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WrestleMania 38 Shatters Records

WWE announced that WrestleMania 38 became WWE’s highest-grossing and most-attended event in company history. WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza saw 156,352 fans from all 50 states and 53 countries converge on AT&T Stadium in Dallas over the course of two exciting nights, surpassing the previous gate and attendance records set by WrestleMania 32 in 2016.

Triple H Appears At WrestleMania 38 Night 2, Leaves His Boots In The Ring

Triple H returned to WWE TV to kick off WrestleMania 38 Night Night Two.

Aside from his appearance at NXT Stand & Deliver on April 2, “The Game” hadn’t appeared on WWE programming since his cardiac event in September 2021. He recently announced his in-ring retirement due to the subsequent health issues he dealt with. With all this in mind, the live crowd welcomed “The King of Kings” with open arms.

After a lengthy ovation, Triple H thanked the fans and stated that he wanted to show his love the best way he could. He then said, “Welcome to WrestleMania” before an extravagant fireworks display officially opened the show. “The Game” then left his boots in the ring as a sign of his retirement.

Triple H Returns To WWE Television To Send Off Tommaso Ciampa After His Loss

Triple H made a surprise appearance after the match as fans in the American Airlines Center in Dallas cheered them both on. The segment was only shown to Peacock Premium Plus subscribers, but the announcers replayed a clip from the appearance.

After the loss to D’Angelo, Ciampa stood tall and looked around the crowd as a “thank you Ciampa!” chant rang out. Ciampa then made his exit up the ramp but Triple H came out and they embraced. Triple H said a few words to an emotional Ciampa in his face, and then raised his arm in the air as the ovation continued.

Triple H and Ciampa then shook hands and embraced again before sharing a laugh and leaving together.

Ciampa paid tribute to Triple H during his entrance by doing The Game’s signature pose on the apron.

Triple H Speaks At WWE Talent Meeting

WWE Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul “Triple H” Levesque made a surprise appearance at a talent meeting in Dallas, TX on Thursday.

WWE Talent Relations head John Laurinaitis kicked off the meeting by saying he had a guest for the wrestlers in attendance, according to Fightful Select. He then introduced Triple H, who hasn’t been seen my most talent since August.

Word is that this was an emotional scene with many elated that Triple H was there.

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!”

Stephen A.'s full interview with WWE Superstar Triple H

Triple H Announces In-Ring Retirement, Details Genetic Cardiac Issue

Triple H details the health issues he has been dealing with the past several months and announces he’s retiring from in-ring competition.

On Friday, Triple H posted a statement explaining that he would appear on Friday’s new episode of Stephen A’s World on ESPN+ to talk about his health and his future. A clip of that interview aired on Friday’s episode of First Take, and “The Game” confirmed details about his health scare in September.

Triple H confirmed he had viral pneumonia, and symptoms included coughing up blood, inflamed lungs and fluid surrounding his heart. He then spoke about how serious things got after he was admitted to the hospital, explaining that his ejection fracture (the measurement of the percentage of blood leaving your heart each time it contracts) was at a seriously low number and dropping.

“They followed up on it and did an [echocardiogram] and an EKG, and the way your heart pumps out, [it’s] about 55-60 of your ejection fracture, which is a good number. I was at 30. I got a quick text message saying ‘Don’t take time, pack a bag and head to the emergency room. I’ll fill you in on the way.’ So by the time I got to the emergency room, my ejection fracture had gone down to 22, which I was in heart failure, bad. By the next morning,” he explained, “they were sending me in to get an MRI done and I went for a heart cath and my ejection fracture was at a 12. So I was nosediving and sort of at the 1-year-line of where you don’t want to be, really, for your family and your future.

“Let me tell you, you’re at 99%, and it gets real. We have three young girls, [age] 15, 13, 11, and suddenly I come home and I’m a little bit sick. Their dad, who is strong, always, suddenly is in the hospital — and I don’t know if they understood the consequences of it — but there’s moments in there where they’re putting you out for stuff when you think, ‘Do you wake up from this?’ It’s tough to swallow and makes you think differently, as I’m sure you do as you [Stephen A. Smith] come out of your COVID scare. It makes you think differently about life. It doesn’t make you any less driven about the things that you do,” Triple H noted, “but it certainly makes you appreciate the things that you have, your friends, your family.”

Smith asked what the future holds for Triple H as a competitor, and he said that he is done competing in the ring.

