For the first time in WWE’s multi-decade history, a member of the McMahon family does not have majority ownership of the company. Vince McMahon sold WWE to Endeavor this past April, announcing with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel the intention to merge the sports-entertainment giant with Endeavor’s other combat asset, UFC. That merger was made official earlier this week, as WWE and UFC formed into one publicly-traded company known as “TKO.” The immediate effect of this merger is essentially non-existent, as WWE and UFC continue their own respective businesses as normal, but long-term changes could include co-branded weekends with WWE premium live events and UFC pay-per-views emanating from the same cities.
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The Rock Responds to WWE’s Sale
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson admitted he “never thought” WWE would be under non-McMahon ownership.
“I met Vince was I was 11 years old. We go way, way back. I never thought that he would sell the company but I’m not surprised because he’s always about big picture,” Rock said. “He’s always about growth. This merger, it was really incredible.”
This is not the first time that Rock has weighed in on the WWE sale. Earlier this year, the former WWE Champion mentioned that WWE and UFC working directly together has been “a long time coming.”
“I see smooth sailing with those guys. They’ve known each other for a very long time,” Rock said earlier this year. “We all have, as a matter of fact, and I see smooth sailing with this. This has been a long time coming. These guys are adamant on creating an incredible conglomerate that is going to entertain the masses.”
When Will The Rock Return to WWE?
While The Rock has not appeared on WWE programming since the premiere episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX back in Fall 2019, there is a storyline waiting for him whenever he is able to pull the trigger.
“The Rock headlining WrestleMania with Roman Reigns, SoFi Stadium, that was locked. We were doing it,” Rock said of his cancelled match against Roman Reigns this past April. “In the beginning of 2022, (WWE CEO) Nick Khan was very instrumental in bringing Vince and I together. We all flew to LA. We met. We sat. We broke out the Teremana, and about an hour later we started talking about the potential of what this match could be. Myself and Roman Reigns headlining WrestleMania at SoFi. We shook hands and we hugged right there and said, ‘Let’s do this.’”
