WWE sale news — Stephanie McMahon and husband Triple H would potentially be offered ‘key roles’ if the company is sold
IMPORTANT individuals in two companies interested in purchasing WWE have said they would offer both Stephanie McMahon and Triple H 'key roles.'
This comes off the heels of Vince McMahon who remains the controlling stakeholder in WWE, returning to the company as part of the board of directors this month.
The 77-year-old abruptly retired back in July amidst multiple scandals, handing the reins to his daughter Stephanie who took on the roles of interim CEO and chairwoman.
Stephanie has recently stepped down though after releasing a statement amid Vince's return.
Wrestling journalists Dave Meltzer recently reported this week that Stephanie and Triple H aren't necessarily pushing for a sale, but wouldn't oppose it either as it would eliminate Vince's shares and his ability to place himself in positions of power, as he did with his return to the board of directors.
Follow our WWE sale news blog for updates...
WWE execs ‘debunked’ sale rumors
WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque, also known as Triple H, reportedly addressed and “debunked” recent rumors of the company being sold to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund at a Monday meeting with WWE Raw superstars, according to Bleacher Report.
Sources reported that during the meeting, Triple H was said to still be “firmly in control of creative, and that talent relations are not changing.”
Combat sports insider Ariel Helwani also reported that WWE has not agreed to sell to Saudi Arabia or any other entity and that the company is “still exploring all options.”
Stephanie and HHH could be in prominent roles if WWE is sold
Important individuals in two companies interested in purchasing WWE have said they would offer both Stephanie McMahon and Triple H ‘key roles.’
Wrestling journalists Dave Meltzer recently reported this week that Stephanie and Triple H aren’t necessarily pushing for a sale.
Although they are not opposed to the idea of it either as it would eliminate Vince’s shares and his ability to place himself in positions of power, as he recently did with his return to the board of directors.
‘Get the F out’
The World Wrestling Federation (WWF) announced in the spring of 2002 that it was changing its company name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The switch came after the company lost a lawsuit by the World Wildlife Fund over the WWF trademark.
The WWE produced comical commercials regarding the change and even used it to their advantage in marketing by releasing t-shirts that read “Get the F out.”
John Cena to fight Youtube star
According to Dave Meltzer, John Cena is slated to fight popular Youtuber Logan Paul at WWE’s biggest event of the year Wrestlemania 39.
The event is set to take place in sunny Los Angeles and Meltzer reported as of right now nothing has changed on a potential one on one match between the two superstars.
Cena last fought on Smackdown on December 30, 2022 where he teamed up with Kevin Owens in the main event.
‘Wouldn’t be surprised’
Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has spoken on Vince McMahon's potential return to live tv.
He said that people within WWE “wouldn’t be surprised” if McMahon winds up making an appearance on television in character, Bleacher Report reported.
He added there is rumors surrounding an appearance but there is no set date of when he would grace the television screen with his presence.
WWE’s other flagship show: Smackdown
SmackDown debuted in the United States on the UPN Network on April 29, 1999.
The show broadcasted episodes on Thursday nights that were taped earlier in the week on Tuesdays.
After moving to several different networks Smackdown has found its home on the Fox Network.
Smackdown has been airing on the network since October 4, 2019 on Friday nights.
Last time Vince Mcmahon was on live tv
Vince McMahon made his last appearance on tv on June 20, 2022 on the companies flagship show Raw.
The appearance was unexpected as just days before WWE announced the boss would be temporarily stepping aside as CEO and chairman of the company.
Mcmahon has reportedly returned to his role but has yet to make any appearances on live tv.
WWE rival interested in takeover
The boss of rival wrestling promotion AEW Tony Khan, who also owns English top-flight side Fulham, is allegedly in talks to buy his competition.
Khan and his billionaire father Shahid’s interest was confirmed by Wall Street Journal’s sister publication Barron’s.