“For me, as far as in-ring, which I get a lot, I’m done. No, I will never wrestle again. First of all, I have a defibrillator in my chest, probably not a good idea to get zapped on live TV.”

Triple H serves as executive producer of NXT, as well as Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy Development and COO for WWE. His final match was a tag team match win with Shinsuke Nakamura against Robert Roode and Samoa Joe that took place at a WWE live event in Tokyo, Japan on June 29, 2019. Prior to that, his final televised match (and final singles match) was a loss to Randy Orton at WWE Super ShowDown on June 7, 2019.

credit WrestleZone

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.”

Scott Hall Has Passed Away

 

WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall has passed away at the age of 63.

WWE opened tonight’s RAW broadcast with a graphic in memory of The Bad Guy. They also tweeted the announcement on Hall’s passing.

“WWE is saddened to learn that two-time WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall has passed away. WWE extends its condolences to Hall’s family, friends and fans,” they wrote about the man also known as Razor Ramon.

As noted, Hall suffered a broken hip in a fall earlier this month. He underwent surgery for the broken hip, but a blood clot was dislodged and that led to Hall suffering three heart attacks this past weekend. Hall’s longtime friend, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, posted a touching tribute and announced that he was placed on life support late last night, but he was then removed at around 12 noon ET this afternoon.

Hall’s good friend, WWE Hall of Famer Sean Waltman, noted that Hall was still breathing as of around 4pm ET today, but WWE has now announced his passing.

Peacock President On Successful WWE Partnership

Peacock President Kelly Campbell says the partnership with WWE has been incredibly successful since launching in March 2021.

Campbell recently spoke with Vulture’s Josef Adalian and was asked how the WWE partnership is working out for Peacock.

“WWE has been an incredibly successful partnership for Peacock since launch,” Campbell said. “We invested in an incredible fan base that provides us the opportunity to bring those fans back time and time again with the massive live events that are part of the WWE franchise. We have WrestleMania, in fact, returning on April 3. This is already one of our biggest live events of the year.

Steve Austin returning to WWE to fight Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38

Update On WWE Evil

WWE Evil will be “an entertaining psychological expose into the minds of the most diabolical antagonists in WWE history, and their impact on mainstream culture.” Cena later commented that WWE has produced some of the best bad guys (and ladies) ever, and that he was “excited to highlight those who made us boo, scream, and sometimes cry!”

There is still no word on when WWE Evil will premiere on Peacock, but Halloween was rumored at one point. Campbell mentioned in the quote above that the series will arrive later this year. It was reported back in September that several WWE Hall of Famers and Superstars were interviewed for the series, including The Undertaker, Mick Foley, The Godfather, RAW Tag Team Champion Randy Orton, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, Batista, Bayley, Paul Heyman and others

WWE Terminates Broadcast Partnership And Shuts Down WWE Network In Russia

WWE released the following statement today: “WWE has terminated its partnership with Russian broadcaster Match and shut down WWE Network in Russia effective immediately. The move eliminates access in Russia to any WWE programming, including the company’s weekly Raw, SmackDown and NXT shows, its on-demand library, and all of its premium live events, including WrestleMania 38.”

Tony Khan Acquires Ring Of Honor

Throughout the past few weeks, Tony Khan and various AEW stars have hyped a “massive announcement” to be revealed on tonight’s episode of Dynamite. Tony even promised to personally appear in the ring for the big moment, which was a promise he fulfilled at the opening of the show this evening.

After thanking the crowd and promising the get the action going soon, Tony Khan said it would be the biggest night in the history of the company.

It was revealed that the major announcement is Tony Khan signed a deal to become the official owner of Ring Of Honor.

It was noted earlier this week in a report that sources from multiple wrestling companies say there was a possible sale of ROH and another promotion. It’s clear now that the deal was between AEW and Ring Of Honor.

ROH has been on a hiatus since December’s Final Battle pay-per-view, and Supercard of Honor is scheduled to be their first show back on Friday, April 1. The company announced in the lead-up to Final Battle that they were taking some time off during the first quarter of this year to “work internally to reimagine” the company and return with a “new fan-focused product and provide a unique experience.” Khan previously indicated that the announcement was not related to any individual talent acquisition, and instead, it had to do with a new business deal for AEW. 

