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November 26, 2023
CM Punk Returns To WWE
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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1:33 AM
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November 23, 2023
Paul “Triple H” Levesque Offers Inside Look At WWE Storytelling
"Book what people want to see and feel...More?
source: si.com
November 10, 2023
Paul Levesque On WWE’s Merger With Endeavor: ‘I Can’t Tell You How Excited I Am’
Front row at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater last night for the Callum Walsh-Ismael Villarreal boxing match were UFC CEO Dana White, WWE President Nick Khan, and WWE Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
The fight aired on UFC Fight Pass, which is investing more resources into its boxing and building around potential cornerstones like Walsh. A highly touted super welterweight prospect, Walsh (9-0) won a closely contested bout by unanimous decision, earning Levesque’s respect with his performance.
“It’s the first time I had the chance to see him fight live,” said Levesque, who spoke with Sports Illustrated while ringside. “He’s so well-rounded. I think this kid has it on all levels.”
Levesque marveled at the ten-round performance of the 22-year-old Walsh, who extended his undefeated streak with the victory.
“No matter what the genre, when you reach the next level, there are nerves and second-guessing that come at this level–and maybe a part of you that doesn’t believe in your hype,” said Levesque. “When you get to a certain level, a lot of it is a head game. To see how poised he is at this level, it’s awesome to see.”
Levesque is in the midst of a superb run of storytelling in WWE, especially since the company’s merger with Endeavor, which is also the parent company of the UFC. An old-school booker willing to embrace wrestling’s modern aspects, Levesque is molding Raw and SmackDown back into must-see products. Raw has been especially strong, with seemingly minute details–like advertised matches taking place–allowing multiple talents to have significant storylines.
Endeavor CEO has tasked Levesque to oversee all of WWE’s creative, a role he relishes.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” said Levesque. “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.”
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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4:02 PM
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Labels: Endeavor, Raw, SmackDown, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, WWE, WWE NXT
November 7, 2023
The CW Network To Become The Exclusive Broadcast Home To WWE NXT
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Kaliqo~
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6:03 PM
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Labels: Shawn Michaels, Television Ratings, Triple H, Wrestling News, WWE NXT
October 25, 2023
Happy 20th Anniversary Paul and Stephanie
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Kaliqo~
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7:15 PM
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Labels: Levesque Family News, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H
October 13, 2023
Triple H and Vince McMahon Have More Defined Roles in WWE
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Kaliqo~
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6:11 PM
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Labels: Endeavor, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, Vince McMahon
October 10, 2023
Rumor Mill - Triple H And Vince McMahon's Roles In WWE Creative
Rumors began to emerge yesterday suggesting that Paul "Triple H" Levesque is fully in control of WWE creative following the formation of TKO Group Holdings. In this scenario, it was said that Vince McMahon still retains his position on the board, but is no longer submitting last-minute creative changes to "WWE Raw" and "WWE SmackDown." On today's "Wrestling Observer Radio," journalist Dave Meltzer shared what he's heard regarding the creative situation in WWE.
McMahon has reportedly "backed off" of the company's creative. However, that is only for the time being, and McMahon still retains the power to change things if he desires. As of now, though, the creative direction is said to be almost entirely set by Levesque. Meltzer stated he was unsure why exactly McMahon seems to have chosen to take a step back willingly, as he has expressed no desire to do that in the past. In fact, McMahon pushed hard to return to the company in the wake of his retirement last year, and for a period of time was said to be making a number of creative changes to WWE shows.
While the details are not yet clear, McMahon is currently under investigation by the federal government. The investigation is likely diving into alleged "hush money" payments made by McMahon to several women previously employed by WWE. Several months after news of the scandal first broke, McMahon stepped down as WWE CEO, and soon after announced his retirement. Early this year, however, McMahon would shockingly re-appoint himself to the board, quickly changing the rules to allow himself to become the company's Executive Chairman. McMahon then presided over the merger between WWE and UFC under the umbrella of Endeavor, which was finalized last month.
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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9:37 PM
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Labels: Rumor Mill, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WWE
October 1, 2023
Jim Ross On Why Triple H’s Creative Involvement Is A Good Thing for WWE
In the latest episode of Grilling JR (via Wrestling Inc), Jim Ross spoke about Triple H being involved behind the scenes in WWE and why it can only help the company.
