapfrogged WWE and pro wrestling and promoting fights could be Shane McMahon's way to create his own legacy.

Shane McMahon could also hop on board his mother's senate campaign. Anybody who's watched Shane McMahon on television knows he has the personality for the political world. Perhaps working on Linda McMahon's campaign could give Shane the necessary experience to one day run for political office. Both Meltzer and Alvarez have been speculating for months that Linda McMahon has no shot to win the senate seat. A spot in the campaign would still allow Shane to get away from WWE and pro wrestling, in general. Maybe the McMahon's can be this generation's Kennedy family.

Probably not.

There's also the possibility that Shane McMahon just wants some time away from any spotlight. He is married and has two children. I highly doubt that Shane McMahon would ever have to work another day in his life. I wouldn't be shocked to see Shane take an entire year off to do, well, whatever he wants.

What about the WWE without Shane McMahon? Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online states that Shane is responsible for WWE recently obtaining an "expanded PPV presence in Mexico." WWE fans will still probably not notice the absence of Shane McMahon. It's not as if Shane McMahon was head of the WWE creative team or booking title matches. It's very realistic to assume that fans won't even notice the departure of Shane McMahon from WWE.

Regardless of what Shane McMahon does after WWE, you can be sure of one thing. Unless he decides to go in true competition against Vince and the WWE, Shane McMahon will always be welcomed back to the company his father (and mother, according to her campaign) built. For now, there is now no doubt that the heirs to the WWE kingdom are Stephanie McMahon, daughter of Vince and Linda, and her husband, the wrestler Triple H.