TKO Announces Takeover Mega-Event Featuring WWE, UFC & More

While WWE is one of its centerpieces, TKO Group Holdings has its hands in a lot of pots, including UFC and Professional Bull Riders. So far, in TKO's short history, the three entities haven't crossed paths at the same time, even though there has been some synergy between WWE and UFC. That will change come April, when TKO looks for all three of its properties to be the apple of Kansas City, Missouri's eye.

In a press release, TKO announced that they would be holding three events at Kansas City's T-Mobile Center between April 24 and April 28. The festivities will kick off with the PBR, followed by a UFC Fight Night, and concluding with "WWE Raw." The shows are a result of an agreement between TKO and the Kansas City Sports Commission.

"Kansas City has collectively hosted dozens of UFC, WWE, and PBR events over the years, and it has become a top destination for each of these respective promotions," TKO EVP of Event Development and Operations Peter Dropick said in a statement. "This is a unique opportunity to showcase these three premier properties in one city at the same time for the benefit of fans and visitors to the area. We thank the Kansas City Sports Commission and the management at T-Mobile Center for making this possible."

On WWE's end, TKO's stay in Kansas City will come at a unique time for the promotion, serving as the second "Raw" to take place following WrestleMania 41 on April 19 and 20. As a result, the Kansas City "Raw" could serve as an important indicator of the red brand's direction throughout 2025.

Stephanie McMahon To Launch WWE Podcast

After stepping down from her role as WWE co-CEO in January 2023, Stephanie McMahon has slowly begun to reconnect with the company and has made several appearances on WWE television since the beginning of the year. She was first seen at the premiere of "WWE Raw" on Netflix, as well as the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble one month later, and was also a guest on the Pat McAfee Show. However, it appears that McMahon intends to remain involved with the promotion, as WrestleVotes is reporting that she is set to debut a new WWE project this upcoming Spring.

There have been many official WWE podcasts in the past, such as "After The Bell" with Corey Graves and "The New Day: Feel The Power," and now McMahon will be adding her name to that list, who will be launching a new podcast series in the near future. McMahon's experience in wrestling industry both on-screen and backstage will undoubtedly make the new show worth listening to, but so far there are no additional details on the official launch date of the podcast, number of episodes, or guests that will appear on the show.

McMahon also has a new ESPN+ series coming out next month named "Stephanie's Places," which will provide viewers with a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of several WWE legends and stars, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Roman Reigns and Charlotte Flair. "Stephanie's Places" will feature McMahon travelling the country to different locations where she will interview many WWE guests and discover the true stories behind their success. The trailer for the show can be viewed on WWE's official "X" account.

Triple H Unveils New WWE ID Championships To Spotlight Up-And-Coming Talent

As announced by Triple H Tuesday afternoon, the Men's and Women's WWE ID Championships will be defended across the independent scene in the near future.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque has unveiled new men's and women's championship titles for the WWE Independent Development (WWE ID) program.

The WWE ID program, which launched last fall, was created to help provide assistance and publicity to some of the best wrestlers on the independent circuit. In many cases, the program would provide talent with recourses they need in order to properly pursue their dreams of being signed to a major promotion.

Levesque showcased the Men's and Women's WWE ID Championship belts in a post on social media Tuesday afternoon, writing:

The top independent wrestling prospects have been ID’d… and now, we’re ready to spotlight the best of the best.

Here’s your first look at the Men’s and Women’s WWEID Championships.

source: si.com

Triple H Receives Certificate From Connecticut State Assembly

WWE Chief Creative Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque received an official citation from the Connecticut State Assembly, recognizing his recently announced WWE Hall of Fame induction.

Triple H wrote, “An honor to receive…Thank you to all in the Connecticut State Assembly for the recognition and the excitement around this year’s #WrestleMania.”

The WWE executive and former champion will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025 later this April during WrestleMania Week.

Michelle McCool will be inducted into the 2025 WWEHOF

Feds drop criminal probe into whether WWE boss Vince McMahon covered up sexual misconduct allegations, his lawyer says

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have dropped a criminal probe that focused on whether former World Wrestling Entertainment boss Vince McMahon tried to cover up multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, his lawyer told The Post.

The revelation comes as appeals judges on Friday revealed that a grand jury had considered whether the 79-year-old billionaire broke the law by hiding allegations of sexual misconduct from two female former employees, whom he ended up paying $10.5 million to keep quiet.