He said: “The more you can get Triple H involved on a decision-making scenario, the better off you are. He’s just got a great feel for the business. He’s a student of the game, literally, more than just a nickname. I didn’t see a bad thing about it. My situation was just very arduous. It was no secret that Vince wanted to go younger, different look, different sound, and that would eliminate JR. I guess, if you’re a performer or a talent, you gotta expect that this is going to happen [at] some point in time. I have great respect for Triple H. Then, now, forever as the expression goes. We have a lot in common. We both love wrestling. We both love pro wrestling. I don’t remember having too many bad days with Triple H. We communicated well… And I understood too that he was kind of hamstrung on what he could do in my regard because the influencer was Vince, and Vince wanted a change. And he was hell-bent on getting his change at that announce position.“
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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7:30 PM
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September 25, 2023
Triple H's 2018 'Global Localization' Vision Now A WWE Trademark Initiative
On September 18, WWE submitted a trademark application for the phrase 'Global Localization' to the United States Patent & Trademark Office. The application reveals WWE's intention to utilize the term within the scope of 'entertainment services.'
Accompanying the application was the following description:
Entertainment services, namely, a show about professional wrestling; entertainment services, namely, the production and exhibition of professional wrestling events rendered live and through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service;
providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; providing a website in the field of sports entertainment; fan club services, namely, organizing and staging events with wrestling fan club members; providing online newsletters in the field of sports entertainment; online journals, namely, blogs in the fields of sports entertainment; Entertainment services in the nature of development and creation of multimedia entertainment content.
The term 'Global Localization' was originally coined by Triple H in 2018 to outline his concept of creating international WWE hubs that would serve as talent pipelines for the US-based NXT brand
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Kaliqo~
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7:01 PM
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September 20, 2023
Details Behind Vince McMahon's WWE Ouster And Return
Last year, allegations of sexual misconduct and hush money payments forced Vince McMahon to step down from his role as WWE CEO. Though he retired for a time, it would be short-lived. McMahon was able to reinstate himself to the board earlier this year, though he remains under investigation by federal officials. A new story by the LA Times, in which the publication spoke to an "individual close to the board," features new insight into the company's internal investigation into McMahon and more.
According to the LA Times report, McMahon initially told the board he wouldn't stand in the way of their investigation into his actions. Additionally, McMahon reportedly agreed to step down from the board voluntarily, with some reluctance, while also claiming that each of the described encounters had been consensual and the payoffs had only been a matter of "protecting the company against potential litigation."
However, by December, McMahon had seemingly changed his mind about stepping to the side. McMahon sent a pair of letters to the company's board, informing them of his intent to return to shepherd a sale. Though the company's board, which at the time featured Stephanie McMahon and her husband Paul "Triple H" Levesque, voted unanimously against McMahon's return, the 78-year-old was able to use his voting power as a majority stockholder to replace two members and get himself back on the board.
The report indicates that McMahon viewed the internal investigation as being disloyal, and two more board members resigned in the aftermath of McMahon's return. Since then, McMahon was true to his word on setting the company up for a sale, with WWE and UFC merging into TKO Group Holdings, made official earlier this month. Under the new corporate infrastructure, McMahon remains in power, serving as the Executive Chairman.
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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11:59 PM
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Labels: Endeavor, Stephanie McMahon, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, Vince McMahon, WWE
September 19, 2023
WWE CCO Triple H Makes Cameo On Showtime's Business Drama 'Billions'
The latest Season 7 episode of Showtime's hit business drama "Billions" featured a cameo from none other than WWE's Chief Content Officer Triple H. One scene shows Chuck Rhoades, portrayed by Paul Giamatti, walking into an empty "WWE Raw" arena at Barclays Center alongside "The Game." Rhoades asked Triple H if it feels different walking to the ring as a businessman as opposed to a performer.
Triple H responded, "Man, I still feel every bump. Whether you're giving them, whether you're taking them, whether you're scripting them... Look, you could do it. When this crowd comes alive, you come alive. There is nothing else like this."
Rhoades expressed that he needed to turn one guy heel and one guy babyface in one move. Triple H then explained how he could pull it off in wrestling terms.
"Double turn. Tough to pull off, but, when it's done right, one of my personal favorites," Triple H said. "You need to let the heel come in and get the heat from the crowd. Then your babyface comes and gets the pop."
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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7:50 PM
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September 12, 2023
Endeavor Announces Close of UFC® And WWE® Transaction To Create TKO Group Holdings, A Premium Sports And Entertainment Company
Endeavor Announces Close of UFC® and WWE® Transaction to Create TKO Group Holdings, a Premium Sports and Entertainment Company
New Company to Begin Trading Today, September 12, on the New York Stock Exchange Under “TKO” Ticker Symbol
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. & STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EDR) (“Endeavor”) and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (previously NYSE: WWE) (“WWE”) today announced the close of their previously announced agreement and the launch of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) (“TKO”).
