It's been a wild year for the WWE, which for the first time was taken over by someone outside the McMahon family. While the now-named TKO Group Holdings took control of the wrestling company, it initially seemed like former owner Vince McMahon would resume his BTS roles, despite having previously retiring amid controversy. But with 2023 closing out, a new rumor indicates a major shakeup behind the scenes could legitimately sound the death knell of WWE's Vince McMahon era.
The rumor in question, which is floating around via PWInsider, alleges that WWE Executive Producer and Chief of Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn gave the higher-ups notice around Christmas week that he would be retiring from his position. Assuming that shocker is indeed true, Dunn's exit would end a career span that's lasted for three decades, but that's not all.
Though Dunn works behind the camera, he's largely responsible for the look and feel of pro wrestling as it stands today. For one, he oversaw the creative direction from a production standpoint for WWE, and that includes each of the television shows, pay-per-view events, podcasts, documentaries, and more.
As if that weren't enough, Kevin Dunn was also the line producer for budgeting shows, and was part of hiring the crews that helped construct set pieces and over-the-top stunts that fans have gone crazy for over the years. Assuming he is indeed hanging it up, Dunn's successor(s) will have some big shoes to fill, though the powers that be may choose to take things in a different direction from how things were handled by McMahon.
The wrestling superstar detailed the harrowing days that followed.
Dunn was generally (if unofficially) seen as the Number Two figure within WWE's corporate rankings, and has long been taksed with seeing Vince McMahon's vision for WWE play out on screen. His deep history with the company dates back to his father Dennis Dunn working for Vincent J. McMahon Sr. back in the 1970s. Kevin Dunn joined WWE in 1984 just as the promotion was exploding in popularity, and he quickly rose through the ranks to attain his current position.
For now, it's speculated that Dunn's position will be taken over by multiple people, rather than handing the keys to the creative vision of WWE to one person. From a big-picture perspective, it would make sense that if the person who championed Vince McMahon's vision the most is gone from the company, upcoming WWE events could look a lot different.
Many changes have occurred in the WWE since Triple H took creative control of the company. If Kevin Dunn leaves, it tracks more changes that could be on the way, given his general philosophy of the presentation of the product. Dunn famously saw WWE as more of a stage production rather than a sports-based project and as such, structured the shows accordingly. Will that change should more people step in to shoulder the workload of WWE programming, or will Dunn's vision outlast his time with the company?
It's a question we'll likely see the answer to, assuming the rumor is true, as we get closer to WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. There's still plenty to talk about in the meantime, like the big return Triple H is teasing ahead of the new year, and whether this year will finally be the year that Roman Reigns' historic title reign ends.
