Sexual assault claims against McMahon shadow a WWE trying to move forward

Mr. McMahon, 78, is the most influential figure in the history of professional wrestling. He's not just the co-founder, along with his wife Linda, of the company that would become WWE, or just a corporate officer. He is the person most responsible for transforming wrestling from a sleepy regional entertainment product to a global television spectacle.

He also appeared in the ring for decades and is as well known as wrestlers like “The Rock” and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. In the 1990s, he adopted a swaggering, dictatorial alter ego who yelled at wrestlers and headlined pay-per-view events. Well into this decade, Mr. McMahon retained control of WWE's creative direction.

But for about as long, Mr. McMahon has faced allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has repeatedly publicly denied. For example, in 1992, Rita Chatterton, who had been a wrestling referee, said on the “Geraldo” talk show that Mr. McMahon had raped her in 1986. (Mr. McMahon and Mrs. Chatterton reached a settlement in 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal.)

WWE, meanwhile, has made the sexualized treatment of women a core part of its brand. In 2003, the company started the 'WWE Diva Search', a competition to find struggling female performers. Physical appearance and low-cut tops were one explicitly part of the profession. Mr. McMahon also filmed fictional promotions with his real-life daughter, Stephanie McMahon, a wrestler and former WWE executive, in which Mrs. McMahon's character made salacious accusations about her father's character.

“Every time I went out to dinner with one of your business partners, I was 17 years old, don't you think they told me what you promised them I would do,” Ms. McMahon asked him. in one of the promotionswhich was broadcast on television during matches.