Mr. McMahon, 78, is probably the most influential determine within the historical past {of professional} wrestling. He isn’t just the co-founder, together with his spouse, Linda, of the corporate that may develop into W.W.E., or a mere company officer. He is the particular person most liable for reworking wrestling from a sleepy regional leisure product right into a globally televised spectacle.

He additionally appeared within the ring for many years, and is as nicely often known as wrestlers like “The Rock” and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. In the Nineties, he adopted a swaggering, dictatorial in-ring alter ego who screamed at wrestlers, and he was the headliner at pay-per-view occasions. Well into this decade, Mr. McMahon retained management over W.W.E.’s artistic route.

For about as lengthy, nevertheless, Mr. McMahon has confronted accusations of sexual misconduct, which he has repeatedly publicly denied. In 1992, as an illustration, Rita Chatterton, who had been a wrestling referee, said on the “Geraldo” speak present that Mr. McMahon had raped her in 1986. (Mr. McMahon and Ms. Chatterton reached a settlement in 2022, in line with The Wall Street Journal.)

W.W.E., in the meantime, made sexualized remedy of girls a core a part of its model. In 2003, the corporate initiated the “W.W.E. Diva Search,” a contest to search out feminine performers who generally wrestled. Physical look and low-cut tops have been an explicit part of the appeal. Mr. McMahon additionally filmed fictional promotions together with his real-life daughter, Stephanie McMahon, a wrestler and longtime W.W.E. government, wherein Ms. McMahon’s character made salacious accusations about her father’s character.

“Every time I went out to dinner with one of your business associates, I was 17 years old, you don’t think they told me what you promised them I’d do,” Ms. McMahon requested him in one of the promotions, which aired on tv throughout matches.