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WWE-UFC Merger - Printable Version

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WWE-UFC Merger - Blubatt - 03-04-2023

Simultaneously one of the most and least surprising pieces of news for wrestling fans, but WWE has been sold to Endeavour, the parent company of UFC. WWE, which has been owned for 70 years by the McMahon family will now become part of a company worth 21 Billion Dollars.



Quote:Endeavor will have a 51 percent controlling interest, with the remaining 49 percent spread across WWE's shareholders...Comcast, Fox, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Amazon, Endeavor and Formula One owner Liberty Media were among the potential buyers..."Together, we will be a $21-plus billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity," WWE executive chairman Vince McMahon said.
SOURCE: The Bleacher Report


For those of you who follow the televisual athletic based soap operas of UFC and WWE, what are your thoughts? 

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RE: WWE-UFC Merger - JAS84 - 03-04-2023

One of the brand names is now on borrowed time. WCW didn't last too long after WWF (as WWE was at the time) bought them out. They had a faction storyline going on for a while then were completely absorbed into the rebranded WWE.


RE: WWE-UFC Merger - strollfan - 03-04-2023

(03-04-2023, 06:40 PM)JAS84 Wrote:  One of the brand names is now on borrowed time. WCW didn't last too long after WWF (as WWE was at the time) bought them out. They had a faction storyline going on for a while then were completely absorbed into the rebranded WWE.

Not the case, they are entirely different businesses and it would make no sense to merge the brand. It would simply harm the sporting credentials of the UFC.


RE: WWE-UFC Merger - Blubatt - 03-04-2023

(03-04-2023, 06:40 PM)JAS84 Wrote:  One of the brand names is now on borrowed time. WCW didn't last too long after WWF (as WWE was at the time) bought them out. They had a faction storyline going on for a while then were completely absorbed into the rebranded WWE.

I don't agree. UFC and WWE are ubiquitous to their own fields. Professional Wrestling is synonymous with WWE, MMA is synomynous with UFC. Dropping one name or another just doesn't make sense at all. And you're really comparing apples to oranges here. WCW was a wrestling promotion, you couldn't have two wrestling shows with two unique identities do an ersatz Monday Night Wars, where the only real victor is the parent company. UFC is a different company and a different thing entirely. 


As I have speculated on another forum, it seems to me that the business side of the merged company will be consolidated, and the companies will be operated separately. Personally, I see why they have merged. I feel that there's a lot of stuff WWE has done that will benefit UFC: WWE's attempt at a streaming service is operated by Endeavour. WWE's brand image as a 'family entertainment' brand, and UFC's 18-34 male demographic means that the merged company will cover a lot of bases.

As an aside, had Warner Bros Discovery bought WWE, that would have potentially been problematic for AEW, who air on TNT and TBS in the US.


RE: WWE-UFC Merger - KrazyKei - 03-04-2023

I remember the good old days of the Attitude Era on WWE. Nowadays, it's just too corporate and bland with no real personality on there.

Gladly, the alternative is watching AEW with a hint of NWA where there are personalities and real storylines that do grip me. I personally can't see myself watching WWE again as long as Vince is still there.


RE: WWE-UFC Merger - TVenthusiasm - 04-04-2023

Personally as a WWE fan for well over 7 years now, I'm nervous that Endeavour will change WWE again for the second time in less than 12 months, considering Vince retired in July last year. So I am worried that any change by Endeavour will cause outrage within WWE. But at the same time, I'm delighted that WWE haven't been sold to the Saudis.

But at the same time, I'm confident of a bright future with Triple H in charge of creative (despite many fans worried that Vince has full control over creative again) - WWE has been a lot better under the HHH era since Vince's retirement and many fans started coming back from AEW since then. Plus Endeavour is very well-known considering they own UFC so we may very well be looking into a new era of both WWE and UFC under one big-name company.

Onwards and upwards! Smile


RE: WWE-UFC Merger - Jon - 04-04-2023

(03-04-2023, 06:53 PM)strollfan Wrote:  
(03-04-2023, 06:40 PM)JAS84 Wrote:  One of the brand names is now on borrowed time. WCW didn't last too long after WWF (as WWE was at the time) bought them out. They had a faction storyline going on for a while then were completely absorbed into the rebranded WWE.

Not the case, they are entirely different businesses and it would make no sense to merge the brand. It would simply harm the sporting credentials of the UFC.
I’m no expert on either, but wouldn’t it be like merging EastEnders with Test Match Cricket?


RE: WWE-UFC Merger - strollfan - 04-04-2023

(04-04-2023, 03:29 PM)Jon Wrote:  
(03-04-2023, 06:53 PM)strollfan Wrote:  Not the case, they are entirely different businesses and it would make no sense to merge the brand. It would simply harm the sporting credentials of the UFC.
I’m no expert on either, but wouldn’t it be like merging EastEnders with Test Match Cricket?
Or trying to make Sly Stallone really box as Rocky Balboa.