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Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts

November 16, 2023

Big 12, WWE pairing hands title belt to conference championship MVP

WWE and the Big 12 have formed a new partnership around the Big 12 championship game that will include a custom-made championship title belt going to the game's most outstanding player.

The new pact will include blended Big 12-WWE logos on the field at AT&T Stadium, a new Big 12 merchandise line and WWE superstars presenting the most outstanding player belt and participating in events around the title game, which takes place Dec. 2.

The partnership with WWE adds to the Big 12's push to modernize and connect with a younger audience. Hip-hop star Nelly will perform at halftime.

"WWE is a global brand that connects with a wide array of audiences," Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement. "With this partnership, we will integrate WWE and its brand power into one of the conference's biggest moments, further strengthening the bridge between sports and entertainment throughout the Big 12."

Yormark has spent much of his career working in the sports entertainment world, coming to the Big 12 from Jay-Z's Roc Nation, where he served as CEO and president of business operations and strategy.

WWE has taken a more active role in college football in recent years. The promotion's name, image and likeness program, "Next In Line," has included football players and other college athletes and put some on track for professional wrestling careers. WWE also finalized licensing agreements with all 14 SEC programs to create championship belts with each school's logo on the side plates.

September 19, 2023

XFL, USFL begin talks to merge leagues

And then there was one. Spring league, that is.

The XFL and USFL are merging, per multiple reports. The deal isn’t done, but it’s close.

Obviously, there will be many questions. Who owns the equity? Who televises the games?

How many teams will be in the combined league? Will they play in home markets or hubs?

Who will run the combined league? Which executives will stay, which ones will go?

Most importantly, what will it be called?

The XFL? The USFL? The USXFL? The SUXFL? (I like the last one.)

In 2023, both leagues competed, with a few weeks of overlap. The XFL started one week after the Super Bowl, and the USFL started in April.

The XFL, the 2023 season represented the third crack at making it go. The USFL returned after multiple decades of going dark in 2022.

February 10, 2023

WWE Board Members George Barrios And Michelle Wilson Announce New Venture

Following their departure from WWE in 2020, wrestling fans probably thought they had heard the last of George Barrios and Michelle Wilson. Now it seems they can't stop hearing about them. Barrios and Wilson made their sudden return to WWE's Board of Directors in January, following VInce McMahon's re-ascension to Chairman, and now they're making more moves, this time with NBA great Carmelo Anthony. In a press release on Friday, Barrios, Wilson, and Anthony launched Isos7 Sports Investment, a new venture looking to "provide growth capital, targeting $50 million to $100 million per investment, to a diversified portfolio of sports leagues, teams, emerging properties, and ancillary businesses in North America, Europe, and pan-Asia." It was also noted that the venture is looking to have access to over $750 million in capital.

"We believe sports assets will continue to benefit from global macro tailwinds and secular industry trends driving significant, predictable, and stable growth," Barrios and Wilson explained. "We are thrilled to partner with Carmelo, a trailblazer for athletes in investing, business development, and philanthropy. We have a shared vision for how a new wave of diverse investors will identify global growth opportunities and impact the marketplace."

In addition to Barrios, Wilson, and Anthony, the venture will also see Brian Flinn serve as a partner for Isos7, with Flinn overseeing investment and operation teams. Flinn is connected to both Anthony and Barrios/Wilson; he previously worked with Anthony's former team, the New York Knicks, served as the former SVP & Global Head of Marketing for the NBA, and was also Chief Marketing Officer at WWE. As of this writing, it's unclear what effect, if any, this new venture will have on Barrios or Wilson's duties as part of WWE's Board.

June 20, 2022

Vince McMahon and Oliver Luck Settle XFL Lawsuit

From Cageside Seats:

Settlement talks had broken down between McMahon and Oliver Luck, who had been commissioner of the rebooted XFL football league. Vince claimed the executive had been fired for cause; Luck believed it was a cost-cutting move ahead of shuttering the whole operation at the start of the pandemic.

Luck was suing for the roughly $24 million in compensation he said he was due. McMahon’s counter-claim focused on Luck’s signing of wide receiver Antonio Callaway, whose 2018 legal issues violated the league’s mandate to not sign players with any off-the-field issues. In depositions, Luck’s lawyers brought up McMahon’s own felony charge from his 1994 federal steroid trial, seemingly to demonstrate the mandate was hypocritical.

