How THIS Wrestler Has Become WWE's Most Valuable Player In 2020
From one-off comeback to the best thing on WWE television...
This wasn't supposed to happen.
At 46 years old and with close to a decade removed since he first left WWE, MVP had no designs on embarking on another full-time run under Vince McMahon's umbrella. All he wanted to do was work a surprise Royal Rumble appearance, wrestle for the rest of the year, and hang it up, able to reflect on a career that had taken him from the Floridian indie scene to major title reigns in WWE, NJPW, and more.
Speaking to talkSPORT's Alex McCarthy in July, MVP claimed to have reached out to WWE about the Rumble spot so his five-year-old son could see him wrestle. "That went so well that they asked me to come back the following night in San Antonio," he said. "I was given the opportunity to wrestle Rey Mysterio and, again, that was for my son. Rey is his favourite wrestler."
MVP said "goodbye" to WWE later that week, claiming the Mysterio bout was his last in WWE. The Rumble nostalgia pop was sweet, he got to work a legend the following night, and would sail off into the sunset once more. Not a bad way to go out, all things considered.
But as MVP told McCarthy, the invites kept coming. A VIP Lounge segment here turned into a squash match there. Soon, former Raw Executive Director Paul Heyman was on the phone, asking the former United States Champion if he was interested in combining in as a producer. By June, PWInsider reported he had transitioned to a full-time performance role. The Hurt Business was born a few weeks later.
And now, in September 2020, MVP has found a spot befitting his initials.
He is WWE's most valuable player.
CONT'd...