Tag: endeavor

Daily Update: Gable Steveson loses, Ari Emanuel, CMLL

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Wrestling Observer:

  • Updating the John Cena/Cody Rhodes interview, what was and wasn’t said, update on the plans for WrestleMania as well as the current ticket demand and interest level.
  • WBD expresses interest in UFC and evaluating the value of the UFC PPV business, the methods of distribution, how many buyers or subscribers will it take to cover what UFC wants and that value, how a deal with WBD would affect AEW (it would , perhaps significantly).
  • Full coverage of the final week of the New Japan Cup, including a look at one of the best shows of the year and New Japan’s next major show.
  • 2024 Gaspard/Huber award winners, the most important award we give each year
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for the various shows, including competition, men vs. women and things to note from the different shows over the past week.
  • Build to CMLL’s second biggest event of the year
  • How the foreign talent is doing in Mexico
  • AAA champion suspended in key market and why
  • Difference between commission suspensions in U.S. and Mexico
  • What WWE superstar was suspended for a drug test failure by athletic commissions nationwide and a commission didn’t  honor it and why several years back
  • Angle for a non-wrestling booker to face a woman star in a match
  • Homicide retirement notes
  • A look back at the most famous NCAA wrestling tournament match of all-time
  • The state of  El Hijo del Santo’s retirement tour
  • Updates on Border City Wrestling
  • Queen of the Ring updates
  • More on the early days of women’s pro wrestling history
  • Mandy Rose talks business after wrestling
  • AEW Dynasty updates including business
  • AEW and the Ryan Nemeth lawsuit against the company, Tony Khan and CM Punk
  • International TV and streaming numbers
  • WWE countering AEW PPV shows
  • Lex Luger Hall of Fame questions
  • How much is Dwayne Johhnson’s ownership of TKO worth
  • How much is Vince McMahon’s current ownership worth
  • Lots of injury updates
  • Developmental updates

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Sunday Update

Bryan and I will be back tonight talking about a giant news weekend with Wrestling Observer Radio. Friday’s show with Garrett Gonzales went in depth on these topics:

  •     The Shad Gaspard/Jonathan Huber award
  •     Heel John Cena
  •     New Japan Cup finale
  •     AEW Dynamite rating
  •     AEW & WWE rosters
  •     Lex Luger and Tony Khan’s dilemma
  •     TKO & Netflix

— In what may go down as the biggest match in college wrestling history, Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State scored a takedown with 15 seconds left to beat Gable Steveson in last night’s NCAA tournament final at 285 pounds. Steveson was up 4-2 but the takedown scored Hendrickson three points to win, 5-4. The most famous final was Larry Owings beating Dan Gable (who Steveson was named after) in 1970 and was considered the biggest upset in college wrestling history. Many were calling last night’s result the biggest upset in college wrestling history (I think so but it’s close) and even the biggest in college sports history (I wouldn’t go that far). There is a ton to digest from this one. Steveson had not been taken down all season. I’m not even sure the last time he was taken down was, but he had not lost a wrestling match of any kind since he was 19 years old in 2019.

— Carter Starocci became the first five-time Division I champion due to allowing him an extra season due to COVID beating Parker Keckeisen of  Northern Iowa by a 4-3 score. As Starocci was just starting his promo after the win, President Trump came out and just took all the attention away from an achievement that will likely never be duplicated. It was just sad timing.  The place went nuts when Trump came out.

— Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell are leaving Endeavor, buying WME while Mark Shapiro will stay with Endeavor according to this story as Endeavor goes private. 

— Very sad to report on the death of independent wrestler Graham Michael (Artist Artest) after a medical emergency in a match last night in Fairborn, OH for Xtreme Valley Wrestling. We don’t have more details past it was the second straight weekend someone died in a match. XVW wrote that he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital and that staff worked tirelessly to keep him alive until the medics arrived. I will say this, a lot of commissions mandate an ambulance at independent shows, both in the U.S. and Mexico but wrestling has gone unregulated in most parts of the U.S. for years. This is probably something that should be mandated everywhere.

