WWE News: Shane McMahon Reveals The Phone Calls That Convinced Him To Return For ‘WrestleMania’
The tell-all podcast featuring Shane McMahon that aired immediately after this week’s Monday Night RAW left a little to be desired. Most of the WWE Network podcasts have been highly-anticipated, and the company went full bore on the promotion of the interview that was conducted by Mick Foley. And while some sensitive subjects were addressed, fans got a feeling of hesitation from both Mick and Shane with a tad bit of censorship.
It’s become clear that the podcasts outside of the Network reveal more and dive head-first into controversy. But it’s apparent that there’s a line WWE officials don’t want Stone Cold, Chris Jericho, or now Foley to cross, and that’s understandable. However, the most glaring omission from the interview was that Mick never asked Shane McMahon how he was still afforded the opportunity to run RAW despite losing his match with the Undertaker at WrestleMania. The stipulation was that if Shane won, he would control the show. He didn’t, but he does anyway.
This is not to say that the podcast was all fluff and no substance. Mick pressed Shane on his feelings towards his sister, Stephanie, and brother-in-law, Triple H, to the point that he even asked whether Shane was jealous of either one. He was not, and is not. They went in-depth on why Shane left the WWE seven years ago, with son telling dad that he didn’t want their deteriorating business relationship to ruin their personal relationship. As a result, he had to quit due to their different visions for the company. Shane said that it had stopped being a collaboration and stopped being fun.
Fast forward seven years later, with the WWE about to embark on their biggest show in history, WrestleMania 32. The only trouble was that they were thin on stars, as injuries to John Cena, Sting, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and Cesaro forced them to the sidelines, and the WWE to improvise. Had the company known they’d be without some of their big guns, perhaps they would have held off on the Brock Lesnar/Undertaker rematch for this year’s show in Dallas. But they couldn’t go there again. Had Cena or Sting been healthy, perhaps they could have challenged the Deadman. But they weren’t options either, and the WWE was running out of them fast.
Desperation may have led Vince McMahon to pick up the phone, but the fact that a receptive Shane McMahon was the one answering the call led to a bold and smart business decision. Shane revealed to Mick that his father called him three weeks before his eventual return, all the while noting that he had always planned on coming back — it was just a matter of when and if the situation was right. Vince may have set the wheels in motion, but it was another prominent figure who sealed the deal: The Undertaker.
Shane spoke glowingly about his WrestleMania opponent, referring to him several times by his real name, Mark. He said that the two were long-time friends who had always wanted to wrestle each other but never had the right opportunity. This was clearly the right time, and there’s a chance that without that match, the show may have been a flop. Shane provided the highlight of the night by jumping off the top of the Hell in a Cell. He told Foley he wanted to do it, but the WWE clearly needed him to.
Neither Shane McMahon nor Mick Foley got into how much longer Shane will be with the WWE or if he’ll get back into an executive role. But for now, he’s enjoying his time strictly as a performer while offering his creative touch into some of the current feuds. But it was one phone call from Vince and another from the Undertaker that fans can thank for bringing Shane-O-Mac back home.
[Image via WWE]
