After some 40 years, a longtime shadow of WWE founder Vince McMahon is stepping down from the wrestling empire – who did much to turn the show-match league into a global brand
Potential crown prince moved to competitor AEW
Dunn’s official role was most recently “Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Distribution”. How long he would continue in this role has long been the subject of speculation: It has long seemed logical to industry observers that there would also be a generational change in Dunn’s position after “Triple H” Paul Levesque finally took over.
Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, Roman Reigns: in front of the camera, the faces that have shaped the WWE wrestling empire have changed over the past 40 years.
Behind the camera, on the other hand, not so much has changed in some key positions: the master of everything and everyone was the seemingly eternal company patriarch Vince McMahon – until he surprisingly and abruptly lost a large part of his power last fall.
A few months later, another turning point is now secretly, quietly taking place: A legendary shadow man, who had shaped the Show Fighting League for a similarly long time and also significantly as McMahon, is leaving the company after around four decades – a departure that is obviously at least indirectly related to McMahon’s twilight.
Kevin Dunn leaves WWE after 40 years
Kevin Dunn is the man in question (not to be confused with the Hollywood actor of the same name). Dunn has served McMahon in various roles since the 1980s and was instrumental in shaping the glossy look of the TV product that transformed WWE from a regional league to a global brand
The longtime executive was essentially the “executive producer” of WWE shows for many years. He was the TV expert who translated and implemented McMahon’s vision of “sports entertainment” for the television cameras. In particular, the WrestleMania mega-show established in 1985 also bears Dunn’s signature
McMahon and Dunn shared a relationship of trust with deep personal roots: McMahon’s father Vince Sr. and Dunn’s father Dennis Dunn already had a similar division of labor at the (W)WWF at the time.
An irritating figure for many
Unlike McMahon, Dunn operated away from the spotlight, his power, his connection to the boss and the secrecy in which he worked made him something of a mythical figure among industry insiders: however, his unwavering closeness to the scandal-ridden McMahon also made him a controversial figure and an irritant almost automatically.
Many of the things that critics disliked about the WWE product were also blamed on Dunn. In 2020, Dunn was also personally in the spotlight for a while: after the broadcast of a documentary about the tragic death of Owen Hart in front of the WWE camera in 1999, many fans were appalled by Dunn’s behavior behind the scenes.
Commentator legend Jim Ross had described in the episode of the series “Dark Side of the Ring” how Dunn told him the news of Hart’s death – and in the same breath coolly said that the show “Over the Edge” would go on and that he would be back on air in ten seconds.
Kevin Dunn Reportedly Tells WWE He Is Leaving https://t.co/O8xXp5VdEg
– Haus of Wrestling (@WrestlingHaus) December 31, 2023
Like McMahon, however, Dunn held onto power for a long time, with his former assistant and potential crown prince Mike Mansury leaving WWE and joining rival AEW a year ago. He publicly said that he left because he couldn’t get past Dunn on the career ladder.
It is believed that Mansury would have otherwise been Levesque’s preferred candidate – the two know and like each other from their time together on the developmental squad NXT.
Nick Khan confirms departure in an email
The extensive disempowerment of McMahon by the new parent company boss Ari Emanuel was apparently also the beginning of the end for Dunn, apparently even without the succession being fixed.
The rumors that emerged a few days ago were confirmed at the turn of the year by an internal email from WWE President Nick Khan. Dunn was given many warm words to say goodbye – and thanks for having “helped build the best production team in sports and entertainment”.
