Stephanie McMahon opened the second night of WrestleMania 40 during a surprise appearance Sunday in Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
“Every WrestleMania is special for its own reason,” Stephanie McMahon told the crowd at the WWE event. “But I think Wrestlemania 40 might be the one I am most proud of, because this is the first WrestleMania of the Paul Levesque era.”
Her husband Levesque, also known by his ring name Triple H, is the chief content officer and head of creative at WWE. Stephanie McMahon hyped up the crowd by doing Triple H’s signature line, “Are you ready?”
Stephanie McMahon kicking off WrestleMania XL marks her first official appearance on WWE programming since her departure from the company in January 2023. She also attended the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday, April 5.
Earlier this year, her father Vince McMahon resigned from his position as executive chairman of the board of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., the company formed by Endeavor that merged WWE and the UFC. His most recent exit comes after former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against him, the company and former WWE executive John Laurinaitis. The filing alleges that Vince McMahon abused, sexually exploited and also trafficked Grant to other men.
Stephanie McMahon has been associated with WWE throughout her life, going back to modeling merchandise as a teenager. She worked in the WWE offices before being promoted to executive vice president of creative in 2007. She then rose to the position of chief brand officer before assuming her role as co-CEO and chairwoman after her father’s 2022 exit from the company.