While speaking with Ariel Helwani, Kay recalled his first meeting with McMahon…

“So, I’ll tell you a funny story about Vince. Jim Burns, who was our executive in charge of production of WWF at the time, said, ‘Now that you’re running this, you need to go meet Vince and pay your respects.’

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In his new book, Roll the Calls: A Memoir, TKO executive chairman Ari Emanuel detailed where he was and how he felt when the news broke…

“I was at Wimbledon when The Wall Street Journal dropped its first bombshell report: Vince making secret payouts to several women to settle harassment suits.

In January 2024, the Wall Street Journal published another report detailing Janel Grant’s allegations of sexual trafficking against McMahon which led to his resignation from WWE. Emanuel stated the following…

“And then… f*ck. More revelations. The worst yet. Vince accused of defecating on a woman during a threesome.

Thanks to PostWrestling.com for the quotes.

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In an interview with PostWrestling.com, Grant commented on her current feelings towards McMahon…

“Forgiveness. I don’t know how else to describe it, other than there’s something that does not take up space in my brain. I feel even empathy, because in a weird way, and this is extreme polar opposites, the thing that might… the series of events that caused The Journal story to happen—whatever it was—it equally impacted him… There are so many people involved in [the] decision-making that I can’t sit still and process.”

“Instead, what occupies my brain is whatever series of events and decision-makers caused the anonymous emails to happen or The Wall Street Journal story to happen, and the events that have played out since, however they have played out. That is what occupies my brain.”

NEW: Exclusive interview with Janel Grant

“It’s like watching your life turn into a movie and happen around you.”

Extensive interview covering her life and reaction to become the center of the scandal surrounding Vince McMahon.

4000+ words:https://t.co/aveAJMhD7X

— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) September 22, 2026

The post Janel Grant says she feels “forgiveness” towards former WWE owner Vince McMahon appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Brian Cage has been an AEW contracted performer since 2020.

So my question is this, for Tony Khan and the Executive Vice Presidents of All Elite Wrestling… Do you have a drug testing and/or wellness policy with any consequences for failed tests?

First, I scoured AllEliteWrestling.com myself and also utilized Artificial Intelligence (AI) to review the website as well.

Also performed various search engine reviews if any existing drug testing policies were out there. Nothing found.

Best I could do was many places alluding to the “right” of AEW to perform a drug test, on a wrestler, if desired.

I also reviewed AEW’s mission statement on their website. While they’ve always call themselves a “pro wrestling” organization, with various wrestlers balking at the term “sports entertainment”, AEW’s own Mission Statement says, and I quote: ”AEW is built to create moments of a lifetime – memorable, inspiring and spectacular – by providing our fans with the best wrestling matches and entertainment anywhere. We believe providing a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for all AEW events is central to that mission.”

The word “entertainment” is clearly there, and that’s important on the basis of how AEW is regulated in each state where it holds live events. Why? Because unlike boxing or mixed martial arts (MMA), they won’t be regulated by the State Athletic Commissions who often require testing of athletes for drugs and other health conditions (just saw a recent documentary where an athletic commission found that boxer Tommy Morrisson had HIV and denied him from fighting).

AEW’s trademarks are also marked as “Entertainment Services”, further described as “exhibitions” and “performances”.

Again, point being, as much as they boast about being wrestling, they are classified exactly like the WWE which means the ability to exploit wrestlers as “independent contractors” and to avoid State Athletic Commission required testing because they aren’t a sport but are entertainers. In other words, just as Disney on Ice performers aren’t drug tested as “entertainers”, neither are pro wrestlers.

So, what have other reports said about AEW having any drug testing?

RingsideNews.com transcribing Fightful.com Select’s Sean Ross Sapp from 9/15/26: ”in all his conversations with people from AEW, nobody has ever told him they were drug tested”. Note, he’s just saying that he never heard of it in all of his years reporting on AEW (or TNA).

WrestlingHeadlines.com transcribing Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer on 6/17/21 said, in AEW’s then 2-year and a half existence that “talent do have something in their contract about being tested” (confirms other reports) but that “it does not seem that anyone has officially been tested as of yet”.

But then, and get this… Meltzer talks about Brian Cage during June 2021: ”One person in particular named Brian Cage who people even write jokes about on their own show. So I guess if they write jokes about it I can mention his name since they freakin’ talk about him and needles and everything, but whatever.”

In the immortal words of Sealab 2021… We have UH OH!

We have Brian Cage admitting to PED usage and then you have a top news insider and someone who knows AEW intimately well (often cheering for them to succeed) with Dave Meltzer alluding to Brian Cage possibly using them 5 years ago.

Sooooo… Let’s ask this question with Brian Cage admitting to using PEDs and now TRT, no State Athletic Commission testing, AEW classified purposely as “entertainment” with “performance” and “exhibition”, and top news reporters being unaware if any testing has ever happened. Could AEW have a issue with Performance Enhancement Drugs (PED)?

