In the 1980s, Vince McMahon led WWE (then known as the WWF) and professional wrestling to new heights, breaking into the mainstream with events like WrestleMania and mega stars like Hulk Hogan. McMahon would continue to lead WWE for decades to come, through the lows of the mid-90s to the second boom period with the Attitude Era and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Now, at 77-years-old, McMahon has officially announced his retirement from WWE.

The announcement comes amidst an investigation by WWE's Board of Directors into sexual misconduct allegations. According to various reports, McMahon has paid millions in "hush money" to various women over the years, including former WWE talent. This all came to light after a bombshell report by The Wall Street Journal that detailed a recent relationship McMahon allegedly had with a WWE paralegal. These accusations saw McMahon step down from his position as Chairman and CEO to instead focus on the creative side of WWE, with his daughter Stephanie McMahon named Chairwoman and Co-CEO in his absence.

RELATED: Opponents Announced for Ric Flair's Last Match

While it was originally presented as a temporary arrangement, it now seems as though Stephanie McMahon's position as Chairwoman and Co-CEO of WWE will be a bit more permanent. Stephanie McMahon shares CEO duties with Nick Khan, who has been an important behind-the-scenes figure in WWE's recent years, helping guide the company to record profits. Vince McMahon is still majority shareholder of WWE and says that he will continue to support the company in any way he can, ending his announcement with the tag that appears at the beginning of WWE television programs: "Then. Now. Forever. Together."

It will be interesting to see what happens with WWE moving forward, to say the least. For better or worse, Vince McMahon has been the final decision-maker with all the company's major business and creative decisions, sometimes leading to great successes like was the case with the various wrestling boom periods over the years, but also sometimes leading to big-time fumbles. WWE's creative in particular has been criticized heavily in recent years, with many pointing the finger at McMahon as the main problem. Now that Vince McMahon is retired, it will be interesting to see how the on-screen product changes, if at all. It's uncharted waters for the company, to say the least.

Right now, WWE is building to SummerSlam, its second-biggest pay-per-view of the year. SummerSlam is taking place at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on July 30, with Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing Match as the main event.

MORE: WWE: 4 Games With The Best GM Modes, Ranked