[imagesource: WWE]

Vince McMahon turned WWF Wrestling, which later changed its name to WWE Wrestling, into a global business empire.

I wonder if Americans finding out pro wrestling is fake is like the moment a child finds out that Santa isn’t real? Apologies if I’ve burst your bubble on either front.

The image above shows McMahon last year at the age of 75. Methinks he might dabble in a ‘roid or two, and he may have more time for the gym in light of events these past few weeks.

In early June, it was reported that McMahon had an affair with an employee and then paid her $3 million in hush money. He originally recruited the 40-year-old employee for a secretary post, which paid $100 000 a year, but bumped that to $200 000 when the affair began.

Over the years, the WWE boss is rumoured to have slept with multiple WWE Divas, as female wrestlers are known. A subsequent investigation also uncovered numerous other agreements related to misconduct claims by female employees against McMahon and John Laurinaitis, WWE’s head of talent relations.

Now the floodgates have opened and Rita Chatterton, the first female referee for what was then the WWF, has revisited her rape accusation against McMahon.

Kotaku below, with a warning that it features content related to rape and other forms of sexual violence:

She first accused McMahon of raping her in the summer of 1986 during a 1992 interview with Geraldo Rivera on his show Now It Can Be Told. During the interview, Chatterton alleged that McMahon propositioned her with sex during a private meeting to get a higher-paying WWF contract.

Sadly, by that stage, the statute of limitations for rape had already run out, meaning charges were not filed.

This week, Chatterton gave another interview and elaborated on her accusations:

McMahon hired Chatterton [circled below] to the WWF to referee for his storyline where American singer Cyndi Lauper managed wrestler Wendi Richter.

Image: The Daily Mail

After she was hired, Chatterton told New York Magazine that her friend and former wrestler Leonard Inzitari, warned her to stay away from Vince…

Via IOL, Inzitari recalls the aftermath of the July 1986 alleged rape:

“I remember it like it was yesterday… She was a wreck. She was shaking. She was crying. I’ll tell you why I’m hopping on the bandwagon now,” he said. “There’s worse stuff than that.”

He went on to say that Chatterton told him McMahon “took his penis out” and forced her to perform oral sex on him, before forcing himself “inside” of her.

Chatterton said that the current investigation into McMahon’s conduct may well lead to other women coming forward, “because we’re not the only two. There’s not a doubt in my mind about that.”

McMahon actually sued both Rivera and Chatterton after the 1992 interview aired. The lawsuit was eventually discontinued without either side winning.

Earlier this month, McMahon temporarily and “voluntarily” stepped down from his role as CEO. His daughter Stephanie and her husband, former wrestler Triple H, are currently running the company.

[sources:kotaku&iol]