Former WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey is sounding off on the Vince McMahon scandal, which has led to the former CEO stepping down as a WWE chairman and from his position with WWE and UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings.
McMahon was accused of sex trafficking and assault by a former WWE employee in a lawsuit filed this past week.
The allegations came to light in a lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant. WWE and John Laurinaitis, the former WWE head of talent relations, are also named as defendants.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut on Thursday, January 25. According to the lawsuit, Grant was trafficked “as a pawn to secure talent deals.”
While McMahon has stepped down, Rousey — who became the eighth Women’s Triple Crown Champion in WWE history by winning the Raw Women’s Championship, SmackDown Women’s Championship, and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship — took to social media to call out WWE executive Bruce Prichard.
Rousey accused Pritchard of being McMahon’s “avatar” and serving as a puppet for McMahon, who allegedly ran WWE through Pritchard the first time he stepped away from the WWE for sexual misconduct.
Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) January 27, 2024
“Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was ‘gone’ before,” Rousey wrote on X.
If that is true, Pritchard could be among the people being removed from the company as Endeavor, which purchased WWE in 2023, looks for a fresh start.
According to PWI Insider:
There is a belief in WWE that Endeavor may sweep out anyone close to Vince McMahon and his remaining team in order to have a complete “fresh start” for the company going forward.
There were employees who exited the company when Vince initially resigned who returned when he forced his way back in. For those who have remained with WWE post-Endeavor purchase, the belief among those spoken with is their connection to McMahon may be a major negative going forward for their WWE status.
If Endeavor and TKO Group Holdings want to completely cut all ties with the disgraced former WWE CEO, then anyone who worked closely with him during his time running the company should be let go.
It’s the only way to completely move forward and leave the McMahon era in the past.