Last Wednesday (June 15), as we learned the Luck suit was headed to trial in July, the Wall Street Journal’s report on the WWE Board’s investigation into alleged misconduct by McMahon hit. Vince has since stepped down from his roles as CEO & Chairman, with his daughter Stephanie assuming those responsibilities on an interim basis.

Sports Business Journal now says a recent court filing shows that Luck & McMahon have agreed to settle. In a June 17 brief to the court requesting the remaining records in the case be sealed, Luck’s lawyer Paul Dobrowski wrote: ”The parties reached an agreement to resolve this case on June 16, 2022.” McMahon’s lawyer, Jerry McDevitt, does not oppose the motion.

May 13, 2022

WWE To Unveil Second “NEXT IN LINE™” Class At Inaugrual NIL Summit In June

WWE will announce the second class of athletes entering its “Next In Line” (NIL) program at the inaugural NIL Summit on Monday, June 13. The class of 15 athletes will be in attendance and unveiled live during the NIL Awards ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

WWE will join Meta, Wasserman and Invesco QQQ and others as founding Partners of the inaugural NIL Summit and will also serve as the exclusive Presenting Partner for the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Award. Additionally, WWE is nominated for the Brand of the Year Award which recognizes creative excellence by a brand or organization for collaboration with a student-athlete.

Four of the 16 initial members of WWE’s “Next In Line” program are nominated for awards including Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson (University of Minnesota) for Male Athlete of the Year, Haley & Hanna Cavinder (University of Miami) for Female Athlete of the Year and Jon Seaton (Elon University) for the Hustle Award.

“We are excited to unveil our next class of NIL athletes at the inaugural NIL Summit which brings together the brightest minds across this emerging industry for the first time,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Development. “WWE’s ‘Next In Line’ program has already proven to be transformational for our talent pipeline. We have forged many incredible partnerships with student athletes during the first six months of the program and look forward to ushering in the next wave of talent.”


WWE corporate

April 6, 2022

The Rock Debuts New XFL Logo And Vision


March 31, 2022

Triple H WrestleMania 38 Week Notes, Update On The WWE Tryouts


WWE Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul “Triple H” Levesque is in Dallas for the WrestleMania 38 Week festivities.

These are the most appearances Triple H has made since suffering his cardiac event last fall. You can click here for his recent comments on his health and in-ring retirement announcement, and click here for his comments on his WWE workload.

As seen in the photo above, Triple H was present for the talent tryouts in Frisco, TX at the Ford Center at The Star, home of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and state-of-the-art practice facility. WWE announced these tryouts several weeks back, and noted that they were exclusively for current and recently graduated college athletes.

The tryouts began on Wednesday and will run through Friday. WWE is hosting more than 50 male and female participants with collegiate athletic backgrounds across football, basketball, track and field, wrestling, volleyball, gymnastics, cheer and dance. Several NFL Draft-eligible college football players were also scheduled to participate in the invite-only event.

WWE NXT and WWE Performance Center staff brought to Texas to help out include WWE Vice President of Talent Development Shawn Michaels, PC Head Coach Matt Bloom, along with PC Coaches Fit Finlay, Terry Taylor and Norman Smiley. Several NXT Superstars who are not booked for Stand & Deliver are also in town, including Harland, Joe Gacy, The Rock’s daughter Simone Johnson, Robert Stone, Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis, among others.

Triple H was joined by Dallas Cowboys players Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak Prescott at the tryouts. He cut a promo for fans on the Cowboys social media pages, inviting them to The Grandest Stage of Them All this weekend.

“Hey Cowboys Nation, this is The Game, Triple H. We are here in Texas talking to all of you guys and this is an epic weekend. Everything is bigger in Texas and this weekend is no exception. This weekend, WrestleMania – the most stupendous event in history. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it. Go to seatgeek.com and get there. Don’t miss it,” he said in the video below.

The Game also tweeted on the tryouts and wrote, “The first days of the #WWETryout in Dallas at @thestarinfrisco. Excited to see the progress of the attendees through the rest of the week! Thanks to @EzekielElliott @dak @nino9brown @JourdanJD of the @dallascowboys for stopping by!”

March 15, 2022

Triple H On WWE’s New Partnership With INFLCR

WWE has partnered with INFLCR to expand their NIL (Next In Line) program for college athletes.