A&E And WWE Expand Original Programming Multi-Year Partnership

WWE and A&E have officially expanded their original programming partnership, which is a multi-year deal. This will lead to 130 worth of new content related to the company.

There will be new seasons of several popular shows, while a brand new series, ‘WWE Rivals’ (working title) is being created.

A&E and WWE today announced a multi-year expansion of their successful programming partnership with the commissioning of more than 130 new hours of premium WWE-themed series and specials to air exclusively on A&E platforms and to be distributed worldwide by A+E Networks.

The multi-platform partnership includes 35 new episodes of the genre-defining, Emmy-award winning franchise “Biography,” featuring documentaries on legends of WWE.  Last year’s “Biography: WWE Legends” episodes drove “Biography” to become A&E’s most-watched series in 2021.  WWE is also beginning production on 24 new episodes of the original series “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures,” which will air over multiple seasons. The first season of “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures” was A&E’s most-watched new series of last year.

A&E has also ordered 40 hours of the new series, “WWE Rivals” (working title).   “WWE Rivals” (w.t.) will chronicle the little-known stories behind the biggest clashes in WWE history.  The episodes will include revelatory insights from those who were a part of the rivalries that often extended far beyond the ring and the cameras.

Additional hours of original programming are currently in development as well.

Through in-depth films helmed by some of the industry’s top directors and storytellers, “Biography” continues its focus on meaningful events and personalities as well as their impact on our culture. Through new and archival interviews and never-before-seen footage, each film will give fans an in-depth look at the early lives, rise to fame, and careers of some of the most influential stars in WWE history.

“WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures” takes viewers on a journey to find some of WWE’s most iconic, lost memorabilia.  In each episode, WWE Superstars and Legends investigate, negotiate, bid, and travel across the country to unearth rare items in the hopes of preserving and sharing the legacy behind the memorable moments in WWE history.

Cesaro Reportedly Gone From WWE

Cesaro has reportedly left WWE.

Cesaro quietly exited WWE after his contract expired, according to PWInsider. He was originally scheduled to be at Friday’s SmackDown in Hershey, PA, but he will not be there as he is no longer with the company.

It was noted that WWE and Cesaro had been in contract negotiations, but they could not come to terms on a new deal.

Cesaro is reportedly free to sign with anyone he wants to as he is not under any kind of non-compete clause due to the contract expiring.

Cesaro last wrestled on the February 11 edition of SmackDown, losing to Happy Baron Corbin. The Swiss Superman had wrestled just 5 matches in 2022, and lost each one – teaming with Ricochet for a loss to Sheamus and Ridge Holland at WWE Day 1, teaming with Mansoor for a Fatal 4 Way loss to The Viking Raiders on the January 14 SmackDown, teaming with Ricochet for two Day 1 rematch losses on the January 28 and February 4 SmackDown shows, and then the February 11 loss to Corbin.

Cesaro, age 41, signed with WWE in 2011 after a successful run on the indies and ROH. He leaves WWE a five-time RAW/WWE Tag Team Champion, a two-time SmackDown Tag Team Champion, and a one-time WWE United States Champion. He also won the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 30 in 2014.

XFL And NFL Reach Partnership Agreement

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s XFL announced it has reached a new innovative partnership agreement with the NFL. The XFL is returning in 2023 after suspending operations in 2020 under Vince McMahon’s ownership. The XFL and NFL partnership comes at a time when alternative football leagues are popping up more frequently.

XFL president Russ Brandon told ESPN’s Kevin Seifert the new agreement will give the NFL a “petri dish” to experiment with proposed rules, test new equipment, and develop prospective officials and coaches.

However, the announcement doesn’t signal XFL’s demotion to a developmental league. The league sees itself as an equal competitor in the football industry. The vision for the future remains the same as always for the XFL.

When asked if the XFL would become a developmental league for the NFL, Dany Garcia replied, “That’s a no. We are a spring league. We will play at the highest level in the spring. There is not the anticipation of any player sharing that changes the dynamic. That’s not how we’re executing our vision.”

The deal is not exclusive because either league is still permitted to work with outside entities. This is about the innovation and development of the game of football because the XFL’s looking to make an impact and change the industry.

“One of the things we made clear starting off is that we were going to take a stewardship position on the game and the game of football, expanding it, and being impactful to the industry.”

