Ari Emanuel has shared his account of the private phone call that led to Vince McMahon stepping down from TKO in January 2024.

In his memoir, Roll the Calls: A Memoir, Emanuel describes how he and Mark Shapiro spoke with McMahon as the company faced the fallout from allegations made by Janel Grant.

McMahon had returned to WWE as executive chairman in January 2023, ahead of the merger that brought WWE and UFC together under TKO. A year later, he resigned as TKO executive chairman and left its board.

According to Emanuel, Shapiro contacted him after The Wall Street Journal reported the allegations against McMahon. Shapiro made clear that McMahon’s departure needed to be complete, with “no emeritus position, no involvement in the company whatsoever.”

The pair then spoke with McMahon directly. In an excerpt shared by POST Wrestling, Emanuel recalled the conversation:

“Shapiro dials; Vince answers right away. I know what needs to be done, I have clarity, but I’m feeling uncomfortable. So I deploy my go-to phrase: Tell him, Mark. Shapiro sighs. Vince, we’ve crossed several red lines and we’re in new territory here. We both wait, listening to the white noise. Finally, Vince says: Okay. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Today,”

Emanuel’s account suggests McMahon understood that his position had become untenable and agreed to act that day.

McMahon’s subsequent resignation ended his formal involvement with WWE and TKO. The memoir offers Emanuel’s perspective on the discussions behind that decision and Shapiro’s insistence that McMahon retain no role within the company.