WWE: New Stephanie McMahon Report Contradicts Previous Claims

Stephanie McMahon's decision to take a leave of absence from WWE last month has resulted in a number of backstage reports springing up from various online outlets. This week kicked off with a new one from Business Insider, which stated Vince McMahon had a role in pushing Stephanie out of the company and had a source which claimed there was frustration within the company over a lack of revenue being brought in via sponsorships and marketing under Stephanie's leadership as Chief Brand Officer. The source was quoted saying, "We weren't seeing that growth. When someone is moved out of a company, it's usually the result of something not working. We took stronger control of that a few months ago."

Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp then dropped a report on Tuesday that seemed to contradict the Business Insider report. Sapp wrote, "...we can confirm that those that were involved with WWE ahead of the Nick Khan regime were letting people know that wasn't the case even before the news dropped," in regards to the claims that Vince McMahon was involved in her departure. Unnamed employees brought in both before and after Nick Khan's hiring as company president all claimed Stephanie's decision was her own choice. Sources also noted that there was room for improvement within the company regarding sponsorships, but that wasn't putting Stephanie's job at risk.

WWE announced via press release on Monday morning Catherine Newman had been hired as the new Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing. It has been pointed out that many of her responsibilities overlap with Stephanie's position.

"WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Catherine Newman has been named Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing," the release read. "Newman brings more than two decades of executive experience to WWE including her most recent role as Chief Marketing Officer of Manchester United Media. She has also held senior positions at The Times of London and Financial Times, leading global marketing initiatives, developing strategic partnerships, and boosting subscription growth across various products. As part of WWE's senior leadership team, Newman's oversight will include Marketing, Brand, Community Relations, Entertainment Relations, Creative Services and Photography. She is a graduate of Loughborough University, a Chartered Institute of Marketing Postgraduate from Buckinghamshire New University and a Fellow & Mentor in the Marketing Academy, United Kingdom."