Report: People In WWE Believe Vince McMahon Will Survive Board Investigation Over Hush Payment

Vince McMahon's WWE future is currently uncertain amidst an investigation from the company's board into a $3 million hush payment the WWE Chairman made to a former employee over an alleged sexual relationship.

That uncertainty exists within WWE and Fightful Select reported that people they spoke to within the company agreed the investigation and subsequent Wall Street Journal report is the biggest threat to McMahon's power since the steroid trial in the early 1990s.

Other people within WWE are more confident about McMahon's future, though, and Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio there are individuals within the organisation who think Vince will survive the scandal.

"Major CEOs far more powerful than Vince McMahon have been brought down for less than this but the defence is, and I know people in the company who do believe Vince will survive this. Not so sure about John Laurinaitis but do believe Vince will survive this with the idea as long as there's no company funds used to pay this off, that would be okay," Meltzer said.

The "company funds" could turn into an issue, however. The Wall Street Journal report noted that while McMahon's personal funds were used for the $3 million settlement, the former employee did receive a salary increase from $100,000 to $200,000 after she began a sexual relationship with McMahon.

Meltzer said: "One of the key things in this story is if Vince bumped her salary upon commencing an affair with this woman, then that is company money and that changes the dynamics. The dynamics are bad either way but I know from people in the company that they believe that one could be the most damaging."

For the time being, WWE are planning to continue as normal and Vince McMahon will be present for Friday's SmackDown taping.