The Undertaker Endorses Stephanie McMahon as WWE's Interim CEO and Chairwoman
The Undertaker (real name Mark Calaway) spoke with Sports Illustrated this week to promote his upcoming Undertaker 1 deadMan Show event and was asked about the ongoing situation regarding WWE's leadership. Back on June 15, The Wall Street Journal broke the news that WWE's Board of Directors was investigating Vince McMahon for allegedly paying a former employee millions of dollars to keep an affair quiet. Stephanie McMahon has since stepped in as the interim CEO and Chairwoman, with McMahon still holding the majority of shares, voting power on the board and his position as WWE's Head of Creative.
Calaway gave a glowing review of Stephanie, saying, "Stephanie is incredible, and she's going to show that in this new role. She is level-headed, she sees the whole picture. Her steady, calm hand is exactly what is needed. There's not a selfish bone in her body, but she's all about business. She's the right person for the job. I have 100% confidence about what Stephanie McMahon will do for the company."
"I love this company and am committed to working with the Independent Directors to strengthen our culture and our Company; it is extremely important to me that we have a safe and collaborative workplace," Stephanie said when the announcement of her new position was made. "I have committed to doing everything in my power to help the Special Committee complete its work, including marshaling the cooperation of the entire company to assist in the completion of the investigation and to implement its findings."
John Laurinaitis, WWE's Head of Talent Relations, was also placed on leave after being brought up in the Wall Street Journal's report. Bruce Prichard has stepped in to fill that role on top of his duties as Executive Director of both Raw and SmackDown.
Calaway shed some light elsewhere in the interview about what fans can expect from his show. "The Deadman" officially entered the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2022 back in April.
"People are going to get a completely different look behind the character and see me in a light they've never before seen," Calaway said. "They're going to see my family, and a lot of other different things I protected for years. All these years, everyone wanted to know, 'Who is The Undertaker?' I held all that back. Now it's time to answer those questions. It will be very intriguing for fans of The Undertaker."