WWE and INFLCR announced a multi-year deal today that will see INFLCR, an industry-leading brand building content and name, image and likeness (NIL) business management platform for college athletes, assist WWE in increasing the scope and scale of the WWE Next In Line program.

WWE noted, “Through the partnership, WWE will leverage INFLCR’s technology and alliances with more than 200 NCAA Division 1 colleges and universities to reach thousands of INFLCR student-athletes looking to monetize their name, image and likeness. Together, WWE and INFLCR will innovate how student-athletes engage with the WWE brand while maintaining their NCAA eligibility.”

WWE’s Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul “Triple H” Levesque commented on the new partnership.

“We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership with INFLCR will create as we continue to expand our Next In Line program and identify student-athletes with an interest in becoming WWE Superstars,” Triple H said. “The Next In Line program is a unique opportunity that creates a clear pathway into WWE and partnering with INFLCR will help to bolster our efforts and resources in the NIL space.”

INFLCR’s recently-launched Global Exchange product will allow WWE to connect and execute directly with student-athletes across a myriad of sports backgrounds. The platform provides all parties a frictionless experience through streamlining communications and processes associated with NIL partnerships within a single ecosystem.

“INFLCR’s partnership with WWE opens a new door for the way student-athletes interact with companies looking to provide monetization opportunities,” said INFLCR Founder Jim Cavale. “The technology offers a seamless experience for both WWE and student-athletes in a safe and compliant environment.”

January 4, 2022

Triple H On WWE Opening The Door For College Athletes To Earn Money

Triple H recently appeared on NBC News where he discussed WWE’s new NIL (Next In Line) program, something that WWE launched towards the end of 2020. Triple H believes it opens up an avenue for WWE, while also allowing the athletes to earn money. “To allow college students to sort of monetize and utilize their name, image, and likeness,” Triple H stated. “It has opened up an avenue for us. This allows them to have that open door to earn money while in college.” 


The inaugural class brings together 15 athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences, and four sports. They will all join Gable Steveson, who is also signed up for the NIL program. Of course, the Olympic gold medalist has already been shown on television and was part of the most recent WWE Draft. The 15 athletes who have been signed on to the first class are as follows: 

 * Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University * Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University * Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University * A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University * Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University * Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University * John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University * Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU * Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama * Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan * Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky * Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University * Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University * Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas * Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama.


credit: NBC News Wrestling Inc.

December 8, 2021

WWE Reveals Inaugural Class Of NIL Athletes

WWE has unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.

The inaugural “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 15 athletes join Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:

* Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University

* Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University

* A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University

* Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University

* Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University

* John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University

* Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU

* Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama

* Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan

* Masai Russel of Potomac, Md., a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from the University of Kentucky

* Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University

* Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University

* Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas

* Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama

WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era, allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.

All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization, including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.

Learn more about the “Next In Line” program at wwe.com/nil.

December 2, 2021

WWE Launches NIL Program: NEXT IN LINE

WWE today announced the launch of a groundbreaking NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that will provide a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE. Following a historic new policy by the NCAA effective July 1, 2021, which ushered in the NIL era allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness, WWE has constructed a comprehensive program to recruit and develop potential future Superstars. Dubbed “Next In Line™,” the NIL program aims to enhance the talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds. “The WWE NIL program has the potential to be transformational to our business,” said Paul Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Development. “By creating partnerships with elite athletes at all levels across a wide variety of college sports, we will dramatically expand our pool of talent and create a system that readies NCAA competitors for WWE once their collegiate careers come to a close.” All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract. In September, WWE announced its first NIL deal with heavyweight freestyle wrestler Gable Steveson who captured a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The agreement allowed Steveson to return to the University of Minnesota for his senior season where he is defending his NCAA National Championship while beginning his Superstar training with WWE. WWE will unveil the first class of NIL partnerships in the coming weeks.

October 31, 2021

Lita ‘Would Love’ To See Wrestling Companies Give Their Talent A Mental Health Resource

Amy Dumas, also known as WWE Hall of Famer Lita, is part of the “Tag Me In” initiative, alongside names like Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus, and Mick Foley, among many others. The group behind this mission is trying to spread the word and normalize mental health in order to break the stigmas associated with it, particularly in the wrestling world.

