Shane McMahon meets with The Young Bucks

In the realm of wrestling, Shane McMahon's possible future with the AEW is still a heated issue. After a falling out with his family business in early 2022, the once-obvious successor to Vince McMahon's WWE empire made a comeback to the organization at WWE WrestleMania 39 in April 2023. Seconds after the bell rang, Shane tore his quadriceps in an impromptu wrestling battle.

He was left without a WWE contract and returned home to recuperate from his wounds. Almost all of the McMahon family's connections to WWE vanished while he was overseas since Vince resigned in the wake of a sex trafficking case being brought against him. Shane McMahon's sister Stephanie has recently rejoined WWE, however, it is unclear what, if any, role she has there in the corporate hierarchy.

Early this summer, rumors started to circulate that Shane may carry on with his AEW wrestling career, either onstage or off. Shane's encounter with AEW TBS Champion Mercedes Mone in an airport and his brilliant performance following a secret meeting with AEW President Tony Khan reignited rumors. Khan and McMahon had a secret meeting in an office close to the Arlington airport on July 29, 2024.

While Khan had previously expressed a desire to meet McMahon, this was their first direct conversation. They discussed potential collaborations, which has given rise to additional speculation regarding McMahon's potential position in AEW. A picture of themselves and Shane McMahon at an airport was posted on social media by AEW Executive Vice Presidents Matt and Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks).

Shane McMahon and Tony Khan met in private

It's unclear if this planned meeting or if Shane just happened to encounter the AEW World Tag Team Champions by chance. If both people were traveling to the same final destination is also uncertain. A few months ago, Shane and AEW President Tony Khan met in private at a Texas airport to talk about "possibilities moving forward." That's when this photo was taken.