Former WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon has been pictured for the first time since he announced his retirement on July 22.
Vince shocked the wrestling world, and even portions of the mainstream media, last month by announcing his retirement from WWE.
McMahon was under investigation by WWE after allegations of sexual misconduct, but very few people expected the whole situation to result with him permanently stepping down from the company.
However, Vince made the announcement on July 22, with it being announced the same day that Stephanie McMahon, his daughter, had been appointed as WWE’s Chairwoman.
She’s also now serving as the company’s co-CEO alongside Nick Khan, who Vince brought in to be WWE’s President towards the end of his tenure.
It was then announced the following week that Vince’s son-in-law, Triple H, was going to now be essentialy running Raw and SmackDown as the company’s new Head of Creative.
Speaking of Vince, photos have now emerged of the ex-WWE higher-up for the first time since his exit from the wrestling giant.
McMahon was snapped standing alongside an unknown woman as they celebrated his 77th birthday, which took place on August 24.
The pair were joined in New York City by former WWE Champion John Cena and his wife, Shay Shariatzadeh, as you can see below.
Vince McMahon celebrated his 77th birthday yesterday with John Cena in New York City. pic.twitter.com/hR8rqtmNo8
— Roman Reigns SZN 💥 (@reigns_era) August 25, 2022
Vince McMahon with his companion last night in NYC for his birthday. He had dinner with John Cena and his wife Shay Shariatzadeh. pic.twitter.com/23gl62Zq46
— Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) August 25, 2022
Wrestling fans really didn’t know what Vince was going to do now that he’s not running WWE, given that he dedicated pretty much all of his life into making the company the global juggernaut that it is today.
Some even speculated that Vince may be helping to run WWE in the shadows, but any speculation of that has been shut down by all parties, whether that be WWE sources or reputable journalists.
In fact, it would be illegal for Vince to run things in secret behind the scenes following his retirement, given that WWE is a publicly-traded company.
There is a feeling of optimism surrounding WWE right now, something that many fans haven’t really felt for quite some time.
Triple H is seen to be booking WWE Raw and SmackDown quite well, many some well-received decisions that many fans feel as if simply wouldn’t have happened under Vince.
The WWE share price is up as well, as are the ratings for both Raw and SmackDown, as all things considered, it seems like the transition from WWE with to without Vince has gone pretty smoothly.