In a special interview announcing WWE’s official sale to Endeavor this week, the legendary WWE founder gave a response to a question about his future creative involvement that may worry many diehard fans of the professional wrestling giant.
Wrestlemania 39 is officially in the books and it will go down as one of the most successful and controversial events in company history. In one fell swoop, the two-night extravaganza broke the fabled company’s records for event gates, viewership, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.
It was just the latest step in what has been a red-hot run for the company that, oddly enough, coincided with Vince McMahon stepping down as owner and head of creative after a 2022 Wall Street Journal expose on multiple hush money payments made by the 77-year-old over the last decade. However, it wasn’t long before he eventually returned to the company.
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Late last year, he forced his way back into the boardroom to become the company’s chairman to shepherd a potential sale. Well, that process came to its conclusion on Monday when WWE and Endeavor announced a deal that would see the wrestling organization be a part of a merger with their new owner’s other top sports and entertainment product, the UFC.
This morning, McMahon and Endeavor CEO Ari Emmanuel took part in an interview with CNBC to talk about the WWE sale. During the conversation, it was made clear multiple times that Emmanuel has a deep admiration for McMahon that was built over 20 years of friendship, and the wrestling boss being involved in the newly merged company was a key part of the deal.
Beyond McMahon still being a part of the company — despite many fans’ preference that he not due to the scandal last year and an erosion of the product — it seems he may be more involved in the creative side of the product at the highest levels going forward.
“Yes and no,” McMahon said when asked about being a part of future creative decisions. “On a higher level, yes. In the weeds — which I always loved to get in the weeds in the past — no, I can’t do that.”
On Monday, Vince McMahon sent out an email to all employees that “Paul Levesque will remain WWE’s chief content executive.” The man known as Triple H during his legendary WWE career has been overseeing the creative side of WWE after McMahon temporarily stepped down as chairman last year.
Fans of the company have long had fears of McMahon returning and taking back full control of the creative side of the product after Levesque has delivered the type of content supporters have been clamoring for from WWE for years.