The partnership benefits not only both leagues but the game of football as a whole. The official statement from the XFL reads, “The XFL has shown us that innovation is one of its core principles. We are hopeful that this relationship will support further development and improvements in the game of football at all levels.”

credit: ESPN Wrestling Inc

The Undertaker Set For The WWE Hall Of Fame

WWE announced today that Taker will be the headliner for the 2022 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which has been confirmed for Friday, April 1 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The event will stream live on Peacock and the WWE Network.

WWE has also confirmed that for the first time ever, the WrestleMania go-home edition of SmackDown and the Hall of Fame ceremony will air live on the same night from the same venue. WWE noted that this will give all fans in attendance an unprecedented opportunity to witness both events for one price. A 2-for-1 ticket special will go on sale this Tuesday, February 22 at 10am CT via Ticketmaster.

WWE noted that Taker will appear on NBC’s Weekend TODAY show on Saturday morning to discuss the induction.

WWE Caps Off 2021 With Record High-Revenue

After a tumultuous year that would see WWE return to regular touring following the emergence of the global pandemic and numerous superstars released by the company, WWE ended 2021 with record-high profits. WWE recently released their Q4 2021 earnings report and the report shows that the company ended the year with record-high revenue of $1.095 billion.

WWE issued the following:

WWE® REPORTS RECORD 2021 RESULTS AND 2022 BUSINESS OUTLOOK

Fourth Quarter 2021 Highlights

Revenue increased 30% to $310.3 million

Operating income increased 131% to $83.6 million

Adjusted OIBDA1 increased 90% to $97.2 million

Returned capital to shareholders totaling $59.0 million, including share repurchases and dividends paid

Full Year 2021 Highlights

Revenue increased 12% to $1.095 billion, the highest in the Company’s history

Operating income increased 24% to $259.0 million

Adjusted OIBDA1 increased 14% to a record $327.1 million

Launched WWE Network content on Peacock, NBCU’s streaming service in the U.S., providing a larger audience and increasing viewership for WWE’s premium live shows, original series, and vast library

Announced a new strategy for premium live events, which focuses on staging these events in stadiums rather than arenas, and utilizes targeted dates to maximize WWE’s live audience potential

Completed consumer product deals including partnerships with Blockchain Creative Labs (Fox) to launch an NFT marketplace and with Panini to be the exclusive provider of WWE trading cards

Created the Next in Line program to recruit the next generation of WWE Superstars, which was initiated with 16 collegiate athletes, including Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson

Returned capital to shareholders totaling $202.0 million, including share repurchases and dividends paid

WWE Royal Rumble Brings In Big Money For St. Louis

Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event from The Dome at America’s Center was reportedly a big-time draw for St. Louis, according to the local NBC affiliate.

The Explore St. Louis organization reports that the WWE Royal Rumble had a local economic impact of $8.3 million in revenue “supporting the jobs of thousands of hospitality professionals throughout the region.”

It was noted that The Rumble also generated 11,000 hotel room stays in the area.

Rumor Mill - Triple H Not Returning To WWE NXT Anytime Soon

WWE Hall of Famer and Vice President of Talent Development Shawn Michaels has stepped up in a major way while his best friend has been away. Michaels is seen as the main person in charge of NXT 2.0 right now, and WWE officials are very high on his work.

There’s a feeling that Michaels has been under pressure to make new stars fast with the recent changes in the show, and he is credited with quickly making people like Grayson Waller, Tony D’Angelo, LA Knight, NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes, and NXT Champion Bron Breakker into stars very quickly. It was noted that this was not Michaels’ job when he was hired to work as a NXT Producer/Coach, but the workload fell upon him when Triple H took time off last year, and higher-ups feel like he has great aptitude for the creative process, and the understanding of how to make stars, and to make key talent stand out.

While Michaels is the main person in charge at NXT right now, he still has to answer to the top of the company, which includes WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and Senior Vice President Bruce Prichard. The Observer notes that even with the perception that McMahon and Prichard are running NXT, that’s not really the case as Michaels is in charge but McMahon has the final say.

Big Praise For Shawn Michaels

WWE Hall of Famer and Vice President of Talent Development Shawn Michaels has stepped up in a major way while his best friend has been away. Michaels is seen as the main person in charge of NXT 2.0 right now, and WWE officials are very high on his work.

