On the June 11, 2007 episode of Raw, Raw did the infamous “limo explosion” angle where Vince McMahon was “killed” after his limousine exploded.
The next day, WWE.com put out a press release saying that McMahon as “presumed dead,” which caused a lot of people to believe that he may have actually died, though when reading the “press release” now, it’s obviously written in a “tongue-in-cheek” storyline manner.
Who Blew Up WWE® Chairman Mr. McMahon?
06/12/2007
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– While some might say “The Sopranos” went out with a whimper, last night on USA Network, WWE’s “Monday Night RAW®” went out with a bang. At the end of his self-anointed “Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night,” WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon entered his limousine when it suddenly exploded. The shocking ending raised a myriad of questions: How could Mr. McMahon have survived the fiery explosion? And who could’ve committed such a heinous act?
Although full details have not been disclosed, initial reports indicate that Mr. McMahon is presumed dead. An official investigation into Monday night’s events is currently underway with no one being ruled out as a suspect. Throughout the night, people from Mr. McMahon’s past – from Donald Trump to Snoop Dogg to Bob Costas to Stone Cold Steve AustinTM – had less than flattering things to say about the WWE Chairman, but would any go so far as to actually blow him up? The question of “whodunit,” as well as the fate of Mr. McMahon, will be on everyone’s minds as the WWE saga continues on “Monday Night RAW” on USA (9 p.m. ET/8C).
The storyline had to be dropped two weeks later after the Chris Benoit murder/suicide. The June 25 episode of Raw was supposed to be a “memorial” to Vince McMahon, but McMahon appeared at the start of the show and acknowledged that his death was only a storyline, but Benoit’s was real. The episode was instead a tribute to Chris Benoit (before it was known what had actually happened).