It was something of an afterthought that Shane would become the king once Vince stepped down. Only that didnt happen. When Shane left the company, it wasnt a king at all who took the reigns behind the scenes. Stephanie McMahon became the heir with an eye for the business, and the company was only happy to give her one heckuva of nepotistic ride to the top. You can plant any title you want on her, but she has more influence on what happens than almost everyone in the company. Whether shes earned this right is very much up for debate. Two problems surround any challenger to Stephanie. One, nepotism. Two, without any direct challenge from an outside company, Stephanie will always be in control. They have a virtual monopoly. Oh, and lets not forget, Triple H (Paul Levesque) is now high up the food chain as Chief Operating Officer, making them the premier power couple in the industry. If you dont care for how they do business, or the creative direction of the company, youre pretty much screwed for the time being. Stephanie should be commended for all that shes done as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Preferential treatment or not, shes made her mark, and thats something worthy of note. But recently, the company seems to be floundering in its storylines and decision-making. The handling of Daniel Bryan, Batista, CM Punk and others has been downright perplexing. Even Stephanie and Triple Hs on-screen characters vacillate from heel to face on a seemingly week-to-week basis. Not all the blame is on Stephanie, but if its to be believed that her and Triple H are eventually taking control of all aspects, this is not a good sign. Like it or not, she's here to stay.
