It’s the dawn of a new era in the sports entertainment industry after WWE and UFC officially merged in a $21.4-billion deal and went public under the initials of ‘TKO’. Dana White labeled it the biggest merger in sports history with the two companies being the giants in their respective fields.
Endeavour bought a majority stake in UFC in 2016, and now with WWE in their impressive portfolio of ventures in the sports entertainment industry, they’re showing no signs of slowing down. However, with such a massive merger, changes in the structure of the company are inevitable.
WWE to overhaul title structure
WWE has followed a similar title structure over the past 4 decades but it seems like changes are nigh with speculations of a change in the scheme. BWE is reporting that there is an opinion being discussed among the creative for a whole new title structure including revamps, new Championships, weight classes, and a Trios Title.
This would definitely be a step in the right direction if done properly. The Women’s Division needs a mid-card title, and a new Women’s Intercontinental Championship would be prestigious. As for a new Trios Title, WWE doesn’t have many established stables apart from The Bloodline, The Judgment Day, Imperium, and The Brawling Brutes. But with groups like the new Hurt Business with Bobby Lashley and Street Profits coming onto the scene, it’s going to be exciting.
As for weight classes, it’s difficult to see how they’ll be implemented, as many times WWE matches up a strong heavyweight with an agile welterweight, for example, Gunther Vs. Gable, which turned out to be a match of the year contender. Weight classes are a clear influence of the merger with UFC, and only a Cruiserweight Division would make sense. But all of these changes have to be positive, especially with Triple H at the helm implementing them.
Talent cuts expected within the company
During this period of transition, there have been reports over the past month with the deal almost on the brink of going through that WWE will be making massive layoffs. Fightful.com broke this news, stating that the President of WWE, Nick Khan, sent a letter to all the company’s employees, informing them about upcoming workforce reductions. The layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic are known as one of the darkest days in wrestling, and it seems major cuts of that level are evident after the merger.
This is being done to save resources and eliminate redundancies within both companies under the TKO Holdings banner. News had been circulating that Elias was out of a WWE contract, and it seems like it’s true and is a part of the post-merger layoffs. Although it’s doubtful that a lot of on-air talent will be released, many employees under the WWE banner are going to receive notifications from the Human Resources Department.
The merger is a massive deal as two juggernauts of the industry are joining forces. With this being the first time WWE has been out of control of the McMahon family, it’ll be interesting to see what direction they’ll be heading in.
Do you think there will be a cross-promotional event with WWE and UFC superstars fighting against each other? Give a piece of your mind in the comments.
