WWE WWE

Former WWE Star Describes WWE Changes After Vince McMahon Returned In 2023

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI
By Ethan Schlabaugh | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 2:19 PM ET

Doc Gallows has had his fair share of runs in WWE, ranging from his time as Festus, fake Kane, or as a member of The O.C. alongside Karl Anderson.

His latest run came to an end in 2025, after he and Anderson returned to the promotion in 2022. That return came at a time when WWE management was going through some changes, eventually leading to the TKO Group deal.

Talking to PWMania , Gallows mentioned that he saw Vince McMahon returning to the company just a few months after his own return in early 2023.

The O.C. is back! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/cnOmUG7YyD
— WWE (@WWE) October 11, 2022

"Yeah, when we came back in October of 2022, it felt great. It felt fresh. It felt new. Then, a few short months later, we’re in New York and we’re getting ready to leave the building and a limousine pulls up and we see a mustachioed man pop out and it was Vince McMahon coming back for the first time, we happened to see him in the parking garage."Doc Gallows

He continued:

"I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors there, but from that point on, everything certainly got weird. Whether it was the Vince thing and then the eventual sale to TKO and however that timeline worked. But, you know, you could feel the winds of change."Doc Gallows

Gallows further talked about how things felt different from that moment on.

"You felt a different vibe. You felt a different tension when you walked into the arena in the afternoon."

Vince McMahon Staying Connected To The WWE Talent

IMAGO / MediaPunch

Vince McMahon ended up leaving the WWE once again just a shirt while after his 2023 return due to the lawsuit filed by Janel Grant.

Despite that case still being ongoing, McMahon would have an 80th birthday celebration that saw numerous wrestlers in attendance. Names included John Cena, Sheamus, JBL, The Miz, The Undertaker, Drew McIntyre, and more.

One WWE talent would speak to Fightful about the presence of several wrestlers at this event, saying, "A lot of people here still feel like they owe Vince something, even though he made his money back on them tenfold."

IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Many WWE stars have remained close to Vince despite the allegations, drawing the ire of numerous fans. It also led many to believe that Vince could be making his way back into the WWE, before Sean Ross Sapp reported that wasn't the case.

"We're told that there was no official WWE involvement. There has been no talk of Vince McMahon returning to WWE in any capacity at this point. Sources at the top of WWE claim to Fightful that they have no desire to bring him back, and that there have been no discussions regarding McMahon contributing in a creative capacity."

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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