The WWE-UFC merger is a historic alliance between two of the biggest franchises in the sports entertainment industry and the partnership between the two, worked up by WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel is a watershed moment for the business.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, one of the athletes who helped put WWE on the world map opined that the merger is all set to be a smooth ride thanks to the years of experience and camaraderie between the men who worked for the union.
“I see smooth sailing with Emanuel and McMahon. They’ve known each other for a very, very long time. We all have, as a matter of fact,” he began.
The Rock reflected on his struggles back in the day before he gained widespread fame and superstardom, and touched upon McMahon’s struggles and how it resonated with him.
“This has been a long time coming. When we think about where Vince (McMahon) started — I often talk about my ‘seven bucks’ moment — I had seven bucks in my pocket when I was cut from the Canadian football league,” he elaborated.
“Vince had his ‘seven bucks’ moment too as well, and he leveraged every dollar he had for the very first WrestleMania. Years later he creates this merger with Ari (Emanuel) that’s in the billions of dollars.”
The Rock expressed how excited he was for the merger of the two giants, which is reportedly in the region on 21 Billion Dollars.
“When I say ‘smooth sailing’, these guys are adamant on creating an incredible conglomerate that’s going to entertain the masses. I think between the WWE, the UFC, bull riding, and probably some of the other things that are coming down the pipe… I’m excited about this merger,” The Rock concluded.
Endeavor CEO Emanuel cited the merger as a unique opportunity and hailed the work done by McMahon for the development of the franchise over the years.
“This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed,” Emanuel said.
“For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation, and we are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together,” the CEO explained.
McMahon also gave this take on the merger and mentioned that it would maximize the value of the industry as a whole.
“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said.
“The new company will be well positioned to maximize the value of our combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster our strong stable of brands,” he added.
“I, along with the current WWE management team, look forward to working closely with Ari and the Endeavor and UFC teams to take the businesses to the next level,” McMahon concluded.
Comments
0 comment