The WWE’s Royal Rumble featured some great and unpredictable moments, but some issues taking place behind-the-scenes led to what insiders described as “utter chaos” over how the Royal Rumble events were planned and played out. Rumors spread that the recently returned Shane McMahon was responsible for the snafus, and as a result, his father Vince McMahon has allegedly fired him from the company. Before the WWE even offered a statement about the shocking news, one AEW superstar wasted no time in trying to woo the younger McMahon over to their promotion.
Dax Harwood, who is one-half of the AEW tag-team FTR alongside Cash Wheeler, tweeted to Shane McMahon not long after multiple reports surfaced claiming he'd been released from the WWE. Harwood and Wheeler both worked with McMahon back when they were in the WWE as the tag-team The Revival, and Harwood hinted strongly on Twitter that he’s interested in getting the band back together in AEW.
Hollatcha boys @shanemcmahon. pic.twitter.com/bnGlMq9PDdFebruary 2, 2022
That marks at least one AEW star offering an olive branch to Shane McMahon, though it’s not like Dax Harwood is the deciding factor on whether Shane O’ Mac appears in AEW or not. Tony Khan is a big decision-maker in that process, and while he admitted he had his eye on a few WWE talents, I’m not sure McMahon was one of the names he had in mind. Especially when it comes to the creative side of things, if the Royal Rumble rumors were authentic.
That said, Khan might at least consider such a wild notion, given how some fans have shown interest in it the concept on social media.
What would SHANE SAY? #AEW pic.twitter.com/sjqLbQ8sdkFebruary 2, 2022
Shane McMahon’s alleged exit from the WWE could feasibly lead to an appearance at AEW, but whether or not Vince McMahon’s son would do that to his family is another story entirely. After all, this isn’t the first time he had a falling out related to the legacy-making business. McMahon first joined his father’s company in 1988 and worked in various roles around the business, both behind-the-scenes and on-camera, up until 2009 when he stepped away.
While the official reason for Shane McMahon’s resignation was never known, legendary wrestling commentator Jim Ross (via TalkSport) stated that McMahon left when it became clear he wasn’t the “heir apparent” to Vince McMahon’s organization, and his sister Stephanie and her unretireable husband Paul "Triple H" Levesque were. McMahon stayed away from wrestling until his return in 2016, and he's been working for the company on a part-time basis until very recently. And some people are good with reminding him about such setbacks.
If he comes out at AEW under the wrestling name Shane McFailson, Ill respect it. https://t.co/UqF9iaHjILFebruary 2, 2022
Wrestling may benefit from Shane McMahon's general involvement, but it doesn’t seem like McMahon desperately needs to be involved in wrestling. He had a seven-year gap with no input in the WWE, and he has business ventures outside wrestling that he can devote time to as well. In short, I’m not sure many in the know actually expect to see McMahon try to jump on the AEW bandwagon or into its stable. In reality, he might just step away from wrestling for a time, or even indefinitely. That said, it would be entertaining to see him appear in a rival organization, which might be why guys like Dax Harwood are trying to manifest it through social media wishes.
Shane McMahon might be out of the WWE, but his matches and other work in the business can be accessed by anyone with a Peacock premium subscription. We’ll see if he shocks the world with an appearance on AEW and really sends a shock to his former employer.