— CMLL’s El Homenaje a Dos Leyndas show on Friday night ended with Zandokan Jr & Star Jr. beating Valiente & Esfinge, leading to Zandokan Jr. beating Star Jr. in a mask match. The show was very good, although this didn’t have the same emotion as some of the more famous mask matches in recent years. But they worked very hard. Mistico & Mascara Dorada beat Komander & Hologram in an excellent match with La Mistica on Komander. Komander really stole the show in that match. Angel de Oro & Niebla Roja retained the CMLL tag titles over Rocky Romero & Volador Jr, while AEW’s Lady Frost & Taya Valkyrie lost in a match for the vacant CMLL women’s tag titles to Lluvia & Jarochita. We’ll have more on this tonight.

— WWE results from yesterday in Belfast, Northern Ireland

  • Rey Mysterio b Finn Balo
  • Charlotte Flair b  Piper Niven
  • Bron Breakker b Sheamus to keep the IC title
  • Chelsea Green b Michin to keep the US title
  • Gunther DCOR CM Punk to keep the World title
  • War Raiders b New Day to keep the tag titles
  • Andrade b Carmelo Hayes
  • Braun Strowman & JImmy Uso b Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga
  • Cody Rhodes b Solo Sikoa in a cage match to keep the WWE title

–We’re looking for reports from today’s WWE show in Nottingham, England with results, finishes and highlights to [email protected]

— Future Stars of Wrestling on Triller tonight has the Chris Bey benefit show from Las Vegas:

  • Kenny King vs. Swerve Strickland
  • Alex Hammerstone vs. Karrion Kross
  • Johnny TV vs. Lio Rush vs. Ace Austin
  • Frankie Kazarian vs. Joe Wiliams vs. Gregory Sharpe vs. TJP vs Danny Limelight

— WWE tonight on A&E at LFG at 8 p.m., Rivals at 9:30 p.m. is about the Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat feud and WWE Greatest Moments at 10:30 p.m. is about celebrities in WWE of the 80s like Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper.

— Collision tonight after NCAA basketball at about 11 p.m. Eastern has Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta & Pac vs. Top Flight & AR Fox for the trios titles, Johnny TV vs. Bandido, Harley Cameron vs Aminah Belmnt and Komander & Hologram vs. Mortos & Dralistico. The trios title match opens directly following the game rather than the Lucha match.

— Former UFC star Yoel Romero knocked out former Bellator fighter Ras Hylton in the main event of last night’s Dirty Boxing show in Miami. This is the promotion that Jon Jones has an ownership stake in.

— Pro wrestler and former MMA star Shinya Aoki fought on today’s ONE show at the Saitama Super Arena, beating Eduard Folayang via submission with an armbar in 53 seconds.

— The WWE Valt YouTube has put up a WCW house show from March 13, 1993, in Manchester, England. The top matches were Sting vs. Paul Orndorff, Cactus Jack vs. Vader, Davey Boy Smith vs. Vinnie Vegas and Rick Rude vs. Van Hammer. (thanks to Stephen Lyon)

WWE & UFC parent company acquires Professional Bull Riders, two other companies

Posted on by Josh Nason

TKO is bringing on several new properties already within the Endeavor family into their fold.

Announced Thursday morning, the parent company of WWE and UFC is acquiring Professional Bull Riders (PBR), On Location, and IMG from Endeavor in an all-stock deal valued at $3.25 billion.

Ari Emanuel is the CEO of both Endeavor and TKO. The impetus of the transaction is the lead up to Endeavor wanting to go private in a proposed transaction with private equity firm Silver Lake. As a result, they are looking to shed some of their assets prior to that happening.

While PBR doesn’t have a logical tie-in with either WWE or UFC, both On Location and IMG do.

The former is a premium event company that provides VIP experiences for more than 1200 sporting events including for the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four. TKO executive Mark Shapiro has spoken publicly in the past about wanting to increase those opportunities for both WWE and UFC who both currently use On Location.