There’s a feeling that Michaels has been under pressure to make new stars fast with the recent changes in the show, and he is credited with quickly making people like Grayson Waller, Tony D’Angelo, LA Knight, NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes, and NXT Champion Bron Breakker into stars very quickly. It was noted that this was not Michaels’ job when he was hired to work as a NXT Producer/Coach, but the workload fell upon him when Triple H took time off last year, and higher-ups feel like he has great aptitude for the creative process, and the understanding of how to make stars, and to make key talent stand out.

While Michaels is the main person in charge at NXT right now, he still has to answer to the top of the company, which includes WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and Senior Vice President Bruce Prichard. The Observer notes that even with the perception that McMahon and Prichard are running NXT, that’s not really the case as Michaels is in charge but McMahon has the final say.

Peacock Subscriber Updates, Stats On WWE Fans Using Peacock

Peacock hit 24.5 million active subscribers in the United States at the end of 2021, according to Comcast.

This is up 22.5% from the 20 million subscribers that were announced in June 2021.

Comcast also announced that Peacock lost $559 million in the last quarter and $1.7 million for the whole year of 2021. Peacock-related reported revenue was $335 million for the quarter, and $778 million for the year.

Peacock holds the rights to the WWE Network in the United States, and has been the main streamer of WWE Premium Live Events and other programming since April 4, 2021. It was announced in January 2021 that NBCUniversal had acquired the exclusive United States distribution rights to the WWE Network, and would be folding those rights into Peacock.

WWE had around 1.6 million total Network subscribers before the Peacock deal began, with around 1.1-1.2 million of those in the United States.

Analyst Matt Belloni reported earlier this month that of the 1.1 million subscribers that WWE Network had when they signed with Peacock, 1 million successfully converted to Peacock subscribers. It was also noted that more than 3 million Peacock subscribers have watched WWE content since it moved over last spring. Furthermore, more than half of those 3 million subscribers indicated that they signed up “because of WWE.”

Disney Cuts Its First Deal With WWE

WWE and Disney have signed their first deal together.

Disney has agreed to an exclusive agreement that will see them carry the WWE Network in Indonesia, according to Sports Business Journal.

The deal will make the WWE Network available on Disney+ Hotstar, beginning this Sunday, January 30 with the Royal Rumble event that takes place the day before.

The new Disney – WWE agreement will also make all WWE events available to Disney+ Hotstar subscribers via a standard subscription. All events will be covered in the Bahasa Indonesian language, and English.

This is the first actual deal between WWE and Disney, but the two entertainment giants already have an established working relationship. WWE previously signed deals with FOX in Latin America, which were inherited by Disney as part of its 2019 acquisition of FOX entertainment assets. Disney-majority-owned Hulu also holds the United States re-air rights for RAW and SmackDown, which are up at the end of the year, and the U.S. rights to WWE Main Event.

Nick Khan Confirms WWE Has Taken Calls About A Potential Sale, Reason For Internal Changes

Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, Eli Manning and Vince McMahon at March of Dimes event.

WWE has taken calls from other companies looking to purchase the sports entertainment heavyweight, but they are not looking to sell.

WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan, pictured above with WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, and NFL star Eli Manning at a March of Dimes Sports Luncheon back in November, recently spoke with Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand and revealed the interest from other companies.

Khan confirmed that WWE has taken some inbound calls from other companies looking to buy, but he stressed that WWE is not in active talks trying to sell the company, and they are not actively looking to sell.

Khan also commented on how Vince sees the company, and WWE bringing him on a year and a half ago.

“If it once was a mom-and-pop shop, Vince certainly didn’t believe it was anymore,” Khan said. “Part of what I believe he was looking for in bringing in someone from the outside was to make sure the community at large didn’t treat it that way. We believe we’re a global content company.”

It was noted how Khan didn’t just target the broader sports and entertainment community with this push as he felt that he needed to change internal attitudes as well. While working for CAA Sports agency, Khan is the one who represented WWE when they sold their media rights to FOX and NBCUniversal. The FOX deal is worth $1 billion over 5 years, while the NBC deal is worth around $1.3 billion over 5 years.

Khan noted that during those 2018 negotiations, he was struck by the attitude of some WWE staffers, most of whom were not steeped in the intricacies of media. He said some of them acted as though they were fortunate just to have a seat at the table, and were content to negotiate with executives far down the chain of command.

Khan said he felt like that business attitude, as well as an overall knowledge of the media marketplace, needed to change in WWE.

“Vince believed that WWE was at a place where it had earned a seat at the adult table, but others in the company didn’t see it that way,” Khan said.