The ruling from a three-judge panel does not name McMahon but refers to “the subject of an ongoing grand jury investigation concerning whether, as CEO, he engaged in a criminal scheme to circumvent the company’s internal accounting controls and mislead company auditors in order to conceal multiple allegations of sexual misconduct raised against him by two former company employees.”

Prosecutors’ apparent decision to abandon the case comes despite federal Judge Valerie Caproni ruling in June 2024 that the government had “established probable cause to believe” that McMahon and one of his former lawyers broke the law.

There’s evidence that the“circumvented [the Company’s] internal controls andcreated false books and records,” “concealed the Victims’ claims and settlement agreements from [the Company],” and “made false and misleading statements to the Company’s auditors,” Caproni’s ruling said.

Both Caproni and the appeals panel — Judges Gerard Lynch, Beth Robinson and Sarah Merriam — ruled in favor of prosecutors on an evidence issue, writing that McMahon’s conversations with his attorneys were not subject to attorney-client privilege.

source: nypost.com

Jim Ross Responds To Critics Of Triple H’s WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

WWE recently announced that Triple H will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025. WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW commentator Jim Ross has shared his thoughts on the upcoming induction, which was met with plenty of criticism.

While speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross congratulated Triple H and made it clear that he believed that he deserved the honor.

“Congratulations to Triple H for being inducted or going to be inducted soon,” he said. “Certainly… You know, anybody that says, ‘Well, he’s not deserving. The only reason he’s in is because of who he married.’ Is such bullsh*t. It’s weak. If you’re saying that stop. And stop embarrassing yourself.

“He was the top heel in the hottest era, one of the hottest eras of WWE, and now he’s the quarterback, the head coach of that same team that’s setting records. Give me a break. You know. Stop it. You’re embarrassing yourself by showing your ignorance. Don’t do that.”

JR also shared that he texted Triple H, and he heard back, as Triple H didn’t forget those who helped him.

“And so, I’m happy for him. I sent him a text the other day congratulating him. And believe it or not, it was the day after the Rumble, he texted me right back. So, he’s… He doesn’t forget those that have helped him along the way and those that he respects. And he’s doing a great job there,” Jim Ross said. 

Arn Anderson Says No One But Triple H Should Run WWE

WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson has voiced his strong support for Paul “Triple H” Levesque as the creative force behind WWE, stating that no one else is more qualified for the role.

Speaking on his ARN podcast, Arn Anderson reflected on his longtime acquaintance with Triple H, recalling his early days in WCW and his passion for the business.

“I’ve known Triple H since he very first started in the business with WCW, and I liked him right away, I could just tell—here you got a young guy that’s a student of the business, he’s studying, he’s learning, and he’s asking questions.”

Triple H’s career trajectory saw him transition from WCW to WWE, where he became one of the most decorated wrestlers of all time. His shift from in-ring competitor to top executive has impressed Anderson, who believes he is uniquely suited to lead WWE’s creative direction.

“The evolution that he’s had… to be in the saddle where he is right now—you’ve got a wrestling person with a wrestling mind, but he’s smart enough, and he’s learned so much about the business, he’s into every other aspect—the marketing, you name it. He is a well-rounded boss.”

Since taking charge of WWE’s creative direction, Triple H has been widely praised for his approach to storytelling, talent development, and long-term booking. Anderson believes WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, fully recognises his value.

“If somebody asked me, ‘If it wasn’t him, who would you put in that seat?’ nobody comes to mind. He’s doing a phenomenal job across the board, and I’m sure TKO is very happy to have him and thrilled to have him because he’s a leader.”

TKO and Saudi Arabia Launch New Boxing League Led by Nick Khan, Dana White, and Turki Alakshikh

TKO is teaming up with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to create a new boxing league.

During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that WWE President Nick Khan, who also serves on the TKO Board of Directors, will be involved in the initiative.

The boxing league will reportedly be led by UFC President Dana White and Turki Alakshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.

Meltzer commented, “Nick Khan is supposed to be a major part of that as well. A lot of the rival promoters had a meeting in Las Vegas about how they’re going to combat this. Almost sounded like the famous meetings that the Einhorn’s arranged when Vince started his expansion…and they all got together, all the rival promoters got together and ‘We’re going to put a united front against him,’ which didn’t last very long at all, of course. But now the boxing promoters know they’ve got a real threat. And in their minds, it’s Nick Khan, Dana White, and Turki Alakshikh as the three people running this new boxing venture.”