In an interview with Steven Muehlhausen of DAZN News, Lita discussed the importance of mental health in wrestling. When asked, she stated that major promotions like WWE and AEW should make an effort to provide their talent with an official resource so they can “check in” about their mental health as needed. She argued that, in doing so, the companies would be setting themselves up for success because it would help the performers operate at their highest level.

“I think definitely in professional sports, it’s more focused, and just checking in would be great,” said Lita. “There are these huge companies in professional sports, and just to add an additional point of resource to check in, I think it could provide huge benefits and potentially more profits, which obviously any company is looking at. But if you can have your performers performing at a top level because they feel great, that works for everyone. I would love that.”

Earlier in the interview, Lita shared her stance on the reason(s) it has taken so long for mental health to get the attention it deserves in professional wrestling. She described how it’s often perceived as a weakness, but in actuality, it deserves to be recognized as a vital part of the athletes’ training.

“…Professional sports, in general, is all about being at the top of your game physically, but mentally is also tied in,” said Lita. “I think it’s a perceived weakness that I don’t want to show or let anybody in to think that I can’t perform at my top level. But really, it all goes hand in hand. If you can’t be at your top level and feel comfortable mentally, you’re physically inhibiting yourself from performing at your top.

“So it needs to be extended as a part of your training and not only the physical preparation that goes into it but check in with yourself mentally to make sure that you’re dealing with whatever it is that you need to deal with, whether it is your anxiety, depression or feelings of loneliness to know that you’re not alone.”

October 10, 2021

Stephanie McMahon Inducted Into International Sports Hall Of Fame

Stephanie McMahon was inducted earlier today into the International Sports Hall of Fame. She is the first female executive to be inducted. The ISHOF was established in 2012 to honor the world’s greatest athletes in all categories of sports.

“Humbled & honored to be the 1st female executive inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame with such a prestigious class,” McMahon wrote. “The key messages from all were passion, love, hard work, intention, & believing in yourself – #wordstoliveby. #ISHOF”

Other notable WWE connections who are in the ISHOF: WWE Hall of Famers Arnold Schwarzenegger (2012), Mark Henry (2012), Bruno Sammartino (2013), and Kurt Angle (2016). Also, Triple H (2015) and Ronda Rousey (2018).


August 19, 2021

WWE Announces Multi-Year Merchandise Deal With MLB

WWE and Major League Baseball have announced a new multi-year partnership to release MLB-inspired WWE Title replica belts and accessories.

The belts and accessories will feature the logos of all 30 MLB teams from around North America. The line will launch in 2022.

WWE touted how this is the first official licensing agreement for WWE Title replica belts between the company and one of the major United States sports leagues.

The new deal will see WWE and MLB collaborate to design and manufacture team-branded replica titles, and replica titles that celebrate some of MLB’s Jewel Events such as the World Series, the All-Star Game, and the Home Run Derby. There will also be custom side plates and unique Lucha Libre masks.

“At MLB we are constantly looking to serve our fans with the most unique products possible so that they can support their favorite Clubs and players in the ways they want,” said Denis Nolan, MLB Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Products. “We often see baseball fans and players bringing their MLB and WWE fandom together at games and online, so this is a natural development for us to work together and offer the highest quality, official co-branded items for fans around the world.”

WWE Senior Vice President of Direct-To-Consumer Products Kevin Moore added, “We’ve been continually amazed by the reaction to custom WWE Championship title belts, and we’re excited this partnership will allow us to make them widely available to fans.”

WWE has had a tradition of sending custom title belts to top athletes and championship sports teams, but this marks the first time these items will be available for fans. WWE created a custom title for the Los Angeles Dodgers to celebrate their 2020 World Series win, and did the same for the Washington Nationals in 2019.

June 6, 2021

Triple H Rings Bell Before NBA Playoff Game In Surprise Appearance


Triple H rang the ceremonial bell before today’s NBA Playoff game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks.

The Game appeared alongside Philadelphia 76ers player Joel Embiid who happens to be a massive WWE fan. Embiid led Triple H to the court while wearing DX “Thrust The Process” T-shirts.

After the game, he tweeted the picture with the caption, “If you’re not down with the process, I got two words for ya **** **.”

February 8, 2021

Triple H On The Tradition Of Sending Custom WWE Title Belts To Sports Teams

Triple H recently spoke with Tony Maglio of The Wrap and talked about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiving their custom WWE Title belt, which was brought to last night’s Super Bowl LV post-game victory press conference by safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

It was noted that the tradition of sending championship sports teams a custom WWE Title belt goes back 8 years, but the seed for the idea was planted long before then. Triple H noted that sports players would often stop him and ask him to take photos with his titles during his various reigns when he was an active Superstar.