It’s no secret that WWE has undergone many internal changes since hiring Khan in August 2020. He and Vince have overseen an almost complete turnover of WWE’s media division, and the types of media deals WWE cuts have changed, as have the executives who negotiate those deals.

Khan went on a hiring spree soon after joining WWE as his goal was to bring in executives who shared Vince’s vision about the size and influence of WWE.

“For the company to be treated the way that Vince, Stephanie, [WWE executive] Kevin Dunn and myself and others believed it should be treated in the community, you needed executives who reflected that, who had range, who could get people on the phone and who could be taken seriously by their peers,” Khan said.

The corporate changes led to a series of moves that show a changing media strategy in WWE, which includes the new streaming strategy that saw the company license the WWE Network to Peacock as part of a 5 year, $1 billion deal. WWE executives see the Peacock deal as a template for similar international streaming deals.

WWE also decided to partner with outside production houses on programming featuring some of its biggest Superstars. Khan said WWE wants to be in business with everyone who is a real player.

“We want to be in business with everybody who is a real player in this business,” Khan said. “Understanding the business — where it’s at and where it’s heading — is a key part to all of this.”

Regarding Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble event from The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Khan noted that ticket sales are tracking at an all-time high for The Rumble. One of WWE’s newer strategies is to stage events on different nights of the week, which is why SummerSlam and The Rumble were moved to Saturdays, among others. WWE credited the SummerSlam night change with helping the event post the largest gate in its history.

Nick Khan: WWE Wants To Work With ‘Real’ Players In The Media Industry

WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan wants to do what’s best for business.

In an interview with John Ourand of SBJ, Khan shared the company’s mindset regarding its business deals by noting that WWE wants to work with those who can be considered a “real player” in media.

“In what is now a cluttered OTT subscriber marketplace, it only made sense to partner with somebody,” said Khan. “We want to be in business with everybody who is a real player in this business. Understanding the business — where it’s at and where it’s heading — is a key part to all of this.”

The WWE President also looked back on his move to the company in 2020. Khan has been criticized for being an outsider, in terms of his connection to the wrestling industry, but he noted that Vince McMahon and other executives wanted to bring someone who would be “taken seriously” in the media marketplace.

“Part of what I believe he was looking for in bringing in someone from the outside was to make sure the community at large didn’t treat it that way,” said Khan. “We believe we’re a global content company. Vince believed that WWE was at a place where it had earned a seat at the adult table, but others in the company didn’t see it that way. For the company to be treated the way that Vince, Stephanie (McMahon), [WWE executive] Kevin Dunn and myself and others believed it should be treated in the community, you needed executives who reflected that, who had range, who could get people on the phone and who could be taken seriously by their peers.”

Throughout Khan’s time with the company, WWE has continued to bring in record profits and reach new heights with its Peacock deal, among other moves, though the company has also come under fire for its cost-cutting maneuvers. Most notably, the promotion has cut numerous superstars and employees, even after the height of the initial COVID-19 surge had passed.

MLW Files Lawsuit Against WWE, Alleges WWE Nixed Streaming Deal; WWE Responds

MLW has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against WWE.

MLW announced this evening that the lawsuit was filed earlier today in a federal court. The lawsuit is based on “WWE’s ongoing attempts to undermine competition in and monopolize the professional wrestling market by interfering with MLW’s contracts and business prospects.”

MLW’s announcement on the lawsuit included the following allegations against WWE, noting that WWE has pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW, including a major streaming deal. It was also alleged that in early 2021, a then-WWE executive warned Vice TV that WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon was “pissed” that Vice was airing MLW programming, and that Vice should stop working with the promotion.

“As described in the complaint, WWE pressured third parties to abandon contracts and prospective relationships with MLW. WWE’s misconduct included disrupting every level of MLW’s business, including a major streaming deal for MLW which would have been transformative for the company.

MLW also allege in the complaint that in early 2021, after MLW announced that it was in talks with VICE TV to air MLW programs on VICE TV, a then-WWE executive warned VICE TV that WWE owner Vince McMahon was “pissed” that VICE TV was airing MLW programs, and that VICE TV should stop working with MLW, the VICE TV executive responded that WWE’s conduct was illegal and an antitrust violation, with the WWE executive responding that she could not control McMahon.”

