Keep Shane McMahon away from AEW

Professional wrestling is the world where the impossible is not only possible but tends to happen. Years ago, no one would have predicted that WWE would purchase WCW, yet it occurred with Shane McMahon appearing on the show as a part of the storyline. Decades later, McMahon is no longer a part of the WWE. It is the first time that the company has existed without someone from that family running the show. Yet, there’s talk of Shane McMahon making an appearance and perhaps signing with All Elite Wrestling. Not only should that not happen, but AEW should stay far away from any individual with the McMahon last name.

In recent weeks there have been several rumors about Shane McMahon and the potential of him showing up in AEW. On June 23, Fightful Select reported on those rumors, saying that is “hasn’t been something considered” for the company. According to that report, “McMahon himself has spoken to others about the possibility of it and didn’t seem opposed to it happening.” Tony Khan even addressed the situation while speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated.

“I’ve heard the rumor he might be interested,” Khan said. “I’ve never met Shane, but we have a lot of mutual friends. I have a lot of respect for him as an executive and a professional wrestler. Shane is always welcome in AEW.”

That’s quite a sentence to write. Yet, the best bet for AEW would be to avoid bringing in anyone from that family. Vince McMahon is marred in legal matters thanks to the lawsuit that Janel Grant brought against him, John Laurinaitis, and the WWE that alleges several types of sexual misconduct. It’s a heinous lawsuit that led to Vince being pushed out of the company again. While Stephanie McMahon has appeared on television, she is also not a part of the company in any official capacity. As WWE attempts to distance itself from the lawsuit, it makes sense why no one from that family should be involved.

The same should be true for All Elite Wrestling. While it would be a funny moment to see Christian Cage run down Shane McMahon for the sins of his father (both alleged and long-known), this is not a situation that should be made light of in any way. AEW needs to work overtime to present itself as the true alternative to WWE both in front of the camera and behind it. Bringing Shane in doesn’t help that goal in any way. Other than grabbing a few headlines and some viewers for that initial moment, he doesn’t add any long-term value to the product.

Cheap heat and pops are all fun and games in professional wrestling. AEW has mastered scoring those, but in this case, Shane McMahon should be kept away from the company at all costs.