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 fans1, reaching viewers in 180 countries, and producing more than 350 annual live events. 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.
“The creation of TKO marks an exciting new chapter for UFC and WWE as leaders in global sports and entertainment,” said Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor and TKO. “Given their continued connectivity to the Endeavor network, we are confident in our ability to accelerate their respective growth and unlock long-term sustainable value for shareholders. With UFC and WWE under one roof, we will provide unrivaled experiences for more than a billion passionate fans worldwide.”
“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,” said Vince McMahon, Executive Chairman 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.”
TKO will begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TKO,” with Endeavor holding a 51% controlling interest in the new company and existing WWE shareholders holding a 49% interest in the new company, on a fully diluted basis.
As previously announced, TKO is led by:
Ariel Emanuel, Chief Executive Officer, who continues as Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor;
Mark Shapiro, President and Chief Operating Officer, who continues as President and Chief Operating Officer of Endeavor;
Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer; and
Seth Krauss, Chief Legal Officer, who continues as Chief Legal Officer of Endeavor.
Dana White is now Chief Executive Officer of UFC and Lawrence Epstein remains Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of UFC. Nick Khan continues at WWE in the role of President.
The Board of Directors of TKO is led by Vince McMahon as Executive Chairman of the Board and consists of 11 members, including Mr. Emanuel, Mr. Shapiro, and Mr. Khan, in addition to the following directors:
Peter C.B. Bynoe, Senior Advisor at DLA Piper LLP;
Egon P. Durban, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Silver Lake;
Steven R. Koonin, Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Hawks, LLC;
Jonathan A. Kraft, President of the Kraft Group LLC;
Sonya E. Medina, President and Chief Executive Officer of Reach Resilience;
Nancy R. Tellem, Executive Chairperson and Chief Media Officer of Eko; and
Carrie Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer and a board member of Opendoor Technologies Inc.
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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12:28 PM
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Labels: Endeavor, Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, UFC, Vince McMahon, Wrestling History, Wrestling News, WWE
September 11, 2023
End Of An Era
Tonight's WWE Raw will be the last WWE show under the full majority control of Vince McMahon. End of an era.
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Kaliqo~
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6:51 PM
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Labels: Endeavor, Linda McMahon, Raw, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, UFC, Vince McMahon, Wrestling History, Wrestling News, WWE
August 11, 2023
Details On Endeavor Deal, WWE-UFC Merger And Plans For NXT
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Kaliqo~
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7:15 PM
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Labels: Endeavor, Linda McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Television Ratings, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, UFC, Vince McMahon, WWE, WWE NXT
August 7, 2023
Triple H: Vince McMahon Is Not Currently Involved With WWE Creative Day-To-Day
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H says Vince McMahon is not involved with WWE creative day-to-day.
McMahon reportedly had major spinal surgery in late July. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported that it was unclear whether the surgery would affect McMahon’s work. McMahon had reportedly been making changes to WWE shows from a remote location in recent months.
During the WWE SummerSlam post-show press conference, Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics asked Triple H about Vince McMahon’s current contribution to creative. He also asked what extent McMahon recovery will impact his ability to contribute. Triple H noted that he wasn’t sure how long McMahon’s recovery would take. He also highlighted McMahon’s legacy.
“As far as the surgery, I’m not a doctor,” Triple H said. “I can’t tell you how fast that recovery will be. If I’m a guessing man, I’ve seen Vince come back from some remarkable things way faster than anybody else I’ve ever seen do it. He still brags that he was back quicker from two quad tears than I was from one. So how long that it, I don’t know.
“As far as contributions, I would just say this. The reason WWE is what it is, the reason this business, not just WWE, because you could make an argument that without Vince and his vision for this business, maybe it wouldn’t be here anymore. There was some things at that time back in the day that were very popular that just disappeared off the face of the planet. Vision of what he did changed the business, changed all of it for 50 years. Incredible run of success. No greater mind in the business.”
Triple H continued by noting that it would be silly not to ask for “counsel” from McMahon. However, he stated that McMahon is not involved with WWE creative on a day-to-day basis.
“At this point, if all of us didn’t look at moments in time for counsel from him on thoughts or ideas or if we had a question to go to him and ask, we’d be silly not to,” Triple H said. “It’s sitting next to somebody that knows more about this, it has forgotten more about this, than you’ll ever know, and to not utilize that in some aspect. But is he day-to-day? No. Is he in it all the time? No. If anybody has, he’s earned that right to be able to do that.”
