In January, Vince McMahon stepped down as executive chairman of TKO Holdings after being accused of s-xually assaulting and s-x trafficking former WWE employee Janel Grant. While the lawsuit’s process has moved slowly, WWE was quick to distance itself from McMahon after the allegations came to light, and Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, ushered WWE in a new direction.
With WrestleMania 40 being the first major step in the company’s new era, which saw McMahon miss his first WM since its inception, his trainer took to IG to share his dismay over the matter.
Vince McMahon’s Personal Trainer Was Not Happy With His Absence in WM 40
For obvious reasons, Vince McMahon wasn’t involved in the Showcase of the Immortals, as WWE was quick to distance itself from its founder father following the weight of the lawsuit. However, his absence hasn’t sat well with the former WWE boss’s personal trainer, Michael Monteforte, who took to Instagram to share his dismay over McMahon’s absence in his first WM.
He claimed that without the former CEO, there would’ve been “no wrestling or WrestleMania,” stressing people turn their backs when the person is down.
Monteforte wrote:
“Vince McMahon was unable to attend his first WrestleMania. How quickly people forget, that without his vision, there would be no wrestling or WrestleMania. Sadly, when a person is down, the people who say they love you, turn their backs on you.”
Reflecting on the allegations against McMahon, Monteforte commented “Don’t judge a man, without getting all the facts,” claiming that things aren’t always as they appear.
WWE Finally Dropped One Long-Lasting WrestleMania Protocol Under Paul Levesque
Under Paul Levesque, WWE finally dropped one long-standing rule for WrestleMania, with The Game making it clear that it’s only the first of many changes that WWE will see moving forward.
Following his personal dislike for America’s national anthem, Vince McMahon would always opt for America The Beautiful during WrestleMania‘s previous years, but that finally changed with WM 40. Dropping the traditional song used under the leadership of McMahon, WM 40 kickstarted with a live rendition of America’s national anthem, performed by Coco Jones.
Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio (via Ringside News):
“Vince hated the national anthem, that’s just Vince he hated it. He liked America The Beautiful and now that Vince is gone I guess it’s changed.”
While the proceedings on the lawsuit against McMahon have been slow, Grant’s legal team recently guaranteed that an official response from WWE and McMahon will be coming soon.
Considering John Laurinaitis, who, too, was named in the lawsuit, has been the only one to address the allegations upfront, Grant’s attorney has served WWE and McMahon with a court summons. As a result, they are forced to address the allegations by mid-May.