They wrote: “All Elite Wrestling – the top rival to WWE, led by Tony Khan and family – is in the pool of potential buyers for WWE, a person close to the potential transaction told Barron’s, adding that the Khans will likely look for a financial partner to acquire the asset.
“Tony Khan’s father Shahid Khan, a co-owner of AEW, already owns the football team Jacksonville Jaguars and the English soccer club Fulham Football Club, indicating the duo have deep pockets.”
McMahon sued by disgruntled WWE shareholder
It’s not just the fans up in arms over major changes at WWE.
Vince McMahon’s return to WWE’s Board of Directors has prompted a proposed class action lawsuit from one of WWE’s shareholders in the state of Delaware.
According to court documents, the wrestling tycoon is being sued by a shareholder Scott A Fellow, who is suing McMahon for abusing his power in an effort to “impose his will” on WWE and its Board of Directors.
The suit alleges McMahon adopted “invalid and inequitable bylaw amendments that would hamstring” the board from making important decisions.
The filing also noted that the class action could include thousands of shareholders.
Who your favorite WWE stars think will join Raw or Smackdown
Next up, WWE 2023 stars share who they are betting gets the honor of joining one of these fights.
Here is a list of who each big name wrestler thinks will join Raw or Smackdown:
- Bayley votes Carmelo Hayes
- Montez Ford votes Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes
- Rhea Ripley votes JD McDonagh
- AJ Styles votes Grayson Waller
Who your favorite WWE stars think will be in a Wrestlemania Main Event
WWE reveals the biggest names in WWE making 2023 predictions in new video.
Here is a list of who each big name wrestler suspects to be a Wrestlemania Main Event:
- Rhea Ripley says herself vs. Bianca Belair
- Seth Rollins says Becky Lynch vs. “whoever she wants is going to be a Wrestlemania Main event”
- Bianca Belair says Montez Ford vs. Roman Reigns
- Drew Gulak says Meiko Satomura vs. Asuka
- AJ Styles says Bianca Belair vs. Charlotte Flair
- Bayley says John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
Infamous WWE wrestlers spill their 2023 WWE predictions in video
If you’ve been wondering who your favorite WWE wrestler expects to win titles in the Royal Rumble match of 2023, you’ve come to the right place.
Here is a list of who each famous wrestler suspects to win the Royal Rumble Match:
- Rhea Ripley chose Dominic Mistero to win the Royal Rumble match
- Kofi Kingston chose Raquel Rodriguez
- Raquel Rodriguez chose Baron Corbin
- Seth Rollins chose Becky Lynch
WWE makes predictions for the new year in new WWE video
With new predictions come new perspectives.
Kofi Kingston, the professional wrestler, shares that his ‘most surprising’ prediction is that Rhea Ripley, an Australian professional wrestler, will hold either the Intercontinental or United States Title in 2023.
He states, “I’m gonna put Rhea [Ripley] in the mix, and the most surprising thing that will happen this year is that Rhea will win the Intercontinental Championship or the United States Championship.” on the WWE-made video.
The price of Shane McMahon, according to WWE
In 2022 WWE paid Shane McMahon an undisclosed amount. The amount is finally being revealed.
Despite past alleged drama between the wrestling franchise and the wrestling icon, it’s been revealed that McMahon “received an aggregate of approximately $828,000.”
He is remained with WWE as an “independent contractor performer” throughout the year.
Vince McMahon’s son used to babysit Mike Tyson
According to wrestling analyst Jim Ross, during Shane McMahon’s time in the WWE, Mike Tyson, a heavyweight boxing legend, was frequently “babysat” by Shane McMahon.
Ross, a 71-year-old former WWE announcer, has also revealed Tyson’s extraordinary wrestling expertise.
For his appearance at Wrestlemania 14 in 1998 as an enforcer for the contest between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels, the WWE (then known as the WWF) contracted 56-year-old Tyson.
The legendary heavyweight boxer made multiple appearances as a guest on RAW.