MLW CEO Court Bauer provided a statement on the anti-trust lawsuit and said the behavior has to stop.

“WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” Bauer said. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

MLW added in their press release issued to this evening, “WWE’s ongoing misconduct has hurt fans of professional wrestling and competition in the professional wrestling industry. Through this lawsuit, MLW seeks to recover its losses due to WWE’s interference and to enjoin WWE from future interference.”

Chuck Carroll of CBS Sports noted that the lawsuit alleges that Stephanie McMahon managed to end MLW’s deal with the Tubi streaming service, which is owned by FOX. McMahon allegedly threatened that FOX “could lose WWE’s business or preferred content if Tubi did not acquiesce to WWE’s demand.” MLW received a letter that the deal was terminated the night before they planned to announce it publicly “as a result of WWE’s pressure and interference.”

The federal case is captioned MLW Media LLC v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. MLW is represented by Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, which is headquartered in New York City.

WWE provided the following statement in response to MLW’s lawsuit: “WWE believes these claims have no merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against them.”

WWE Releases Key PC Employees

WWE’s systematic pattern of mass releases has once again reared its ugly head as another quarter has come and gone.

Key employees of the WWE Performance Center, and notable NXT stars, have been cut as the promotion continues its aggressive move into a new era—both in terms of NXT and when it comes to a possible future sale.

WWE has reportedly released the following per Fightful:

Danny Burch

Timothy Thatcher

Hideki Suzuki

William Regal

Cathy Corino

Scott Armstrong

Hideki Suzuki

George Carroll

Ryan Katz

Dave Kapoor

Road Dogg

Ace Steel

WWE released the following statement regarding its most recent cuts:

“With the continued evolution of NXT 2.0, we’ve decided to part ways with some of the staff based in our Performance Center. We thank them for their many contributions throughout the years and wish them the best.”

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.

Shawn Michaels Gives Update On Triple H

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels sat down with Denise Salcedo to talk about NXT 2.0. Michaels has largely been at the helm of NXT 2.0 since Triple H has taken time off to recover from heart surgery, and he admitted he didn’t expect to have to do as much. 

Michaels was asked about Triple H, who only recently resurfaced at the construction site of WWE’s new office in Stamford, Connecticut following his health scare. Shawn Michaels revealed he had been in touch with Triple H since then and that he believes the lesser workload is ultimately good for Triple H.

“Most of it is me bothering him to be perfectly honest,” Michaels said. “He has worked so much over the last several years and I don’t think he understood that it becomes your normal. For him to step away for a little bit, look, that takes getting used to. I went through it obviously, I am one of the rare people that was ready to do it and embrace it. But when it just happens out of the blue and you’re not expecting it; for him to go a hundred miles per hour to nothing was an adjustment. But I think he is, especially around this time of year, he’s now starting to realize like ‘hey this isn’t too bad.’ I think he’s bordering enjoying himself now to be perfectly honest. It’s a well deserved break for him, for sure.”

Top WWE Executives Make “Most Influential People In Sports Business” List

Three of WWE’s top executives are featured on Sports Business Journal’s 2021 Most Influential People in Sports Business list.

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, WWE President & CRO Nick Khan, and WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon are included on the list under the “Most Influential: Media Influencers” category.

SBJ pointed how there is a clear repositioning of WWE to a media business under Khan. They touted two big projects in the works – Netflix’s docuseries on Vince, and the Blumhouse-developed “The United States of America Vs. Vince McMahon” TV series. SBJ wrote the following on The McMahons and Khan making the list together:

“There is clearly a repositioning of the WWE to a media business under Khan, who joined the company from CAA Sports in August 2020, especially with the move to Peacock as part of a five-year deal reported to be more than $1 billion. High-profile projects include a multipart Netflix docuseries on Vince McMahon’s life and a deal with Blumhouse Television on a scripted series about the WWE in the 1990s.”

SBJ’s “Most Influential: Media Influencers” list for 2021 also included executives from ESPN, NBC Sports Group, Amazon, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and WarnerMedia News & Sports/Turner Sports.

The listing on WarnerMedia News & Sports Chairman Jeff Zucker and Turner Sports President Lenny Daniels did not mention AEW, but did tout how Turner added NHL hockey and Premiere League soccer to the line-up, noting how Zucker and Daniels have become more aggressive in picking up sports rights. It was also noted that Warner/Turner now have one of the highest quality portfolios in all of sports media.