IMG has many different business tentacles as they both distribute and produce sports content, handle media rights and brand partnerships, and offer digital services and event management. Clients include the NFL and NHL. Both WWE and UFC are listed under their current portfolio of clients.

TNA Wrestling partnering with Endeavor Streaming for TNA+ subscription service

Posted on by Joseph Currier

TNA Wrestling and Endeavor Streaming are partnering together for a relaunch of the promotion’s TNA+ subscription service.

It was announced today that TNA Wrestling and Endeavor Streaming have reached a multi-year deal for Endeavor Streaming to power the TNA+ app. It launches on Friday, January 5.

TNA touted that the app is relaunching with a new dynamic look, along with expanded options and increased functionality. There will be two price tiers for the service. The “Special Attraction” tier is priced at $9.99 per month or $95.99 per year and includes access to the full TNA/Impact Wrestling library and every TNA+ special event. The “World Championship” tier is priced at $219.99 per year and includes those benefits as well as TNA’s four major annual pay-per-views.

Impact Plus was previously priced at $7.99 per month or $71.99 per year. There was only one tier available that didn’t include PPVs.

In addition to reclaiming the iconic TNA moniker, the TNA+ app is relaunching with an all-new dynamic look, as well as expanded options and increased functionality. The app puts the power back in the fans’ hands, delivering the ultimate premium experience where they can stream the company’s flagship weekly TV show and tune into exciting pay-per-view events, view TNA’s full archive, get exclusive original content and wrestler-created series, and even have the chance to interact with some of TNA’s top stars.

TNA+ will be available at TNAWrestling.com, via iOS, tvOS and Android mobile apps, as well as big screen devices such as Android TV, Fire TV and Roku, with more platforms to follow. Subscribers will have the choice of a ‘Special Attraction’ membership tier that features access to the full TNA/IMPACT Wrestling library and all TNA+ special PPV programming other than the 4-tent pole annual events offered at a price of $9.99 monthly or $95.99 per year, and a ‘World Championship’ membership tier that includes all the perks of the Special Attraction tier, plus the 4-tent pole PPV events, offered at a price of $219.99 per year. Further details and subscription information for the new service can be found at TNAwrestling.com.

Impact Wrestling is rebranding back to TNA starting in January 2024. The name change officially goes into effect starting with the promotion’s Hard to Kill PPV on Saturday, January 13.

“This is truly an incredible opportunity for us as we forge into an exciting new chapter of the TNA legacy,” TNA President Scott D’Amore said in a press release. “We are proud to partner with Endeavor Streaming on this initiative, and we look forward to continuing to provide our fans with the absolute best in new, classic and exclusive professional wrestling content, available to them anywhere, anytime, on their favorite devices, when TNA+ launches on January 5.”

“Wrestling fans are some of the most passionate in the world of sports and entertainment and TNA+ is the perfect ‘always-on’ personalized OTT service to help TNA build a deeper relationship with its global audience,” Endeavor Streaming Chief Commercial Officer Pete Bellamy said. “We’re looking forward to working with TNA to deliver the best streaming experience for wrestling fans.”

Endeavor Streaming is a subsidiary of Endeavor, which owns TKO Group Holdings (the parent company of WWE and UFC).

Triple H: ‘The future is so bright’ with WWE-Endeavor merger

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Paul “Triple H” Levesque is excited about WWE’s future under the Endeavor umbrella.

The WWE-Endeavor deal was officially completed this September. With the deal being finalized, WWE and the UFC have been merged into one publicly traded company named TKO Group Holdings.

Levesque, Dana White, and Nick Khan sat together ringside as they attended the Callum Walsh vs. Ismael Villarreal boxing match in New York City on Thursday night. While there, Levesque spoke to Sports Illustrated about WWE now being part of Endeavor.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” Levesque said. “Working with Endeavor, it’s next level. The flywheel for all the things they touch–if you were trying to build that on your own, it’s taking you a decade. For us, now, it fast tracks everything we’re doing.

