Former WWE Co-President George Barrios has opened up about his decision to return to WWE in 2022 and addressed questions surrounding Vince McMahon and the allegations that had surfaced against him at the time.
Speaking with John Pollock of POST Wrestling, Barrios recalled being contacted by McMahon about returning alongside former WWE executive Michelle Wilson to assist with a major business initiative involving the company.
Barrios acknowledged that he was aware of the allegations surrounding McMahon before agreeing to come back but said his understanding of the situation was based on what he knew at the time.
“I’ll be honest, I knew about it. I wasn’t spending my time pouring over things because everything that was being alleged either happened long before we got there, and I think there was one that happened after. My recollection was it wasn’t anything while we were there that anybody was alleging, so I wasn’t paying that much attention.”
According to Barrios, a conversation with McMahon and his own history working alongside him played a major role in his decision.
“When he said what he said to me on that call, the combination of my experience with him and what I saw and what I knew, I said, ‘Yeah, I’m comfortable.’”
Barrios also revealed that he later reviewed details related to the lawsuit filed by Janel Grant and sought legal insight in order to better understand the allegations and timeline involved.
“I read a lot of stuff. I’m not a lawyer. I did talk to one. Part of me said, some of this stuff doesn’t seem to make sense. Explain it to me, even the chronology and so on. Ultimately, did I read it? Yes. Did I get comfortable with it? Yeah.”
During the interview, Barrios pushed back on suggestions that his return to WWE was motivated by loyalty to McMahon.
“No. I’m not a loyalist to anybody. In fact, I’m somewhat of a disagreeable person. I do what I think is right, and if somebody doesn’t like it, I’m very comfortable if somebody doesn’t like the decisions I make.”
Barrios further clarified that McMahon did not specifically bring him back to help facilitate a sale of WWE. Instead, he said the goal was to evaluate the company’s options and determine the best path forward from a business perspective.
Barrios and Wilson ultimately played key roles in the strategic review process that led to WWE’s merger with Endeavor and the formation of TKO Group Holdings, bringing WWE and UFC under the same corporate umbrella.
The comments provide additional insight into the thinking behind Barrios’ return to WWE during one of the most turbulent periods in the company’s history and shed light on how he approached the controversy surrounding McMahon while evaluating whether to become involved again.
