Posted in: Sports, TV, WWE | Tagged: Vince McMahon, wrestling, wwe

Report: Vince McMahon to Chair Merged WWE and UFC in Endeavor Sale

Hold on to your seats, wrestling fans! WWE is reportedly close to a deal to merge with UFC, and guess who's set to chair the new company?

Breaking news, wrestling fans! As if WrestleMania weekend wasn't already jam-packed with wrestling news, we've got a potentially earth-shattering report for you. According to a report from CNBC, WWE is close to a deal that would sell the company to Endeavor, owner of UFC, and merge it with the longtime rival promotion, creating a new combat sports and entertainment behemoth running both brands. But wait, there's more! Our favorite scandal-plagued, out-of-touch wrestling overlord, Vince McMahon, will not only remain involved in the new company but will serve as Executive Chairman of the whole thing, according to the report. You just can't keep a good McMahon down. Or, in this case, a bad McMahon.

According to CNBC, the leadership structure of this new super-company will consist of media executive Ari Emanuel, who will act as CEO of both Endeavor and the new company. Mark Shapiro will remain president of Endeavor. Dana White will remain as president of UFC, while WWE CEO Nick Khan will serve as president of WWE. And, of course, McMahon himself will oversee this glorious union as Executive Chairman, which, if true, will be just the latest victory in his campaign to claw back power at the longtime family wrestling business after being temporarily ousted last year. But McMahon is nothing if not skilled at surviving scandals, which he's been doing since at least the 1980s.

Let's not forget McMahon's tumultuous journey, which saw him resign as Chairman, CEO, and Head of Creative from WWE in 2022 amid a hush money payments scandal, only to return like a phoenix from the ashes (or more like a cockroach after a nuclear blast) in early 2023. Believing he received bad advice when he agreed to retire as the company's board investigated payments to women who made sexual misconduct claims against McMahon, he used his majority voting power as a stockholder to reverse the decision. He appointed himself Executive Chairman, ousted two board members, and replaced them with his loyalists, even causing his own daughter, Stephanie McMahon, to resign, tightening his grip on power. McMahon then initiated the sale process that, if this report is to be believed, could culminate as soon as Monday. While McMahon has supposedly kept his fingers out of the creative pie since returning, many feel there have been some signs of his influence in the book. He was recently spotted at WWE Raw and WrestleMania weekend sporting a bad hair dye job and a Howard Hughes mustache.

According to the report, Endeavor would own 51% of the newly merged WWEUFC, with WWE shareholders (including McMahon) owning 49%. The company would be valued at $9.3 billion. The pairing would also create questions about the future of TV deals for both companies. UFC has dealt with Disney to air on ESPN, while WWE has deals with Fox and NBC Universal. Could the two products become a package deal netting even bigger rights deals and consolidating with a single media partner? Could we see mixed UFC/WWE events? Talk about a Forbidden Door! Will UFC finally admit it's been Sports Entertainment all along?

Setting business aside, from a creative standpoint, what does the future hold for a WWE that combines the brain trust of both Vince McMahon and Dana White under one umbrella? We can only speculate, but it's sure to be a wild ride. With the creative forces of WWE and UFC joining forces, the sky's the limit for the world of combat sports and entertainment – or, perhaps more accurately, a race to the bottom. Maybe they can combine their ideas for side hustles and form a new hybrid slap-fighting and bodybuilding federation. We'll be keeping a close eye on this one, as well as on any reports that might refute it and any official word from either of the two companies.

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