“Endeavor, UFC, they’re the best in the business at what they do. They put things on a different level of professionalism, and we fit right into that. The future is so bright because of the opportunities Endeavor is going to provide for us and the synergies that are there. We’re going to take this to a whole new level.”

Levesque has the job title of Chief Content Officer in WWE. Following the merger, Levesque is the person making all of the key decisions in WWE creative. Endeavor/TKO CEO Ari Emanuel is the person responsible for Levesque’s increase in power.

Endeavor to explore ‘strategic alternatives,’ stake in WWE unaffected

Posted on by Ian Carey

Endeavor Group Holdings could be positioning itself for a sale. 

Company CEO Ari Emanuel was quoted in an Endeavor press release on Wednesday announcing the initiation of a formal review to evaluate strategic alternatives for the company.

“Given the continued dislocation between Endeavor’s public market value and the intrinsic value of Endeavor’s underlying assets, we believe an evaluation of strategic alternatives is a prudent approach to ensure we are maximizing value for our shareholders,” Emanuel said. 

The strategic alternatives could potentially include the company being sold. However, today’s press release specifically mentioned Endeavor will not consider selling its interest in TKO Group Holdings, the company created via the WWE and UFC merger earlier this year. Endeavor holds a 51% stake in the company.

“As part of this review of strategic alternatives, the Company will not consider the sale or disposition of the Company’s interest in TKO Group Holdings, Inc.”

“Endeavor has not set a deadline or definitive timetable for the completion of the strategic alternatives review process, and there can be no assurance that this process will result in any particular outcome. The Company does not intend to comment further regarding the review of strategic alternatives until it determines disclosure is necessary or advisable.”

Brandon Thurston posted an email sent to Endeavor staff regarding the news. 

The email reads:

Today, Endeavor announced that it has begun a formal review of strategic alternatives. No other company has a global portfolio like Endeavor — across sports, entertainment, fashion, live events, and premium experiences. Still, Endeavor believes there is a disconnect between its public market value and the intrinsic value of its underlying assets. Given that, Endeavor has decided to evaluate strategic alternatives to ensure it is maximizing value for EDR shareholders. As part of this review, Endeavor will not consider the sales or disposition of its interest in TKO. Endeavor has not set a deadline or definitive timetable for the completion of the process and there’s no guarantee of any specific outcome. We do not anticipate any changes to your day-to-day, and we will share more information when the need arises.

The news comes shortly after billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault announced he was purchasing a majority stake in rival Hollywood talent agency, CAA. 

UFC to hold first-ever show in Saudi Arabia

Posted on by Joseph Currier

UFC is scheduled to hold its first-ever show in Saudi Arabia.

It was announced today that the UFC will make its Saudi Arabia debut with a Fight Night event on March 2, 2024. The show, which is in partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority, will be part of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season festival.

“As part of its thrilling activities, Riyadh Season will host a UFC Fight Night in collaboration with UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization on Saturday, March 2, 2024,” a press release announcing the show said.

“The event will feature a variety of UFC’s most successful and internationally known fighters. UFC CEO Dana White will announce participating athletes in the coming months.”

In 2018, Endeavor — UFC’s parent company — ended its business relationship with the Saudi government. The decision was due to the Saudi government’s role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Endeavor finalized its acquisition of WWE last month. With the deal, WWE and the UFC have been merged into one publicly traded company named TKO Group Holdings.

WWE has regularly held major events in Saudi Arabia since 2018. The shows are part of a long-term deal between WWE and the Saudi government.

Next month, WWE Crown Jewel is being held in Saudi Arabia during Riyadh Season. A boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou is also set for the festival. Fury vs. Ngannou is happening on October 28. Crown Jewel will then take place on November 4.

WWE EVP of human resources departing company in November

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Another WWE executive is departing the company soon.

Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reported today that Suzette Ramirez-Carr will be leaving WWE next month. Nick Khan sent an email to WWE staff informing them of the news.

Ramirez-Carr was WWE’s chief human resources officer. Her last day with the company will be November 3.

“WWE’s EVP of Human Resources, Suzette Ramirez-Carr will be leaving the company on November 3, according to an all staff email from WWE President Nick Khan,” Thurston wrote. “HR was probably one of the more obvious areas for overlap with Endeavor’s services following the TKO merger.”

Ramirez-Carr formerly worked for United Talent Agency, Beautycounter, and Oaktree Capital Management. She joined WWE in May 2022. Her areas of oversight included talent acquisition, employee experience, development and engagement, and HR operations and training.

Executives Jamie Horowitz, Catherine Newman, and Andrew Levine were among those laid off by WWE last month. The layoffs were made after Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE became official. With the acquisition, WWE and the UFC have been merged into one publicly traded company named TKO Group Holdings.

WWE also made a round of roster cuts in September.

Wrestling Observer Live: Does The Rock trump the appeal of the Cody (or LA Knight) story?

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s Saturday and that means it’s time for Wrestling Observer Live — a very newsworthy show based on Friday’s WWE SmackDown.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson came back to Denver and WWE, backing up Pat McAfee and laying out Austin Theory, but does he have Roman Reigns in his sights? 

To hear him on McAfee’s show, he passed on WrestleMania 39, but might work WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.

While SmackDown ratings were strong and the crowd in Denver went crazy, will this frenzy maintain all the way until WrestleMania? What does that mean for Cody Rhodes and LA Knight’s stories going into next spring’s big show?

Plus, I talk about John Cena, Jimmy Uso, the late Brett Sawyer and much more.

Click Here to Listen (sub needed)

Multiple executives gone from WWE in post-merger layoffs

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Update —

PWInsider reports that Andrew Levine was let go in Friday’s layoffs. Levine, who was with WWE for more than five years, was the company’s vice president of international and platform strategy.

WWE’s marketing, live events, podcasting, and WWE Network divisions were among those affected by the layoffs, according to PWInsider.

**********

Multiple WWE executives have been let go following Endeavor’s acquisition of the company.

The post-merger layoffs began on Friday with PWInsider reporting that Jamie Horowitz (EVP of development and digital) and Catherine Newman (EVP and head of marketing) have been laid off by the company.

Horowitz was hired by WWE in June 2021. He previously worked for ESPN, Fox Sports, and DAZN. In 2017, Horowitz was fired from his position as president of Fox Sports National amid a sexual harassment investigation.

Newman was the chief marketing officer for Manchester United Media prior to joining WWE in June 2022.

PWInsider adds that Amanda Bloom, who worked as director of enterprise master data and governance, has also been laid off by WWE. Bloom was with the company for nearly eight years, originally working as a metadata specialist.

It was announced on September 12 that the WWE-Endeavor deal had been completed. With the acquisition, WWE and the UFC have been merged into the publicly traded company TKO Group Holdings. Endeavor holds a controlling interest of 51 percent in TKO and WWE shareholders hold a 49 percent interest.

WWE informed employees on Thursday that it was “evaluating our existing operations and systems to identify potential synergies across the business.” WWE stated that would include workforce reductions, which would take place on Friday.

It was revealed on September 13 that WWE chief financial officer Frank Riddick, who received a $5 million bonus with the WWE-Endeavor deal closing, is departing the company at the end of this month.

WOR Video: Vince McMahon is back

Posted on by F4W Staff

Vince McMahon is back.

Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio Tuesday morning confirmed McMahon returned to Raw on Monday to make changes. He was not backstage at the show, but both he and Triple H made last minute changes to the program.

“Vince McMahon is back,” Meltzer said. “He made multiple changes [to Raw] tonight, there were also multiple changes by [Paul] Levesque at the last minute. A lot of stuff wasn’t advertised, and the reason is they were changing all day long.”

