Hacksaw Jim Duggan Says Vince McMahon Might Start a Rival Company

WWE Hall of Famer "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan has ruled out a return to WWE for former chairman Vince McMahon.

In an exclusive interview with ITR Wrestling, Duggan said he does not expect McMahon to ever come back to the company he built.

But he offered a different possibility that has wrestling fans talking.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he started his own company up or something," Duggan said.

"I don't know, he might run up a competition, he might."

The interview was arranged by BetVictor Online Casino, and Duggan spoke to multiple outlets in the same session.

Duggan made clear that his comments are his own assessment, not an announcement of any new venture.

No evidence of a competing promotion being launched has surfaced.

Still, the idea of McMahon starting a rival company carries weight because of who is saying it.

Jim Duggan has known Vince McMahon for decades.

His first stint with WWE ran from 1987 to 1993, during which he won the inaugural Royal Rumble match.

He returned for another run in 2005.

Over those years, Duggan watched McMahon operate up close.

"I always looked at Vince as my boss," Duggan said.

"He wasn't my friend."

"I never went over to his house to have something to eat. I never invited him to my house."

That professional distance, Duggan suggested, gave him a clear view of McMahon's personality.

He described McMahon as someone who embraced the role of a villain.

"Now, the way he looks, he looks like a villain," Duggan said.

"I think he likes being that master villain."

"Yeah, he embraced the role, man! And they always say the best characters are really close to your own personality, so (chuckles)."

The question of McMahon's future has lingered since he was forced to cut ties with WWE in early 2024.

His departure followed a sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuit filed by former employee Janel Grant.

That lawsuit has since moved out of court into confidential private arbitration.

Another case involving McMahon was officially closed recently.

These legal developments led some to speculate that McMahon might attempt a return to WWE.

Duggan dismissed that possibility outright.

"I don't see him coming back given all the baggage he is carrying now," he said.

Instead, he suggested McMahon might channel his energy into a new wrestling promotion.

The idea is not entirely far-fetched.

McMahon has started companies before.

He built WWE from a regional promotion into a global entertainment empire.

He also launched the XFL twice, in 2001 and 2020, both times as a competitor to established leagues.

Those ventures were not successful in the long run, but they showed McMahon's willingness to start something new rather than walk away.

Duggan acknowledged McMahon's role in his own career.

The opportunities McMahon gave him turned Duggan into one of the most beloved characters in wrestling history.

The man known for wielding a 2x4 and shouting "USA!" has always credited McMahon for that.

But Duggan has also been critical of McMahon's harsh treatment of other talent over the years.

He recalled his own experience in WCW, where he alleged that creative decisions were designed to push him out of his contract.

"When we first get down there, things were great," Duggan said.

"But then Vince Russo came in, and he wanted to push me out of my contract to clear up some money for some younger kids."

"So they first fly me up to Atlanta, big meetings, the CNN Tower, and they're gonna make me the janitor of WCW."

"But I took the janitor gimmick and took it off, and the janitor gimmick got off."

He was later moved into Team Canada, a storyline that cast him as a Canadian sympathizer.

"They wanted me to quit," Duggan said.

"'We're gonna turn you against America.' I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, Iraq, Iran.' 'You're gonna be part of Team Canada!'"

"No, it was fun to do, but the fans, I don't even think they bought it. They were like, 'Come on, Hacksaw.'"

"And I was just fulfilling my contract."

Duggan's experience in WCW contrasts with his time working under McMahon.

He said McMahon's on-screen persona was not an act.

The character McMahon played on television — the authoritarian, the scheming boss — was close to his real personality.

That is a point many former employees have made over the years.

McMahon played a version of himself, and the line between performance and reality was often thin.

Duggan's comments add to a growing body of speculation about what McMahon will do next.

At 81 years old, McMahon remains a figure of immense influence in professional wrestling.

His name alone carries enough weight to attract investors, talent, and media attention.

If he were to start a new company, it would immediately become a competitor to WWE, AEW, and other promotions.

But there are significant obstacles.

McMahon's legal troubles are not entirely behind him.

The Janel Grant lawsuit, though moved to private arbitration, has not been resolved.

Sponsors and broadcast partners may be reluctant to associate with McMahon given the allegations.

And the wrestling landscape has changed dramatically since McMahon last ran WWE.

Triple H now oversees creative on the main roster.

TKO Group Holdings owns WWE, and McMahon has no official role.

Reintegrating him into WWE would, as Duggan implied, damage all parties involved.

Starting a new company would bypass that problem but create new ones.

McMahon would need to build an organization from the ground up.

He would need to secure television deals, recruit talent, and establish a brand identity.