WWE personalities Stephanie McMahon and Triple H Jul 10, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; WWE personalities Stephanie McMahon and Triple H arrives on the red carpet at Microsoft Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The HBO show Succession has nothing on the machinations of the sports entertainment company WWE. Just days after Vince McMahon re-installed himself on the company’s board of directors, daughter Stephanie McMahon, who had been Co-CEO alongside Nick Khan, resigned effective immediately on Tuesday.

The news comes as WWE announces Vince McMahon has been unanimously elected Executive Chairman of the Board, with Nick Khan serving as CEO.

Stephanie announced the decision with an official statement on social media.

“I cannot put into words how proud I am to have helped lead what I consider to be the greatest company in the world and I am confident WWE is in the perfect position to continue to provide unparalleled creative content and drive maximum value for shareholders.”

It’s hard not to see Stephanie’s exit as related to Vince’s re-entry into the company leadership. Still, Vince commented positively on Stephanie’s departure in the company’s statement.

“I’d like to express my full support for Stephanie’s personal decision,” said the elder McMahon. “I’ll forever be grateful that she offered to step in during my absence and I’m truly proud of the job she did co-leading WWE. Stephanie has always been the ultimate ambassador for our company, and her decades of contributions have left an immeasurable impact on our brand.”

McMahon had previously retired as chairman of the company after various sexual misconduct scandals came to a head last year. Despite stepping out of the public eye, he retained majority voting power through his ownership of WWE‘s Class-B stock. And as the dust settled on the publicity surrounding his actions, he reportedly felt it was time to return so that he could presumably facilitate a sale of the company he built.

It’s unclear where all of this leaves Paul “Triple H” Levesque, a WWE legend who is currently its chief content officer and also happens to be Stephanie’s husband.

The drama behind the scenes at WWE is arguably crazier than what’s taking place on TV and the WWE world was shocked by the news on Tuesday.

“Wow! Stephanie stepping down,” said Wrestling Inc’s Justin LaBar.

“I look forward to the HHH resignation letter any day now as Vince forces his way back into every chair he previously sat in,” said Bleeding Cool’s Gavin Sheehan.

“Wow. This seems…um…not good?” asked Forbes Sports’Blake Oestriecher.

[Stephanie McMahon, Cageside Seats]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.