Jim Duggan Predicts Vince McMahon Will Launch a New Wrestling Company

Jim Duggan, the WWE Hall of Famer known as "Hacksaw," believes Vince McMahon may launch a new wrestling promotion.

Duggan shared his thoughts in an interview arranged by BetVictor Online Casino.

He does not expect McMahon to return to WWE.

"I don't know if he'd actually come back," Duggan said.

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

Duggan added that McMahon might "run up a competition."

He made clear this is his personal assessment, not an announcement.

No new company has been formed.

No evidence exists that a competing promotion is being launched.

Duggan's comments are speculation about what McMahon could do next.

McMahon resigned from WWE in January 2024 amid a federal investigation.

He had previously stepped down as chairman in 2022 after reports of alleged misconduct.

McMahon sold a significant portion of his WWE stock in 2024.

He retains a minority stake in the company.

WWE merged with UFC under the TKO Group Holdings banner in 2023.

McMahon serves on TKO's board of directors.

Duggan distinguished his professional relationship with McMahon from a personal friendship.

"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."

Duggan said he does not see McMahon returning to WWE due to "all the baggage he's carrying."

That baggage includes a federal probe into alleged sexual misconduct and hush-money payments.

A federal grand jury indicted McMahon in 2024.

McMahon has denied all wrongdoing.

The case is ongoing.

Duggan's remark about a new company is not the first such speculation.

Several wrestling insiders have floated the idea since McMahon's departure.

No one has offered concrete evidence.

Duggan's credibility comes from his long history in the business.

He wrestled for McMahon from 1987 through the early 1990s.

He later worked for WCW before returning to WWE.

Duggan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

In the same interview, Duggan discussed his time in WCW.

He alleged that WCW management under Vince Russo wanted him to quit.

"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."

Duggan said WCW flew him to Atlanta for a meeting at the CNN Tower.

They proposed making him the company's janitor.

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

He interpreted the gimmick as an attempt to get him to leave.

"They wanted me to quit," Duggan said.

WCW then turned him into a villain aligned with Team Canada.

"We're gonna turn you against America," Duggan recalled being told.

"I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, Iraq, Iran.'"

"'You're gonna be part of Team Canada!'".

Duggan said the fans did not buy the character change.

"They were like, 'Come on, Hacksaw,'" he said.

He said he was just fulfilling his contract to support his family.

Duggan also reflected on the differences between his era and modern wrestling.

He discussed scripted promos, which were not part of his generation's approach.

He mentioned Kevin Owens as a current wrestler he respects.

In a separate interview with Sportskeeda, Duggan recalled his 1987 arrest with The Iron Sheik.

The two were arrested together in New Jersey.

Duggan called it "a horrible, horrible mistake."

He said the arrest nearly ended his career.

"It almost k*lled my career, brother," Duggan told Sportskeeda.

He described calling McMahon after the arrest.

McMahon's response was blunt.

"Jim, what have you done to us?" McMahon said.

Duggan said he replied, "Vince, I'm embarrassed and ashamed."

McMahon told him, "Turn your tickets in and go home."

Duggan said he went "from the penthouse to the shed house in one move."

He credited his survival in the business to luck.

"It would've killed a lot of guys' careers," Duggan said.

"I was lucky to survive it."

Duggan also spoke about his early career working for Peter Maivia in Hawaii.

He wrestled under a mask as "The Convict."

Andre the Giant unmasked him during a match.

Duggan said Andre was a rare figure in that era.

"Back in the 70s, 80s, early 90s, a 7ft man was very rare," Duggan said.

"Nowadays, all basketball players are 7ft."

"But back then 7ft, 500 pounds, I mean it was a tough life for the guy."

Duggan described Andre's physical struggles.

"He's sitting on a toilet, he couldn't fit into a car, hard to find a chair," Duggan said.

Duggan's career spanned multiple decades and promotions.

He won the Royal Rumble in 1988.

He held the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.

His signature gimmick involved carrying a 2x4 plank and shouting "HOOOOO!"

Duggan remains active on the independent wrestling circuit.

He appears at conventions and autograph signings.

As for McMahon's future, Duggan's prediction is the most direct from a former WWE star.

No other Hall of Famer has publicly suggested McMahon might start a new company.

McMahon has made no public statement about such a venture.

TKO Group Holdings has not commented on Duggan's remarks.

WWE has not responded to requests for comment.

The wrestling world is watching.

Whether McMahon will launch a new company remains unknown.

Duggan's words have added fuel to an already active rumor mill.

Fans and analysts are debating the likelihood.

Some point to McMahon's age — he is 80 years old.

Others note his history of defying expectations.

McMahon built WWE from a regional promotion into a global empire.