Roman Reigns Comments on Vince McMahon's WWE Retirement

By Connor Casey

Roman Reigns was one of the first WWE Superstars to actively address Vince McMahon's sudden departure from WWE during this week's Monday Night Raw, jokingly pointing out to Theory that his "daddy" was no longer here to support him in the first promo of the night. Reigns then appeared on TODAY the following morning and was asked about the situation. "The Tribal Chief" declined to comment on the ongoing legal situation that drove McMahon to part ways with the company, simply saying, "I just wish him nothing but luck and happiness in the future. It's been great."

McMahon announced his retirement on Friday, which was followed by an internal memo sent out to everyone within the company. He wrote, "To all WWE Superstars: as I approach 77 years old (OMG am I really that old?), I feel it's time for me to retire. I've thoroughly enjoyed my passion, wisdom, and love of the business with you. No longer will you see the smiling, docile, level-headed, calm presence at Gorilla every week. Your dedication to WWE will ensure that our company will continue to grow and prosper. Our organization is nothing without you. You are WWE's only natural resource, chosen to perform in front of a global audience.

"You are all WWE Global Ambassadors. Carry the WWE flag wherever you go. Wave it high and proud. And bust your ass to be all you can be as a persn and as a performer," he continued. "One other thing — I won't be with you, but I'll be watching. Remember to keep your hands up, grab hold, and sell. Btw, SmackDown airs live tonight at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central on FOX. Vince."

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that his resignation was "hastened" by federal prosecutors and the SEC inquiring about the millions of dollars McMahon paid to allegedly cover up sexual misconduct with a handful of former WWE employees. WWE also filed an 8-K statement this week that $14.6 million dollars in unrecorded expenses directly connected to McMahon had been discovered and that financial statements going back to 2019 need to be refiled. 

Tony Maglio of IndieWire further explained the situation on Twitter, writing, "I'm told WWE is revising financial statements due to the potential 'qualitative benefit' of the NDAs Vince had the women sign. The payments were wire transfers from Vince's personal funds. The expenses will be recorded similarly to severance – a one-time expense. The payments are being made on a schedule, hence the 'future' payments alluded to in the 8-K. (Think the Bobby Bonilla/Mets deal. Except not as long and not that.)"

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