July 27, 2023
Happy Birthday Triple H
July 20, 2023
Shawn Michaels Comments On Members Of D-Generation X Running WWE
Between Triple H serving as WWE's Chief Content Officer, Shawn Michaels heading up the "WWE NXT" brand, and "Road Dogg" Jesse James overseeing live events, D-Generation X's fingerprints can be found all over WWE's current product. In a recent interview with "Sports Guys Talking Wrestling," Michaels reflected on how far he and his former stablemates had come — from their days as rebellious troublemakers to being the adults in the room.
Michaels acknowledged that while trading in their olive, black, and green apparel for suits was still unfathomable, he and the rest of his DX teammates always had a penchant for the creative aspect of the business, and, as such, made a rather seamless transition to their corporate roles. "Even as degenerates back in the day, we had such a love and a passion for this stuff," Michaels admitted. He added, "Granted yeah, sometimes when it [our rebellious side] was unleashed, it could have been a little wild, and arguably, I don't know, controversial. But at the same time, it really was a deep-seated love and admiration for this business — and a passion for it."
"And that's what it is now," Michaels continued. "We are now, thankfully, a lot more mature — and [have] grown up quite a bit. But I think there's still that little kid in us, that I know a lot of our athletes, a lot of our superstars, all appreciate because we make it fun. And we want it to be fun, especially here in 'NXT.' Granted, when you get to the main roster, it is serious business, as it should be — and it is here, too, but at the same time, I want this to be a fun experience," explained Michaels.
Michaels added that he wants "NXT" superstars to get the feeling of a "college experience" during their time in WWE's developmental brand. He elaborated stating, "We want them to learn what they're doing, but we also want them to fall in love with this and have fun with this job." "The Heartbreak Kid" feels that if these future WWE main roster superstars can accomplish this during their time in "NXT," that the future of WWE's business will be bright.
~ Kayfabe by
Kaliqo~
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9:06 PM
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Labels: DX, Road Dogg Jesse James, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, WWE, WWE NXT
July 2, 2023
Triple H Says UFC Merger Slowed Down NXT Europe Plans
Triple H gave an update on their NXT Europe plans following Money in the Bank on Saturday. WWE announced last year the new brand would be coming in 2023 and speaking at the post-Money in the Bank press conference, Triple H said that the plans have shifted due to Endeavor’s purchase of WWE.
“It’s just slowed down the process I think,” he said (courtesy of Wrestling Inc). “At some point, end of the year, last year, whatever it is, we said in ’23 it would happen. Not having a crystal ball to see where everything was headed in that moment in time, obviously this transition with this merger with UFC with Endeavor and TKO, it’s changed the timeframe. But I think the intent is still the same.”
He continued, “I mentioned under the premise of WrestleMania and premium live events going global, we’re a global company. We’re looking to be everywhere. And I think … there are a lot of amazing talents here, internationally. And we’d love to explore that and give them opportunities to shine on the biggest stage possible and see what we can do with that. It’s just going to take a little bit of time.”
June 8, 2023
WWE Touts Nearly 90M U.S. Fans as CEO Says “It’s Time to Monetize” With New TV Deals
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Kaliqo~
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2:57 PM
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Labels: Nick Khan, Television Ratings, Triple H, Vince McMahon, Wrestling News, WWE
May 16, 2023
Merged UFC And WWE Will Reportedly Be Called TKO Group Holdings
The New Whale has been knocked out and a new, permanent name has been chosen for the soon-to-be-merged WWE and UFC hybrid company.
CNBC is reporting that what was temporarily known as New Whale Inc. will now be known going forward as TKO Group Holdings, with the TKO acronym meaning "technical knockout," paying homage to both UFC and WWE's shared combat sports lineages. While the two companies have an agreement to merge under this new name, WWE is still to be run by Vince McMahon out of its headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, while UFC is still being run by Dana White out of its headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The new company will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange as TKO. The merger between the two companies will make TKO Group Holdings worth an estimated $20 billion.
Endeavor CEO Ari Emmanuel secured Chairman Vince McMahon to oversee WWE during negotiations with a new revision made to WWE's term sheet which says McMahon must remain in charge of the company until he either retires or is physically unable. McMahon was also granted five of the eleven seats on the WWE Board of Directors, as well as veto power. In exchange for the request to make McMahon executive chairman, WWE shareholders get a higher percentage of voting power under the new terms. Despite McMahon's newly cemented authority, Endeavor has been adamant that WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque will continue to oversee the creative direction of the company.
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Kaliqo~
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7:50 PM
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Labels: Dana White, TKO Group Holdings, Triple H, UFC, Vince McMahon, Wrestling News, WWE