Meltzer said the changes, according to people backstage, were described as “probably changes for the better, but there were many of them.”

McMahon’s return couldn’t have come at a better time, as the merger between UFC and WWE under the Endeavor umbrella begins on Tuesday. Although McMahon won’t own WWE anymore under this deal, he is still very much in charge of the direction of the wrestling aspect of the new company.

“When it comes to wrestling, Ari Emanuel is very willing to say I don’t know wrestling, [McMahon] knows wrestling.”

However, Emanuel, Mark Shapiro, and Nick Khan will be working on WWE’s next television deals. Meltzer said that while it is likely USA will retain Raw and NXT, SmackDown’s future is more uncertain, with Disney and Amazon both in the running while Fox may not be interested in the high price increase WWE wants for their content.

Daily Update: The WWE-Endeavor deal becomes official

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

The new issue of the Observer is out with the following covered:

  • Match of the week and performer of the week from the past two weeks
  • The most detailed story of the AEW/C.M. Punk relationship
  • The honeymoon period
  • The business records
  • The difficulty of the decision to cut ties with him
  • Lots of new information not reported previously
  • The original records set and business success
  • The fight after All Out and its aftermath
  • Realities of pro wrestling
  • Analysis of him going to WWE
  • Support and non-support for him in AEW
  • Punk’s prior two contacts in recent years with WWE about returning
  • Conflict between Punk and other talent
  • The situation with Adam Page
  • The attempts to get everyone working together and why it kept being delayed
  • Details on what happened in the investigations after All In
  • Tony Khan’s speech before the live crowd in Chicago
  • The life and times of Sheik Adnan-Al Kaissie, the Native American babyface torn foreign menace
  • Amateur wrestling, legend in Hawaii, and giant stadium crowds in Iraq including beating Andre the Giant
  • His WWWF tag team title run
  • His AWA run including the biggest crowds in the heyday of the promotion affiliated with Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera
  • The final run with Sgt. Slaughter
  • Full coverage of Payback, business notes, stories out of the show and match-by-match coverage
  • Full coverage of All Out, highlights, polls, business notes and more
  • UFC weekend coverage from Paris
  • More notes on the formation of a new all-women’s promotion that starts in a few weeks with Japanese stars
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for every wrestling and MMA show, segment-by-segment notes
  • Rocky Romero talks his CMLL run
  • Latest from Arena Mexico
  • Hall of Famer says he hopes to recover from recent operation and have a big retirement match
  • Stardom Five-Star Grand Prix tournament notes
  • Stardom PPV coverage
  • New rookie getting rave reviews
  • All Japan and NOAH have big shows
  • Terry Funk funeral notes
  • Notes on new TV show
  • Big tag team tournament coming
  • More notes on Wembley Stadium attendance
  • Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole talk post All Out
  • Advance ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • AEW value calculated
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Aussie Open on why they signed with AEW
  • Sports franchise owned by pro wrestling star wins championship
  • Dana White talks Bellator being for sale
  • More on Bellator sale talks
  • Analyst talks where he thinks WWE will wind up on television
  • Gable Steveson not doing world championships and update
  • Merchandise sales for Clash at the Castle and for All in
  • Cena’s drawing power on his return

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter

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Tuesday Update

WWE

  • TKO’s stock ended on their first day at $103.22, up 2.44%.
  • WWE executives have received a bonus as a result of today’s closing. That includes Nick Khan ($15 million), Kevin Dunn ($7 million), Paul Levesque ($5 million), and Frank Riddick ($5 million).
  • Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro talked to CNBC’s Squawk on the Street regarding TKO.
  • Matthew McConaghey will be a guest on tomorrow’s episode of The Bump.
  • Raw ring announcer Samantha Irvin commented on X after people accused WWE of turning down Dominik Mysterio’s mic during his promos: One week the crowd “isn’t reacting enough”- the next week we get the LOUDEST reactions ever and we mad at production. you know y’all could just ask me instead of looking like bonafide haters just lmk.”
  • Cody Rhodes celebrated his ten-year wedding anniversary to Brandi Rhodes on X.
  • Bayley announced on Instagram that she is auctioning off ring worn gear, with the proceeds going to the Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation, which will support animals affected by the recent wildfires.
  • Matches added to WWE’s YouTube today include Edge vs. Dominik Mysterio from the September 12, 2022 edition of Raw, Batista vs. JBL from No Mercy 2008, and Kane vs. The Great Khali in a kendo stick match from Breaking Point 2008.

