AMERICAN ace wrestling promoter, Vince McMahon has announced his retirement from WWE at the age of 77 amid allegations of sexual misconduct dating back decades.
McMahon’s agent, yesterday, announced that he was now retiring entirely from the industry that he built.
In a statement released by his attorney, the WWE former boss said: “As I approach 77 years old, I feel it’s time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE.
“Throughout the years, it’s been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you.
“I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand.
“Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment.
“I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of sports entertainment.”
In the statement, McMahon also acknowledged that is leaving the company in the capable hands of Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan.
“Our global audience can take comfort in knowing WWE will continue to entertain you with the same fervor, dedication, and passion as always.
“I am extremely confident in the continued success of WWE, and I leave our company in the capable hands of an extraordinary group of superstars, employees, and executives – in particular, both Chairwoman and Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and Co-CEO Nick Khan.
“As the majority shareholder, I will continue to support WWE in any way I can. My personal thanks to our community and business partners, shareholders, and Board of Directors for their guidance and support through the years. Then. Now. Forever. Together,” the statement also read.
McMahon was the unchallenged king of WWE until last month, when it was claimed he secretly paid a female employee, Rita Marie Chatterton millions of dollars in hush money after having an affair with her.
Chatterton, now 64, the first female WWE referee, claimed McMahon raped her in his limo in 1986. She first made the allegation in 1992 while appearing on Gerald Rivera’s TV show, but it has resurfaced amid new allegations of misconduct.
The woman was a paralegal with whom McMahon is said to have had an affair. It’s unclear when the affair occurred, but McMahon allegedly doubled the woman’s salary from $100,000 to $200,000 when it began.
When their romance turned sour, he kept her quiet with a $3million payout, according to the allegations first reported to The Wall Street Journal.
The WWE board – which is largely made up of the McMahon family – began investigating the allegations and McMahon stepped down. His daughter Stephanie stepped in as interim CEO.
As a result of that investigation, a decades-old claim resurfaced.
Chatterton’s allegation was recently corroborated by former wrestler, Leonard Inzitari, who says he saw Chatterton after the alleged attack.
“I remember it like it was yesterday. She was a wreck. She was shaking. She was crying,” Inzitari, who went by the wrestling alias Mario Mancini, told Intelligencer.
He said he had kept it a secret for decades in fear of being marginalised by McMahon and his family, who control the industry.
“He’s dug himself, such a deep hole that I’m just tired of it. I can’t do it anymore,” he added, explaining of his decision to speak out now.
According to him, Chatterton told him through sobs how McMahon “took his penis out”, forced her to perform oral sex on him, then forced himself ‘inside’ of her. He recalled telling her: ‘You just keep your mouth shut, because it’s Vince McMahon. What are you gonna do, stooge on Vince McMahon? You’re gonna be blackballed from the wrestling business!’
McMahon gave her first major refereeing job in 1975, then, she claims, offered her a contract of $500,000 a year to referee on-screen.
“At the time, I knew that’s a huge amount of money, but I didn’t know what the wrestlers were making,’ Chatterton said.
She told Intelligencer that McMahon told her not to fraternize with any of the wrestlers, warning her: “Keep it clean. I don’t wanna see you messing around with any of the wrestlers. You keep it professional.”
McMahon has not commented on the allegations since Chatterton appeared on Geraldo Rivera’s TV show in 1992.
He instead, sued her and Rivera, alleging that they were trying to bring him down and were spurred on by his enemies. The lawsuit was discontinued without either side winning.
McMahon is married to Linda, who served as the head of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s presidency
