Is Vince McMahon’s son about to betray WWE on SummerSlam weekend?

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. What wrestling has that your so-called “legitimate theatre” lacks, however, is that incredible blurring of the lines between reality and fiction that those in the business call “kayfabe” – that beautiful bit of paradoxical thinking that allows us to accept that the Undertaker is actually a zombie sorcerer cowboy with magic powers, but that he’ll also appear in commercials to sell his action figures. This week, however, saw the ultimate convergence of drama, betrayal, backstabbing and confusion that makes professional wrestling the greatest storytelling medium in the world, as Shane McMahon – son of former WWE chair Vince McMahon – was spotted taking a meeting with Fulham FC and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Tony Khan. Shane has since spoken about the meeting in vague terms, saying, “We talked about many things, but mostly about our shared love for the business.” I spoke to WrestleTalk’s Luke Owen, who explained just how strange the prospect of a partnership between the two is for wrestling fans: “This is an incredibly surreal moment. Shane meeting with one of his father’s competitors – even a former competitor – is a complete repudiation of the Vince McMahon booking philosophy which dominated WWE, and by extension professional wrestling as a whole, for more than four decades.