5 Directions for Theory following Vince McMahon stepping back 

It was announced earlier today that Vince McMahon has officially stepped back from his duties as the Chairman and CEO of WWE. His daughter Stephanie McMahon will take the reins for the duration of the investigation concerning Vince.

The former chairman will still have a presence in his company since he's built it from the ground up over the past few decades, and he will still oversee WWE's creative content. However, the superstars attached to Vince McMahon could be affected by this controversy.

Theory has been pushed as McMahon's protege in recent months and now the star will be under a microscope on WWE TV. Here are just five directions for the reigning WWE United States Champion moving forward.

#5. Stephanie McMahon announces that she will take over as Theory's mentor/or a protege of her own

Stephanie McMahon only recently announced that she was taking a leave of absence from the company, but she has been forced to make her return. The daughter of the WWE Chairman has always pushed for the women's division, but this would be a fantastic moment for her to take on a protege of her own.

WWE could either hand Stephanie her own Superstar to mentor in the coming weeks, much like Theory, in order to build up to a storyline. On the other hand, she could decide to take over as Theory's mentor herself. This outcome depends on whether she returns to the company as a face or a heel.

#4. Theory is taken off TV and repackaged

The accusations against Vince McMahon have hit the company quite hard and for the chairman to step back, it's clear that this situation is serious. The issue here is that Theory has been linked to McMahon in recent months, and most of his entire gimmick surrounds him.

WWE has the option of stripping Theory of the United States Champion and then taking him off TV for a while until he is able to return with the same character, or he could be repackaged instead.

#3. Nothing changes, but Vince McMahon isn't mentioned as part of his storyline moving forward

In the past, WWE has made it clear that real-life rarely affects their on-screen product, and "the show must go on." With this in mind, it's likely that the company could do absolutely nothing.

Instead, Monday Night RAW and tonight's SmackDown could go ahead as usual and Theory could continue as he has without mentioning that he is McMahon's protege on-screen. This direction would allow him to continue to be pushed by the company and would mean that he is still on course to be the potential face of WWE in a few years.

#2. Theory comes out in support of Vince and pushes for his return

Theory has been associated with Vince McMahon for the majority of his run on WWE RAW, and it would make sense for him to support his boss. An interesting storyline here could be for Theory to blame Stephanie McMahon for his departure and protest until the former champion makes his return.

Vince will likely return to the company at some point, perhaps in a year's time at next year's WrestleMania. This would allow Theory to build a storyline around his exit and allow him to be closely associated with the former chairman on-screen.

#1. Theory cuts a promo making it clear that he's cut ties with the former Chairman

Theory is a heel at the moment, but given that he has been seen as the protege of Vince McMahon throughout his career, it would be wise for him to be able to comment on the recent issues. While WWE might sugarcoat the situation but add enough information for a shock factor, Theory still needs to mention the investigation on-screen. If he does, he could then cut ties with McMahon.

As a heel, he could then note that he has already outgrown his mentor anyway and is now set to go on to become The Face of The Company without his support. In doing so, he would move forward without being attached to the former chairman.