Triple H Discusses His Reaction To Upcoming WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

This year's WrestleMania weekend will once again see the WWE Hall of Fame take place, which will be headlined by WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque. At the Royal Rumble Post-Show press conference, Triple H commented on his upcoming Hall of Fame induction.

"Nick [Khan] and I talked about the Hall of Fame many times, and he would always bring up the fact that, 'When are we are gonna put you in?' And I would say, 'Not now because no matter how I do it, it looks like I'm putting myself in the Hall of Fame,'" Triple H remarked. "He would say, 'Well, we have to do it eventually,' and I would say, 'Okay, well if we have to do it eventually, let's wait 3, 4, 5 years and then we'll talk about it.'"

At the company's town hall meeting last week, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker made surprise appearances to give Triple H his Hall of Fame news. When Triple H noticed Khan walk aside, he got the impression that something involving him was happening. Soon to be a two-time Hall of Famer, Triple H's first induction came in 2019 as part of D-Generation X. 

"We did it with DX, it was a lot of fun. It's different when it's you, and while I've been a part of all of these and I've seen some talent see it as the biggest honor, I've seen other talent be like, 'Eh, whatever,'" Triple H continued. "Because of our passion for what we do, it hit me way harder than I thought it would. It's one of the most meaningful things in my career, and to have it come from Shawn and have it come from 'Taker ... [Khan] doing that for me was incredibly meaningful."

credit: "Royal Rumble Post-Show" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription

WWE Evolve: WWE and Tubi Launch Wednesday Night Wrestling Program to Highlight New Talent

For the future of wrestling, WWE is looking to the past. WWE and Tubi announced the launch of a new weekly wrestling show, “WWE Evolve” which will premiere Wednesday March 5, at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. “Evolve” gets its name from the defunct wrestling promotion Evolve, which was purchased by WWE in 2020 following a five-year partnership.

“WWE Evolve” relaunches as a showcase of in-ring action for up-and-coming WWE prospects, including talent from the recently established WWE ID program, a developmental program that works to provide indie wrestlers a more seamless transition to WWE.

“We are excited to work with our incredible partners at Tubi to showcase our young, rising talent to the WWE Universe, as they start their in-ring journey competing each week to fulfill their lifelong dream of becoming a WWE Superstar,” said WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.

According to a press release, “Evolve” will feature “the most intense and charismatic prospects recruited from college athletics and independent wrestling as they strive to build their in-ring careers and elevate their personas,” emphasizing a focus on homegrown talent from the WWE performance center in Orlando in addition to talent from the first-of-its-kind ID program and NIL athletes.

Wrestlers featured in the “Evolve” teaser include “NXT” stars Wendy Choo, Brinley Reece and Kali Armstrong, as well as WWE ID prospects Sean Legacy, Brad Baylor and Jack Cartwheel.

“Evolve” will mark the fourth WWE show currently streaming weekly, joining Monday night “Raw” on Netflix, “NXT” Tuesdays on The CW, and Friday night “SmackDown” on USA.

source: variety.com

CM Punk Compares Triple H And Vince McMahon’s Leadership Styles

CM Punk appeared on Friday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, where he discussed a range of topics, including the differences between working under Triple H and Vince McMahon.

Punk highlighted Triple H’s openness to feedback and willingness to consider other people’s ideas—something he believes was less common under McMahon. However, he also acknowledged the importance of having a definitive leader in charge.

“I think he’s receptive to other people’s ideas, whereas maybe Vince wasn’t. He was like, ‘I’m the boss. We’re doing this, and this is how we’re doing it.’ And that’s great. If you run a company, you need somebody who is the yes and no man and [has] the final say.”

Punk continued, emphasizing Triple H’s collaborative approach:

“But I think Triple H thinks he’s surrounded, and oftentimes is, by a lot of really, really genius wrestling minds. If he has an idea or see something one way, he’ll look at Michael Hayes and be like, ‘What do you think?’ He’ll turn and look at Paul Heyman. These are people who have Bonafide resumes. They have literally done everything you possibly could do in the sport. I think their voices should be heard. Not all the time everybody’s going to have this dynamite idea. But I think the best idea always wins in today’s WWE.”