Vince McMahon’s WWE Return Did Not Align With Former Board Member’s Values

Vince McMahon resigned from WWE after a hush money scandal blew up. He returned a few months later, and later ushered in a new era for WWE, complete with a UFC merger. Along the way, one board member departed when McMahon returned, and he had his own reason for doing so.

The Los Angeles Times has published a new article discussing Vince McMahon and the recent sale of WWE to Endeavor. In the article, former WWE board member Ignace Lahoud provided on-the-record comments regarding McMahon’s comeback to WWE and his subsequent resignation. Both Lahoud and Man Jit Singh stepped down after McMahon’s return.

Vince McMahon retired in July 2022 amid allegations of sexual misconduct and hush money payments. A Board of Directors investigation was initiated, with Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan assuming co-CEO roles.

Mr. McMahon made a comeback in January 2023 as the controlling shareholder, expressing interest in potentially selling the company. The board expressed reservations about his return during the government’s investigation, but McMahon used his majority voting power to remove board members JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey R. Speed, and Alan M. Wexler. The company was later sold to Endeavor, concluding the saga.

Ignace Lahoud said of his own exit: “It wasn’t aligned with my way of seeing what governance is. There was a misalignment with what my values are.”

A source close to a removed board member added: “He’s the kind of person who expects loyalty.” They also said that even though the Board was doing its job by investigating him, Vince McMahon saw it as an act of betrayal.

Another source noted that last year, “He said, ‘OK, do whatever you guys need to do. I’m not going to stand in your way.’ Of course, when the board said, ‘Well, you know, we think you need to step down,’ he wasn’t happy about it, but he did it.“

WWE is a very complicated business, and there could be some crazy stories to tell when everything is said and done. Only time will tell if anyone will be legally allowed to tell those tales, because there is a lot going on behind-the-scenes in the company right now.

We previously reported that Vince McMahon might be forced to step down from WWE due to a federal investigation. Only time will tell what happens next in this situation, because Vince McMahon’s reign of power is going to continue at full steam.

What’s your take on this new information about WWE? Sound off in the comments to let us know what you think!