AEW

Other Wrestling

Endeavor: We’re having ‘very encouraging conversations’ about WWE media rights

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Endeavor executives Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro have given an update on WWE’s talks for a new media rights deal.

Five months after originally being announced, Endeavor’s acquisition of WWE became official today. TKO Group Holdings, a merged company with WWE and the UFC, is now trading on the stock market. Endeavor holds a controlling interest of 51 percent in the new company, while WWE shareholders hold a 49 percent interest.

WWE’s media rights deals for Raw and SmackDown will be up in October 2024. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shapiro said they’re having “very encouraging conversations with several players and platforms” regarding new rights deals.

“We’re having very encouraging conversations with several players and platforms at the moment on WWE Raw and SmackDown,” Shapiro said. “We’re cautiously optimistic, we’re, in many ways, being valued as a unicorn because we’re a year-round. WWE is a full calendar, sports and entertainment platform with significant engagement, strong reach and attractive demos. And that bodes well for these conversations and I believe that we’ll have results that are in line with market expectations.”

Shapiro stated on CNBC that they’re in discussions with both linear and digital platforms.

Emanuel added that they feel very good about where they’re at with the negotiations. He thinks the new rights deals will be line with what the market thinks will happen.

During New York Fashion Week recently, Emanuel and Paul “Triple H” Levesque were spotted sitting next to Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Amazon has been rumored as a potential landing spot for SmackDown.

SmackDown currently airs on Fox. Raw and NXT both air on USA Network.

Emanuel is the CEO of both Endeavor and TKO Group Holdings. Shapiro is the president and chief operating officer of both companies.

Representatives from Endeavor, WWE, and UFC were at the New York Stock Exchange this morning to ring the opening bell. On social media, Levesque wrote that this is the most exciting time that he’s ever been a part of in the industry.

WWE-Endeavor deal official, TKO begins trading on stock market

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A new era for WWE is officially here.

For the first time in more than four decades, Vince McMahon is not the majority owner of WWE. A press release was issued on Tuesday announcing that Endeavor and WWE have completed their deal to create TKO Group Holdings, a merged company with WWE and the UFC. Endeavor holds a controlling interest of 51 percent in the new company, with WWE shareholders holding a 49 percent interest.

WWE and the UFC will continue to operate independently despite now being part of the same company.

“TKO brings together UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and WWE, an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment, to create a new premium sports and entertainment company serving more than one billion young and diverse fans, reaching viewers in 180 countries, and producing more than 350 annual live events,” the press release said. “Through this combination, TKO will leverage Endeavor’s expertise in areas including domestic and international media rights, ticket sales and yield optimization, event operations, global partnerships, licensing, and premium hospitality to drive revenue growth.”

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel will serve as the CEO of TKO Group Holdings. Vince McMahon, whose title is executive chairman of the company, will run the pro wrestling side of the business. Dana White is the CEO of UFC.

The press release included a statement from McMahon:

This is the culmination of a decades-long partnership between Endeavor and WWE across strategic initiatives including talent representation and media rights. Given our collaborative, trusted relationship and Endeavor’s incredible track record of success growing UFC, we believe WWE is optimally positioned for future growth and success as part of TKO. Our focus remains on delivering for our fans across the globe as we take the business to the next level alongside UFC and Endeavor.

WWE president Nick Khan also has a seat on TKO’s board of directors.

