The Eagles flew to Super Bowl glory on Sunday but wrestling fans were given a bigger shock thanks to an appearance from former WWE chief Vince McMahon.
Philly denied Kansas City Chiefs a three-peat at the spectacle to secure what was a second Super Bowl title in eight seasons.
But while millions around the world were glued to the action on the field after Nick Sirianni’s crew ran out 40-22 winners, there was, as ever, plenty of attention on those watching from the stands.
The wrestling world was no exception – The Undertaker was among a raft of names associated with WWE to be there in person in New Orleans, but it was the sight of his former mentor Vince McMahon that left graps fans gasping for breath.
The controversial figure has been something a recluse in recent years. Accused of sexual assault and trafficking by a former WWE employee from his time at the sports entertainment giant, McMahon stepped down from the Board of parent company TKO in 2024.
The now 79-year-old has always firmly denied any wrongdoing but, nonetheless, has kept a relatively low public profile since distancing himself from the empire he built, WWE rising to mainstream prominence under his stewardship with the advent of WrestleMania in the mid-1980s.
Decades later, he cuts a decidedly different figure, with fans quick to comment on the veteran promoter’s appearance at the Super Bowl.
Always thick set and incredible physical condition even in his elder years thanks to his ongoing interest in fitness and bodybuilding, McMahon was comparatively slender in stature, dressing in a black vest, red shirt and trousers.
Gone, too, were the dyed black hair and moustache which more than raised a few eyebrows over the last couple of years, with one fan noting: “He looks so thin, what the… where’s this jacked Vince,” alongside a photo of McMahon from his 1990s heyday.
Another added: “I’m glad Vince cut that [80’s] mustache off, while a third, concerned, observed: “Vince is looking really thin and not in a good way.”
A further fan noted what was, for McMahon, a rare lack of formality, saying: “He isn’t wearing a suit. Wild.”
Another would quip Vince would soon be back in the sports sphere, joking: “Vince about to use his TKO buy out money and make a 33rd NFL team.”
McMahon’s absence from screens has been followed by a general lack of McMahons everywhere. Son, Shane, has held meetings with rival organisation All Elite Wrestling in recent years as fans were convinced he’d land there instead. He, too, attended the Super Bowl Sunday night.
Daughter, Stephanie, stepped down as a company executive after a storied tenure backstage and as an on-screen character – though made a cameo at Royal Rumble earlier this month – so it appears it may be down to the next generation of the family to fill the void.
Vince’s grandson and Shane’s son, Declan, hinted he might not be far off making a wrestling cameo having attended the the Rumble in Indianapolis earlier this month.
