AEW launch dig at Vince McMahon following hush money affair allegations

AWarning: This article does contain spoilers for the 17th June episode of AEW Rampage.

Max Caster of All Elite Wrestling has taken a jab at WWE owner Vince McMahon in one of the grappler's routine raps.

On Wednesday it emerged that the CEO of the world's biggest wrestling company is under investigation by his own board of directors over an apparent hush-money payment he made to an ex-female employee he had a 'consensual' affair with.

Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon paid the woman $3m of his own money. The unnamed woman reportedly worked as a paralegal for WWE in 2019 and saw her pay increase from $100k to $200k after she entered the relationship with McMahon.

WWE's investigation revealed several other nondisclosure agreements related to other misconduct claims from other women who had also worked for the company with some also involving WWE's talent executive John Laurinaitis.

Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

The news has rocked the wrestling industry with speculation rife about what the consequences will be for McMahon, who has run WWE since 1982, having inherited it from his father. The 76-year-old has a mixed reputation in the wrestling industry and given his status it's not surprising that WWE's biggest rival, AEW have already taken a shot at McMahon over the allegations.

On Wednesday night's taping of AEW Rampage, which airs on Friday, Max Caster of the tag team The Acclaimed made reference to an NDA, as well as the January 6th Capitol riot, during a freestyle rap that he made as part of his entrance, along with The Gunn Club.

The 32-year-old said: "Acclaimed and the Gunns yo, we're back up in the mix, there are more people here than at January 6th. Honestly, I had something to say but somebody made me sign an NDA..."

According to AEW commentator Tony Schiavone, AEW's president and booker Tony Khan approves all of Caster's raps before he's allowed to say them on air.

Elsewhere in the wrestling industry, Maria Kanellis Bennett, who worked for WWE as recently as 2020, tweeted: "A simple definition of the abuse of power is the misuse of a position of power to take unjust advantage of individuals, organizations, or governments…"

A WWE spokesperson has stated that the company is fully cooperating with the board's investigation. McMahon's lawyer, Jerry McDevitt told the Wall Street Journal that no harassment claims have been made against McMahon and that “WWE did not pay any monies” to the woman “upon her departure.”

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.