To celebrate the deal becoming official, Emanuel rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange this morning. McMahon, White, Khan, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Bianca Belair, Daniel Cormier, and Kevin Dunn were among those joined Emanuel as he rang the bell.

TKO, WWE, and UFC branding is represented at the stock exchange on Tuesday. TKO is officially listed for trading starting today.

A hype video for the new company included clips of Becky Lynch, Logan Paul, John Cena, Belair, and Jey Uso.

The deal between Endeavor and WWE was first announced this April.

WWE-Endeavor deal expected to close next week

Posted on by Ian Carey

The WWE-UFC merger is expected to be finalized next week. 

Endeavor and WWE announced today that the deal for Endeavor to purchase WWE and merge the company with UFC to create TKO Group Holdings is expected to close on September 12. 

From today’s press release:

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EDR) (“Endeavor”) and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) (“WWE”) today announced they expect to close the previously announced transaction to form TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (“TKO”) on September 12, 2023, at which time TKO will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TKO”.

Endeavor revealed in their Q2 earnings release last month that they expected the deal to close mid to late September. 

Layoffs of company employees are widely expected in the wake of the deal closing. Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel has stated there are plans for “cost savings and synergies” resulting from the merger. 

A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 10 revealed ten of the eleven board members for TKO Group Holdings. Vincent K. McMahon (WWE), Ariel Emmanuel (Endeavor), Egon P. Durban (Endeavor), Nick Khan (WWE), Steven R. Koonin (WWE), Jonathan A. Kraft (Endeavor), Sonya E. Medina (Endeavor), Mark Shapiro (Endeavor), Nancy R. Tellem (WWE), Carrie Wheeler (Endeavor), were the names listed in the filing. 

WWE-UFC merged company TKO Group board members revealed

Posted on by Ian Carey

New documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday have revealed 10 of the 11 board members for TKO Group Holdings, the company to be created through the WWE-UFC merger. 

Six of the new company’s board will be selected by Endeavor and the remaining five by WWE. Today’s filing listed the following names, along with their ages, as those confirmed:

  • Vincent K. McMahon (WWE), 77
  • Ariel Emmanuel (Endeavor), 62
  • Egon P. Durban (Endeavor), 49
  • Nick Khan (WWE), 48
  • Steven R. Koonin (WWE), 66
  • Jonathan A. Kraft (Endeavor), 59
  • Sonya E. Medina (Endeavor), 47
  • Mark Shapiro (Endeavor), 53
  • Nancy R. Tellem (WWE), 70
  • Carrie Wheeler (Endeavor), 51

The remaining board member to be confirmed will be selected by WWE. 

From today’s filing: 

“Under the terms of the transaction agreement, upon the completion of the Transactions, the New PubCo Board will consist of 11 members who will be determined prior to the Closing, five of whom will be selected by WWE, of whom (x) two will be members of the WWE management team (one of whom will be Mr. McMahon) and (y) three will be independent, and six of whom will be selected by Endeavor, of whom (x) three will be members of the Endeavor management team or Endeavor directors (one of whom will be Mr. Emanuel) and (y) three will be independent.”

Durban is the co-CEO of global technological investment firm Silver Lake and serves on the board for Endeavor Group Holdings. 

Koonin has been the CEO of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena since 2014. He’s also a former president of TBS. 

Kraft is the president of the New England Patriots and the Kraft family holding company, The Kraft Group. He’s the son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft. 

Medina is the president and CEO of Reach Resilience and a co-founder of Greenlight Growth Capital, LLC. 

Tellem is the executive chairperson and chief media officer of media company Eko and a former president of Xbox Entertainment Studios. 

Wheeler is CEO of Opendoor Technologies Inc. and has served on the board of directors of numerous companies. 

Khan currently serves as CEO of WWE and has been with the company since August 2020. McMahon was named executive chairman of WWE in January after a brief sabbatical from the company. Shapiro has been president of Endeavor since December 2018. Emanuel founded the company in 1995 and currently serves as its CEO.