The pro wrestling world was buzzing Monday when word circulated that Vince McMahon was backstage at Raw for the first time since his return to WWE. As it turns out, however, it was the way he looked and not anything he said or did that stirred up the most reactions from talent.
According to Sean Ross Sapp’s sources for Fightful Select (subscription required but definitely worth it), McMahon’s appearance “turned heads” because it was so different from how he’s looked over the years.
We’re talking facial hair, folks. Here are the details:
Vince McMahon arrived with dyed hair and a small mustache, that numerous talent described as resembling that of Gomez Addams from The Addams Family. More than even what Vince McMahon was doing or what it meant for the future, his appearance was heavily discussed. One person in WWE who has known Vince for 20 years said that it was “more drastic and a shock than him getting his head shaved.”
Sadly, no legitimate pictures have emerged yet, but this does create a pretty amazing mental image.
Sapp also reported that McMahon said hi to various wrestlers throughout the night and was at the Gorilla position but not actively participating in the show, saying “none of the talent or staff that we spoke to said that he was providing instructions, feedback, or orders to anyone that they saw.”
That doesn’t mean that couldn’t change, of course. With the number of potential buyers for WWE seemingly dwindling thanks to a high reported asking price, there’s a very real fear in some corners that whoever acquires the company will be someone open to a future that allows McMahon to reclaim a more active day-to-day role in shaping what we see.
That concern remains a bit down the road. For now, let’s all just enjoy the thought of McMahon as the Gomez Addams of WWE and all that brings with it.