Much has been made of the relationship between former WWE boss Vince McMahon and his son Shane. And right now, it may be as relevant as ever.
There have been numerous rumors lately linking Shane to WWE’s archrival AEW. From a seemingly secret meeting with Tony Khan, to a photo with the Young Bucks, to suspicious storylines across the pond.
It feels somewhat poetic, considering Shane’s relationship with father Vince. WWE fans have always understood Stephanie – Vince’s daughter and Shane’s sister – as their favorite sibling, and there is now insight into that same relationship.
Last week, an explosive documentary about Vince’s career aired on Netflix. As part of that, people like Shane, Stephanie, Triple H and more were interviewed. Vince even released a statement before it was released slamming it.
The docuseries, which addressed a number of controversies from McMahon’s career, including allegations of sexual assault, emotional abuse and human trafficking – claims he denied, with a spokesperson arguing that “this lawsuit is full of lies, obscene fabrications that were never have taken place,” and a vengeful distortion of the truth” – included a particular scene with Shane, in which he explained that he wanted to gain his father’s approval.
The explosive documentary surrounding Vince McMahon (right) highlights his fractured relationship with son Shane (left)
Shane has been in and out of WWE for the past 25 years and opened up about his relationship with his father on the show
He explained that he was desperate for Vince’s approval and that he had to ‘work hard’ to get it
‘[I was] I’m always looking for my dad’s approval,” Shane exclaims around his time in WWE. ‘I got a hug that evening.
‘It was a very emotional return.’
Speaking about Shane’s performance at WrestleMania 32, Vince can be seen adding, “Shane knocked on the door that night and said, ‘That’s all I ever wanted, your respect.’ So those were very personal moments.’
Shane added: “I got a pat on the back. I had to earn that.’
Vince and Shane have always had a turbulent relationship, ranging from Shane’s ambition to buy ECW in 2000 to the present day.
It is believed that Shane tried to convince his father to buy UFC in 2001 when it was on the market for just a few million dollars. Although it is under the same TKO banner as WWE, it was valued at around £8.4 billion by Forbes earlier this year.
It was reported that Shane wanted to prove his worth to his father by doing so, but Vince refused, saying that Shane could use his own money if he wanted.
The quality of the duo’s relationship today is unknown.
One scene in the series shows Shane being hugged by his father after WrestleMania 32
Vince released a statement criticizing the documentary before it was released on Netflix
Vince, meanwhile, asked viewers of the documentary to remind themselves that there are “two sides to every story in his statement.”
According to the Wrestling observerhe tried to buy the documentary before it was published.
One fan posted on X, formerly Twitter, the image of the father-son relationship: “I feel sad for Shane McMahon,” while another added: “I love Shane McMahon. He seems like a really nice guy.’
A third wrote: ‘Verdict: Shane McMahon seems like one of the nicest people ever.’
“I have no regrets about working on this Netflix documentary,” he said in the statement. ‘The producers had the opportunity to tell an objective story about my life and the incredible business I built, which was filled in equal measure with excitement, drama, fun and a fair amount of controversy and life lessons.
“Unfortunately, this document, based on an early partial draft I saw, falls short and follows the predictable path of leaving the character ‘Mr. McMahon’ is merged with my true self, Vince. The title and promos alone make that clear.
It was frequently suggested that Shane’s sister Stephanie (right) was the favorite sibling
“Much has been misinterpreted or omitted entirely in an attempt to deliberately confuse viewers. The producers use typical editing tricks with material taken out of context and dated sound bites etc. to distort the viewers’ perception and support a misleading story.
“In an effort to further their misleading story, the producers are using a lawsuit based on an affair I ended as proof that I am, in fact, ‘Mr. McMahon.’
“I hope the viewer will keep an open mind and remember that there are two sides to every story.”