This top AEW star has revealed a wild prediction for WWE’s future.
A couple of years ago, Endeavor acquired World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and merged it with Endeavor’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), forming TKO Group Holdings. While Vince McMahon remained a part of the board, he resigned from all of his positions earlier last year when more details about the sexual assault and trafficking lawsuits emerged against him.
Under TKO, WWE has undergone a major revamp, with ticket prices going high and frequent layoffs. While both fans and other prominent personalities, including Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, have called out TKO as a more revenue-focused group, AEW star Jeff Jarrett also recently shared a similar thought. Jarrett claimed that TKO might sell WWE, the moment it stops getting a high return on investment.
Speaking on his My World podcast, Jarrett said,
“Yeah, I’ve said it and I’ve gotten interesting feedback. To me, this is Jeff talking to Jeff, the clarity of it at the end of day — Vince is a third generation promoter if you will. At the end of the day, every decision he made was based on what he thought the wrestling fan wanted. The rules are rewritten, those rules no longer apply. TKO does what is best to get a return on investment. They are their master, if you will, and you can’t serve two masters.
Their master, if you will, is private equity. Their powers that be get the return on investment, the highest return they can possibly [get]. When they quit getting the highest returns that they can, they’re gonna sell the asset. I just think it’s that simple. I think they’re going to burn and churn and burn and churn and burn and churn. My grandmother used to always preach in so many ways, ‘Son, as a promoter, you always have to prepare for rainy days.’
Well, when the rain comes on TKO, they are changing cities and changing assets. I do, I think it’s that simple. They are not concerned at all other than the return on investment. That’s the business they’re in. So, that’s not a knock, I want to make that clear. That is not a dig.
They are doing exactly what they set out to do and what their investors want them to do and require them to do. It’s just a different playing field. Karl, what he’s saying, I think a lot of folks are saying and it’s just kind of the awakening. It’s going to continue down this road, I think we’re just scratching the surface on what a different company it is.”
H/t Fightful
Recently, Vince McMahon sold nearly $250 million worth of his TKO shares to Endeavor.
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