One of them featured a memorable fight with Austin, which assisted in saving the WWE.
Ross further stated that Tyson was frequently “babysat” by Shane.
Vince McMahon almost got the police called, continued
“What are you going to do? I’ve got nothing to lose. Knock on your door, knock on their door and say, ‘Hello, I’m Vince McMahon. And I’d like to come in and talk to you about you know, what I have. One of them was so kind and said ‘absolutely. As for a B+ to an A-, happy to do that.’”
He wasn’t quite as lucky with his other professor, however.
McMahon continued: “The other was such an unbelievable a**hole that wouldn’t let me in his house.
“No, I get it. It’s unusual, you know, for a student to find out where you live and knock on the door. I get that. But I didn’t have anything to lose so there was a bit of confrontation and so forth and he was going to call the cops. ‘Call the cops, I still don’t have anything to lose.’”
But despite the confrontation, and not letting his professor close his door when he tried, McMahon did graduate in 1968.
Vince McMahon almost got police called in college
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show in March, Vince McMahon described one particular incident back in college when he almost had the police called on him after confronting a professor at their home.
After spending five years working toward a four-year degree at East Carolina University, McMahon explained that he was “slightly off” having the grades to graduate.
But, he said, he knew that a slight bump from a B+ to an A- would do the trick so that he could graduate at the same time as his wife.
McMahon explained: “So I found where these two professors lived.
Brand titles: NXT
The belt titles for NXT are:
- NXT Championship – Adam Cole
- NXT Women’s Championship – Rhea Ripley
- NXT North American Championship – Keith Lee
- NXT Tag Team Championship – The BroserWeights
Brand titles: Raw
The belt titles for the Raw brand are:
- WWE Championship
- Raw Women’s Championship
- United States Championship
- Raw Tag Team Championship
Brand titles: Smackdown
Each WWE Brand has four belts. The Smackdown belts are listed below:
- Universal Championship
- SmackDown Women’s Championship
- Intercontinental Championship
- SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Vince McMahon on announcing his return
The Wall Street Journal was the first to announce that Vince wanted to take back his position; he later confirmed it on January 5.
Vince said in a statement: “WWE is entering a critical juncture in its history with the upcoming media rights negotiations coinciding with increased industry-wide demand for quality content and live events and with more companies seeking to own the intellectual property on their platforms.”
“The only way for WWE to fully capitalize on this opportunity is for me to return as Executive Chairman and support the management team in the negotiations for our media rights and to combine that with a review of strategic alternatives,” he added.
“My return will allow WWE, as well as any transaction counterparties, to engage in these processes knowing they will have the support of the controlling shareholder.”
WWE brands, explained
Since 2002, the WWE has split its talent pool into two distinct brands.
Originally, Raw and SmackDown were the names of the two most popular shows featuring then WWF wrestlers.
With an ever-expanding amount of performers joining the organization, it was decided to split into two groups to give all wrestlers the same exposure.
This means that fighters in Raw have their own storylines, separate to those in Smackdown – and the shows are broadcast on different evenings.
There were several changes to the formula under 2016, when the so-called ‘new era’ came into force.
Key characteristics of Raw and Smackdown
Raw and SmackDown wrestlers will rarely mix and they come together just four times a year in big pay-per-view shows.
These shows – known as the Big Four – are WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble.
Here are the key characteristics of each:
- The ropes are blue in SmackDown, red in Raw.
- Raw shows run for three hours, SmackDown for two hours.
- Different storylines, although they sometimes intertwine.
WWF and WWE name dispute
The World Wrestling Federation (WWF) announced in the spring of 2002 that it was changing its company name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The switch came after the company lost a lawsuit by the World Wildlife Fund over the WWF trademark.
When the WWE was founded
WWE traces back to the early 1950s when it was created as Capitol Wrestling Corporation in 1953. (CWC).
It changed its name from CWC to World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1963, then to World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979, and finally to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
In 2011, it became only known as WWE.