I’m just asking the question…

After all, people in the press asked questions during the early 1990s, like Phil Mushnick of the New York Post, and that prompted the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the WWE and Vince McMahon for distributing steroids to its wrestlers. Further, after Chris Benoit died, WWE was subject to legal investigations due to its non-public Wellness Policy since early 2006 (following Eddie Guerrero’s death) that only made violations public after June 2007 when Benoit’s murders and then suicide happened. Oh, and that Florida online lab sting happened shortly after that.

WWE and its McMahon promoters were raked over the coals for (a) the 1994 federal trials alleging steroid distribution and (b) the Chris Benoit murders + Florida online lab sting of 2007.

Hell, any time that a former WWE wrestler died earlier than the normal rate of expectancy, it was always labeled as if they took some sort of drugs during their tenure with the WWE or had to remain dependent on them after leaving the WWE.

WWE took all kinds of arrows for allegations regarding PEDs and later, their loose testing on them that happened from during 1992 when the federal investigations began and through June 2007 when Benoit murdered his family. And again, any time that a wrestler died, their tenure with WWE was blamed.

And this isn’t a WWE column, so I’m not here to defend them… Because Vince McMahon is an admitted user of PEDs, it’s hard to argue that he wasn’t at least “looking the other way” when his wrestlers may have used them. After all, he has a track record of pushing and mostly signing very muscular and chiseled wrestlers.

My point is this: If you’re going to be a BIG BOY wrestling promotion like the WWE, then you should be ready for ANY criticism or allegations that come your way.

Including this very question: Hey Tony, Brian Cage recently admitted to PED use on a podcast. Are you able to provide evidence of drug testing and show documentation of punishment if anyone was in violation of abusing PEDs?

And let it not stop there… What about OTHER drugs or maybe any kind of substance abuse?

Only thing found is Jeff Hardy for a 2022 DUI and driving with a suspended license. However, AEW’s testing didn’t prompt that suspension. Hardy’s own arrest and it being made public did.

And I hate to say this in light of recently deceased wrestlers who were NOT found to be in any association with drugs… But if a current or former AEW performer does pass away in the upcoming years, do we start questioning AEW about their drug testing policies or any “wellness” policies like we did WWE for decades for any wrestler deaths?

I’m just asking questions, along with asking for consistency.

If you’re going to compete with the WWE and act like a top wrestling promotion on display, then you better be ready to answer a few serious questions, Tony and his EVPs.

At the very least, AEW needs to have a serious discussion and review of Brian Cage to what he’s admitted to publicly.

Again, just asking AEW to be consistent here if they are going to act like a big boy wrestling promotion.

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

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Grant was presented with the 2026 Advocacy in Action Award by the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Grant shared the following speech via Instagram…

“A prevailing theme in the world right now is around power… the powers that be, powers at play, gaining it, reclaiming it, inner power, the use of power…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Janel Grant (@janelgrant.ct)

The post Vince McMahon accuser Janel Grant: “Everything from my bones to my bank account are still broken” appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

Through 2025, now under TKO’s rule, the WWE earned $1.7 billion in revenues. If we apply that same 15% rule, the pro wrestlers should earn around $255 million.

Anyone care to bet me that they are NOT earning that?

As we saw in the news, multiple wrestlers were asked to take 50% paycuts. This prompted the New Day to ask for their releases and were granted them, as those longtime WWE employees and actual merchandise sellers were insulted at the notion of taking 50% off of contracts that TKO signed. Reportedly, one longtime wrestler did take the 50%, with some guessing Miz or another wrestler thinking that leaving the WWE would jeopardize his opportunities (LA Knight?) without his trademarked WWE name.

Meanwhile, TKO Executive Chair and CEO Ariel Emanuel received total compensation of $67.4 million while the CFO earned $23.1 million and the COO earned $42.6 million. What, they couldn’t take 50% paycuts themselves? Nick Khan, who is president/CEO of the WWE and also on the TKO board, made over $24 million during 2025.

And before you suggest that these “Chief” positions are doing such a great job, then why does TKO carry almost $5 billion in DEBT despite UFC and WWE having revenues pouring into their coffers? Also, why did the Endeavor corporation have so much debt that it needed Silver Lake to finance them and buy them?

In other words, WWE wrestlers are getting SCREWED on their network while TKO and WWE executives are pulling in the money.

Hell, Triple H is earning $2.8 million according to Sports Illustrated. He’s the Chief Content Officer who actually puts the shows together and then produces them live at the events as well. He’s putting in way more work than those sitting in cushy offices all day, and HHH has to be micro-managed by these TKO fools as well.

As we head into Labor Day, it’s time for WWE wrestlers to STAND UP and stop swallowing the turd sandwiches that WWE, with this TKO corporate daddies, keep serving them.

WWE wrestlers are the ones taking the bumps in the ring, getting thrown through tables, having to travel all over the country or world, work through injuries, be away from their families, and have to do countless charity and personal appearances for TKO and WWE. Furthermore, they are silenced from expressing themselves personally and WWE/TKO owns all of the copyrights that the wrestlers help build up as a solid brand.

