Jim Ross Suggests Shane McMahon Could Bring Valuable Skills to AEW

Shane McMahon has maintained a low profile in the wrestling industry since his absence from WWE after WrestleMania 39. Moreover, rumours of McMahon possibly working with AEW gained momentum following his recent meeting with Tony Khan.

AEW CEO Tony Khan and Shane McMahon met privately on Monday, July 29, 2024, at a private office in Arlington airport. This was the first face-to-face encounter between the two despite Khan’s previous interest in connecting with McMahon. The meeting focused on “possibilities moving forward.”

AEW commentator and wrestling veteran Jim Ross, on his Grilling JR podcast, gave his take on their meeting and the photo that emerged. He expressed surprise at the image, noting it was “pretty cool.” Ross praised Shane’s potential contributions to AEW stating that Tony Khan would hire him if he helped the company, highlighting his name recognition and background in wrestling.

Jim Ross also mentioned that Shane could handle some physical roles and bring strategic value as a TV character and emphasized that the wrestling business is in Shane’s blood and that he could be a valuable addition to AEW, though he did not have any insider information about Shane joining the company.

“If Shane could help us, help AEW, then Tony would hire him, and Shane would accept the offer. I had never seen that picture [of Khan and McMahon meeting]. That’s surprising. That’s pretty cool, actually. Shane, he could add a lot. He could do some physical things, within reason. He has great name identity. People who know he is. You don’t have to stop and explain, ‘This is Vince McMahon’s son.’ That goes without saying. But if Tony’s an entrepreneur, and if he thought that Shane could help us in AEW, and if Shane thought he could have some fun, make a couple of paydays, I’m sure Shane is not in need of a significant cash influx, but he wants to have fun and contribute. Look, the wrestling business is in Shane’s blood. Where else does he go if he wants to stay in that vocation? I’m a Shane McMahon fan. I like him. I’ve known him since he was in high school. He’s full of piss and vinegar, always, to the point of being almost humorous at times, but he’s smart. Again, the audience, our target audience knows who the hell he is. He’s got a good reputation. If he does come there to work for Tony and AEW…where else does he go if he wants to stay in the pro wrestling business. I think he could help us in a lot of ways, strategically, as a TV character, obviously the main thing. So we’ll just have to wait and see how that works out. I don’t have any outstanding hope or any inside info that he’s the guy, but he might be a new addition at some point in time. If so, between both their creative abilities, he would be entertaining.”

Shane McMahon has been an important figure for WWE for years with the company’s internal reaction also revealed to his meeting with Tony Khan. Moreover, as Jim Ross mentioned, could bring immense value to AEW. So whether Khan and McMahon will end up working together this year remains to be seen, as anything can happen in the world of professional wrestling.

What are your thoughts on Jim Ross’s belief that Shane McMahon could bring valuable skills to AEW? Will McMahon actually end up signing with Tony Khan’s company? Sound off in the comments!