“You see Aaron Rodgers motion for the title belt,” Triple H said of the Green Bay Packers quarterback’s regular touchdown celebration. “It’s just become synonymous with ‘The World Champion.’”

WWE began sending titles to sports teams back in 2013 when the Boston Red Sox won the MLB World Series.

“David Ortiz — Big Papi — was a huge fan. Still is. Here’s a guy with all this bling, he’s got the earnings and the giant chains and everything. It’s part of who he is,” Triple H told The Wrap before Sunday’s big game. “When they won the World Series, he was such a big fan and was so into them, we [sent him a] title. He wore it nonstop and just put it over like a million bucks.”

WWE sent a title to LeBron James in 2014 after the Miami Heat won the NBA Championship. James then purchased custom title belts for everyone else on the team. More requests began coming in after that.

Triple H noted that the hand-made WWE Title belts run a few thousand dollars each WWE ordered side plates for both Super Bowl teams this year so the belt would be ready to wear right after the game ended. He said the “rush process” can be the most expensive part of the promotion.

January 11, 2021

Former WWE Co-Presidents George Barrios And Michelle Wilson Launch New Company

Former WWE Co-Presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson have announced their new company, Isos Capital Management. Barrios and Wilson, who were released from their WWE jobs on January 30 of last year, will identify & execute attractive investment opportunities in global media, sports and entertainment industries with the new venture. "Global connectivity has unleashed unprecedented disruption in content creation, distribution and consumption. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated these changes and requires a new strategic framework for success," Barrios said in a press release. "Against this backdrop, Michelle and I see unique opportunities for growth and value creation across the media, entertainment and sports ecosystem." Barrios and Wilson both started with WWE in 2008, and worked their ways up to Co-President until their departures in January of last year. The Isos announcement noted how they worked together in WWE, building the company "into one of the most successful multi-platform media businesses in the world across traditional, digital, social and direct-to-consumer media platforms. Working together for more than 11 years, Barrios and Wilson's expertise in strategic transformations and value creation led to record revenue, profit and market capitalization." "There is no better time to invest in the industry and we believe Isos offers a distinct advantage in the marketplace. We are a firm built by operators for operators, and we bring proven strategies and innovative thinking to help media, entertainment and sports companies win in the long term," Wilson said in the press release. "George and I have worked together for more than a decade and have demonstrated how to achieve game-changing results in an evolving landscape. We look forward to utilizing our experience, insights, network and capital to partner with management teams to accelerate growth and better meet consumer needs." Below is the full press release issued today on Isos Capital Management, which is based in Westport, CT, about 20 minutes from WWE HQ in Stamford, CT: Media and Entertainment Executives George Barrios and Michelle Wilson Announce the Formation of Isos Capital Management Firm Uniquely Positioned to Identify and Execute on Attractive Investment Opportunities in the Global Media, Entertainment and Sports Industries WESTPORT, Conn., Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Media and Entertainment executives George Barrios and Michelle Wilson today announced the formation of Isos Capital Management ("Isos" or the "Firm") to identify and execute on attractive investment opportunities leveraging their unique operating experience, insights and network. The Isos Co-Founders plan to invest in businesses that fit their thesis of mega trends shaping the industry and provide value creation through brand growth, digital transformation and globalization. Isos will target early, growth and late stage media, entertainment and sports companies and will consider a variety of investment vehicles. Mr. Barrios and Ms. Wilson bring deep industry experience having worked at leading global companies in the media and sports industries including the National Basketball Association, Time Warner, HBO, The New York Times and the United States Tennis Association. Most recently, they served as Co-Presidents of WWE, Inc. ("WWE") where they co-led the company's day-to-day operations and strategy, building WWE into one of the most successful multi-platform media businesses in the world across traditional, digital, social and direct-to-consumer media platforms. Working together for more than 11 years, Barrios and Wilson's expertise in strategic transformations and value creation led to record revenue, profit and market capitalization. "Global connectivity has unleashed unprecedented disruption in content creation, distribution and consumption. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated these changes and requires a new strategic framework for success," said Mr. Barrios. "Against this backdrop, Michelle and I see unique opportunities for growth and value creation across the media, entertainment and sports ecosystem." "There is no better time to invest in the industry and we believe Isos offers a distinct advantage in the marketplace. We are a firm built by operators for operators, and we bring proven strategies and innovative thinking to help media, entertainment and sports companies win in the long term," said Ms. Wilson. "George and I have worked together for more than a decade and have demonstrated how to achieve game-changing results in an evolving landscape. We look forward to utilizing our experience, insights, network and capital to partner with management teams to accelerate growth and better meet consumer needs."