What wrestlers don’t realize is that they have all of the power. If each walked out and refused to do a televised wrestling event, which puts the Netflix, USA Network, and ESPN+ deals in jeopardy, the WWE could be in trouble with each of those companies with those television deals. Further, wrestlers need to understand how MAD fans are at TKO right now for price gouging them on live events and merchandise while feeding them to the price gouging streaming wolves with Netflix and ESPN/Disney. If wrestlers were to walk out today, fans would back them because they’ve been pissed at TKO’s corporate antics for the past 2 years.

Yet, the wrestlers are afraid to stand up to these corporate cowards.

And I’m full aware of what the WWE did to keep labor unions away during the Vince McMahon era. Vince liked to push one wrestler really hard, such as Hogan and then Austin/Rock, then Cena, and the eventually Roman Reigns along with supporting others like the Undertaker. By coddling up to the top person on the card, Vince knew that he could keep drawing if the top guy was loyal and therefore made the rest of the roster expendable. Without Vince, Roman Reigns remains the highest paid guy followed by Cody Rhodes, who happens to be represented by WME which serves as an agency where several TKO executives still work as agents (Ari Emanuel, for example, represents Pat McAfee personally).

For a union to actually form in the WWE, they would need the top main eventers to be willing to support the union. Hulk Hogan wouldn’t, as he stooged out Jesse Ventura to Vince McMahon during 1986 (right before Wrestlemania 2) when Jesse tried to suggest that wrestlers unionize and hold up Wrestlemania 2 to accomplish this feat. Once that ended, Vince further demolished the territory competition to make his promotion the #1 in the land and made it difficult to argue. Then, Austin, Rock, Triple H, and Undertaker with John Cena later playing the game came along and accepted being loyal main eventers for Vince.

Personally, I’ve always argued that wrestlers should desire to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) which is now called SAG-AFTRA. WWE wrestlers are clearly following scripts both in their promos and how matches are laid out with backstage producers. They are also taking prepared stunts. They are televised each week on Netflix and USA Network, along with PLEs now on ESPN+. WWE has been long established as a form of “entertainment” with an court precedent in place when state athletic commissions tried to regulate pro wrestling during the late 1980s.

Admittedly, there are economic consequences of unions, historically speaking…

– Unions work in strength in numbers, even with a portion of those numbers are weaker performers.

– Pay for union workers is often due to seniority and not just merit or performance.

– If current workforce shrinks, then ability to fund benefits, such as retirements and pensions on a pay-as-you-go system becomes a major financial problem.

– Labor stoppages, such as strikes or lockouts could occur when a contract is up or nearly up or if there’s a new disagreement between the parties.

Right now, both the NBA and NFL split revenues almost halfway between the ownership and players. 50%, compared to wrestlers earning 15% on contracts that can be cancelled at any point. NBA contracts are fully guaranteed, while NFL contracts are mostly guaranteed and are often subject to renegotiation if a player outperforms their current deal.

One could argue “well, if the wrestlers get paid more and take in more revenues, then TKO will raise its prices”.

Great argument… BUT TKO IS ALREADY RAISING THEIR PRICES!!!!!!

They’ve been gouging fans HARD over the past 3 years… Know what is causing them to price gouge? Total greed, as top executives are pulling in 8 figures a year and laughing as the wrestlers take the bumps on their behalf.

It’s now or never, WWE wrestlers. If you want to be pawns for the WWE brand that TKO wants you to be, then keep working under the current terms and they’ll pick you off individually one-by-one. Otherwise, take ownership of yourselves as a locker room and hold greedy TKO executives accountable.

Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ

The post MR. TITO: With Labor Day Here Again, WWE Wrestlers Should Consider Unionizing Against the Greedy TKO Machine appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

“So it’s so interesting with the Maximum Male Models because we were Vince’s last idea, before he left the company. So we debuted and we were supposed to do those fashion show segments for weeks.

The post The Maximum Male Models said to have been Vince McMahon’s last idea before retiring from WWE appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

“From the little bit that I’ve been exposed to Vince McMahon, I can’t imagine a world where he doesn’t want to have the last say about his legacy and his reputation and at least make an attempt to resurrect it or reposition it. Let’s put it that way. Rewrite history probably will flow into it as well because he’s very good at that. We’ve seen that over the years. Vince is quite capable of rewriting history.”

“I mean, I don’t know the rest of the board, right? I don’t know Ari Emanuel. I don’t know any of them. So, it’s hard to really say. From my perspective, I don’t see that either. In fact, I see that even being more remote.

The post Eric Bischoff says Vince McMahon is “in the same neighborhood” as Bill Cosby when it comes to baggage appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

The shareholder plaintiffs claim TKO Group’s earlier securities filing presented an “incomplete picture” by disclosing only WWE’s $105 million payment, leaving out McMahon’s separate $42.5 million contribution.

The lawsuit challenged the 2023 WWE-UFC merger, alleging the deal unfairly benefited McMahon and other insiders. A trial that was scheduled for June was canceled after the parties reached a settlement in principle, which still requires court approval.

The post Vince McMahon to pay over $40 million in WWE shareholder lawsuit settlement appeared first on NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW Coverage.

“That was a Vince McMahon idea. Here’s my interpretation because we didn’t spend more than a couple weeks on that idea, from what I remember, maybe a month, month and a half at the most, any serious conversation.

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