Key Reason Behind Vince McMahon’s Decision to Step Down from WWE

The renewed partnership between WWE and Slim Jim might look like a win for branding—but it turns out Slim Jim was also the reason Vince McMahon was finally forced to resign from WWE and step down from TKO.

On the June 2, 2025 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that Slim Jim’s decision to threaten pulling its sponsorship during the height of Vince McMahon’s legal scandal was the breaking point that led to his ousting.

Referencing the fallout from the Janel Grant lawsuit—which accuses McMahon of sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and misconduct during his time running WWE—Meltzer didn’t mince words.

“It was the key reason that Vince got nailed… that Vince had to resign. I mean, he would have had to anyway—that lawsuit was just too much. But what forced it was Slim Jim. Slim Jim was the first one. They came out and said, ‘We’re pulling our sponsorship if he’s still around.’”

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According to Meltzer, it wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. The move sent shockwaves through WWE and TKO headquarters. He explained how the threat prompted a direct conversation between McMahon and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.

“Ari Emanuel told Vince, ‘This is the deal.’ And Vince understood. Because if Vince had stayed and they pulled, it would’ve been a domino—you know, where everyone else would’ve [followed]. I’m not saying everyone else would have done it, but it would have been a domino thing. It would have been a disaster for the company from a PR standpoint.”

McMahon officially stepped down in January 2024, just days after Janel Grant filed her explosive lawsuit. While many assumed his exit was simply a legal precaution, Meltzer’s comments suggest corporate pressure—specifically from Slim Jim—played a far bigger role than previously believed.

WWE has since re-solidified its partnership with Slim Jim, going as far as to integrate the brand into folding tables used on RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and Premium Live Events. Slim Jim will also become the center-ring sponsor once RAW moves to Netflix in 2025.

But the message behind the scenes is louder than any ad campaign: Slim Jim’s demand for accountability helped force out the man who once ran WWE with an iron grip.

Do you think more sponsors should take a stand like Slim Jim did? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know how you feel about Vince McMahon finally being forced out.

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