Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Backstage Update On Vince McMahon’s Potential WWE Return

Vince McMahon on TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan
Vince McMahon on TMZ Presents: The Real Hulk Hogan | TMZ/FOX

According to a previous report by PWMania.com, Janel Grant’s civil lawsuit against former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and the WWE is entering arbitration, which is expected to lead to its dismissal soon.

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discussed the lawsuit’s progression. Meltzer said he wouldn’t be surprised if McMahon returned to WWE following the resolution of the lawsuit. When Alvarez expressed skepticism about WWE and TKO bringing McMahon back, Meltzer clarified that, while it is a separate issue, he would not be surprised if McMahon returned to some position.

Alvarez questioned what role McMahon could possibly take, to which Meltzer speculated that TKO would certainly not place him in charge of any major decision-making or allow him to replace Nick Khan or Paul Levesque in their respective roles. However, he suggested that McMahon could be brought back in a figurehead capacity, perhaps making occasional appearances.

Meltzer predicted that if McMahon were to make a surprise appearance at a WWE event, he would likely receive a large reaction from the crowd, highlighting the reality of the situation. He also noted that TKO executives, including President Mark Shapiro and CEO Ari Emanuel, would be reluctant to surrender any of their power. Additionally, Meltzer suggested that Shawn Michaels, the executive producer of WWE NXT, would not want to take on Triple H’s workload as a replacement for him. He emphasized that Triple H has been “really solid in his position,” especially considering the strong work he did as Chief Creative Officer during the early years of his tenure.

Reflecting on the situation with Janel Grant, Meltzer stated that “Grant has had more influence on the big picture of pro wrestling than almost anyone in the last 10 years, except for maybe Tony Khan and Nick Khan.”