April 14, 2020

Donald Trump Taps Dana White, Mark Cuban, Vince McMahon as Advisors... 'We Need Sports'

Donald Trump is putting together a team of the most powerful people in U.S. sports to serve as advisors to get the country up and running again ... including Dana White, Adam Silver and Vince McMahon.

POTUS says the team will help advise him on how to restart the economy and get pro sports going again in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have to get sports back," Trump said at the White House ... "I'm tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old."
Here are some of the names Trump mentioned ...

NBA Commish Adam Silver
NFL Commish Roger Goodell
NHL Commish Gary Bettman
MLB Commish Rob Manfred
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft
Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban
UFC President Dana White
WWE Owner Vince McMahon
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones

He's also working with the top execs from the PGA, LPGA, NASCAR and MLS.

Trump says he will consult with everyone -- some people will be included in a group call, others will be 1-on-1.

source: tmz.com

April 4, 2020

Vince McMahon To Be On Donald Trump Phone Call With Other League Commissioners

President Donald Trump is scheduled to have a phone call with all major league sports commissioners today at 12 pm ET, according to The White House.


ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting Vince McMahon will be on that call along with the following commissioners: Adam Silver (NBA), Cathy Engelbert (WNBA), Rob Manfred (MLB), Roger Goodell (NFL), Gary Bettman (NHL), Jay Monohan (PGA Tour), Dana White (UFC), John Middlebrook / Jim France (NASCAR), and Don Garber (MLS).

The exact topics weren't given, but will likely involve a timeline for when leagues can start up again due to the coronavirus pandemic that suspended this year's seasons for nearly all of the leagues mentioned above.


UFC's Dana White has maintained UFC 249 on April 18 will go on in a staff-only capacity.

Last week, WWE taped enough footage at the WWE Performance Center through Monday's post-WrestleMania RAW. Although, a report did come out that WWE may consider taking a break after WrestleMania with Florida recently issuing a stay-at-home mandate.

As noted, WWE has also cancelled all of its events in April.

Scheduled participants on call with Trump:

NBA – Adam Silver
WNBA – Cathy Engelbert
MLB – Rob Manfred
NFL – Roger Goodell
NHL – Gary Bettman
PGA Tour – Jay Monahan
UFC – Dana White
WWE & XFL - Vince McMahon
NASCAR – John Middlebrook or Jim France.
MLS – Don Garber

March 11, 2020

Rob Gronkowski Signs With WWE, Will Debut On SmackDown And Appear At WrestleMania 36

Gronk is reportedly headed to WrestleMania 36.

Former NFL player and WWE celebrity friend Rob Gronkowski has signed with WWE and is set to appear at WrestleMania 36 next month, according to The Wrap.

The former New England Patriots tight end has now signed a contract with WWE, and will make his official debut during the March 20 episode of SmackDown on FOX from New Orleans. Gronk is also scheduled to appear at WrestleMania 36. It was noted that current plans for the WrestleMania 36 appearance will lead to a future match for the three-time Super Bowl champion. Gronk is not scheduled to wrestle on The Grandest Stage of Them All this year, but that appearance will lead to the match they have in mind.

The 30 year old Gronk, who retired from the NFL one year ago, signed with FOX Sports as an analyst back in October. The Wrap reached out to FOX Sports for comments on if the new WWE deal will impact Gronk's NFL work, but there's no word yet.
It was noted on WWE Backstage on Tuesday that Gronk and WWE were close to finalizing a deal. That deal has been officially signed, according to the new report from The Wrap.

Gronk, a noted pro wrestling fan and good friend to Mojo Rawley, made his WWE debut at WrestleMania 33 back in 2017, to help Mojo win the 4th Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
There's no word yet on the terms of Rob's deal with WWE.

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Oderint Dum Metuant: Let Them Hate As Long As They Fear