Renee Young finished up with WWE at last night’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. To say goodbye, she has penned a lengthy piece that is currently featured on The Players Tribune:
Below is an excerpt:
”Thank you to Vince.
A lot of ink has been spilled about the legend of Vince McMahon over the years, and I doubt that I can top any of it, so I won’t even try. But what I’ll add is this — probably one of the best things you can say about a CEO: You always want his approval. I mean…… always, always, always. It’s like a miracle drug, getting Vince’s approval. You can be having the crummiest night; but then if you’re back in Gorilla after some segment you finished, and Vince gives you a laugh? Or a smile and a “good job”? Or (the classic) a handshake and a NOD OF APPROVAL?! Man, right then, it’s like nothing else in the entire world matters. You’re king for a day.
Thank you to Stephanie and Hunter.
In many ways, WWE is still just a family business at heart — and if Vince is the grandfather, then Stephanie and Hunter are definitely the parents in charge.
You couldn’t ask for a better set.
Stephanie….. I mean, she is “women in WWE,” you know? But it goes so far beyond that. She’s just a boss, period. And I hate to use the term “boss lady” with Stephanie, because she’s a boss by any gender, but you really can’t say enough about the job she’s done in this male-dominated business. She’s so warm and friendly and inviting, but at the same time, you always know she’s taking care of her shit. And for one of the busiest people you’ll ever meet, one thing about Steph is that if you pass her in the hallway, and you’re like, “Hey, can I talk to you about something?” You’ve got her undivided attention. I can’t stress that enough. And that’s always meant a lot to me, as someone who’s gone to her for advice on many occasions. Stephanie is that rare kind of person who just cares too much to ever go through the motions.
Hunter, to me — he represents this idea of progress in WWE. He’s always pushing talent in the direction of opportunity, and in the direction of something new. You see it first and foremost in his work with NXT, and just the way he’s built that brand into one of the most exciting things in wrestling right now. And then I also got to experience that energy on a more direct level — when Hunter pulled me aside before TV one night and said, “Alright, so in two weeks? Coach won’t be available for Raw. And we want you to fill in for him.” I was like….. SORRY, WHAT?!? It wasn’t something we’d talked about, wasn’t something I’d pitched anyone on. It was completely out of left field. And that just said everything to me. It told me that, first of all, this is a company that’s trying things. But it was something deeper, too. I think it was also just this feeling of, like, Wow, people here genuinely want me — me, as a person — to succeed. I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Young has a 90-day non-compete agreement attached to her WWE deal, so she will not be working anywhere for three months. After that, she has multiple opportunities available to her both in professional wrestling (with AEW) and in sports (with FOX).
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