Breaking News: Stephanie McMahon Announces Leave of Absence from WWE

It’s been a whirlwind week in pro wrestling regarding the unexpected, and now we have quite possibly the most significant story yet. Earlier today, Stephanie McMahon revealed via Twitter that she is taking a leave of absence from WWE:

As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE. WWE is a lifelong legacy for me and I look forward to returning to the company that I love after taking this time to focus on my family.

— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) May 19, 2022

This move was completely out of the blue as almost no one within the company knew it was happening, and any reasoning has yet to surface. This reminded us of the shocking day in 2009 when Shane McMahon resigned from WWE at a time when any McMahon leaving the company didn’t even seem possible. Shane would remain gone for years while exploring other ventures, but it remains to be seen what path Stephanie will take.

Stephanie McMahon has been a driving force behind the scenes for years in WWE, as well as an on-again-off-again character on TV. She’s not beloved by all in either role, but Stephanie has remained a constant in her backstage role, seemingly only taking time off during her pregnancies. After Triple H announced his retirement from the ring, it seemed like the duo would be focusing full time on running the company behind the scenes, but it remains to be seen how Triple H will be affected by his move if at all.

While Stephanie McMahon has already mentioned coming back, we don’t know if we’re talking months or years as no one knows anything further yet. Could this mean even bigger shakeups within the WWE office and who holds the power? The further details are definitely going to be interesting.