WWE CEO Nick Khan send staff a message with major long term implications
Nick Khan has gained notoriety in the wrestling universe ever since he was appointed as the sole CEO of WWE after Stephanie McMahon resigned from the company. As Vince McMahon has taken a less hands-on approach, Khan’s influence within the WWE has grown.
The executive served as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer before moving on to his current role. He was also one of the major decision-makers as Chief Revenue Officer, which resulted in mass releases owing to losses due to the pandemic. As CEO, he also played an important role in the acquisition of WWE by Endeavour.
The UFC’s parent company confirmed they’re buying the biggest wrestling company in the world for a total of 9.5 Billion dollars earlier in the year. The WWE will be merged with the UFC into a single entity called TKO Group Holdings. Ari Emanuel-led Endeavour will control 51% of the shares of the new company, while WWE controls the other 49%.
According to reports, the merger is now close to being completed formally. The same message was reportedly shared by Nick Khan to the WWE staff. Reportedly, Khan informed the staff in a meeting that the merger would be officially completed by September 12.
UFC president Dana White rejects the idea of crossover feuds between the two promotions
Dana White has turned UFC into the biggest MMA promotion in the world under his leadership. Endeavour acquired UFC in 2016 for approximately 4 Billion dollars. We have seen MMA fighters like Ken Shamrock and Cain Velazques wrestle in a WWE match and wrestlers like Brock Lesnar making the switch to the octagon before.
Despite this history and being appreciative of the ability of WWE athletes, a crossover between the two rosters is not something he is interested in. He specified that while the UFC is also entertainment, the primary focus is to have real fights that will separate the best fighters in the world.
What do you think of the Merger between the giant combat sports companies? Which WWE superstar do you think can hold their own in an octagon? Let us know in the comments below!