Vince
McMahon Takes Actions in Support of Plan for WWE to
Undertake a Review of Strategic Alternatives and Capture
Unique Opportunity to Maximize Long-term Value for
All Shareholders
Submits
written consent to WWE Board electing himself and
Company veterans George Barrios and Michelle Wilson
as Directors
Actions
are necessary to ensure McMahon's full participation
in upcoming media rights negotiations and review of
strategic alternatives
GREENWICH,
Conn., Jan. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vince McMahon,
the founder and controlling shareholder of World Wrestling
Entertainment Inc. ("WWE" or the "Company")
(NYSE: WWE), announced today that he has taken necessary
actions to position the Company to capitalize on a
unique opportunity to maximize long-term value for
all WWE shareholders. The actions, communicated to
WWE's Board of Directors today via written consent,
include the election to the Board of Mr. McMahon,
as well as Michelle Wilson and George Barrios –
former WWE Co-Presidents and Board members, and currently
the Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Isos Capital Management
– and the requisite removal from the Board of
three directors. Mr. McMahon expects to assume the
role of Executive Chairman of the Board.
Mr.
McMahon's new role will enable unified decision making
through the Company's upcoming media rights negotiations
and a parallel full review of the Company's strategic
alternatives, which Mr. McMahon believes is the right
course of action and in the best interests of WWE
and WWE shareholders amidst the current dynamics in
the media and entertainment industry. As Mr. McMahon
has communicated to the Board, he believes there is
a narrow window of opportunity to create significant
value for all shareholders and that to do so, the
strategic alternatives review must occur in tandem
with the media rights negotiations. He also expressed
to the Board that he believes these two initiatives
require Mr. McMahon's direct participation, leadership,
and support as controlling shareholder.
"WWE
is entering a critical juncture in its history with
the upcoming media rights negotiations coinciding
with increased industry-wide demand for quality content
and live events and with more companies seeking to
own the intellectual property on their platforms,"
said Mr. McMahon. "The only way for WWE to fully
capitalize on this opportunity is for me to return
as Executive Chairman and support the management team
in the negotiations for our media rights and to combine
that with a review of strategic alternatives. My return
will allow WWE, as well as any transaction counterparties,
to engage in these processes knowing they will have
the support of the controlling shareholder."
Prior
to delivering written consent, Mr. McMahon sent two
separate letters to the Board in late December in
which he expressed the urgency of his return to the
Company as Executive Chairman and his desire to work
collaboratively with the Board and management team.
Following conversations with representatives of the
Company both before and after Mr. McMahon's most recent
letter on December 31, Mr. McMahon determined, consistent
with his rights as controlling shareholder, that the
steps announced today are necessary to maximize value
for all WWE shareholders.
Mr.
McMahon said, "Ms. Wilson and Mr. Barrios are
highly qualified directors whose professional experience
positions them well to help the Company achieve the
best possible outcomes in both initiatives. As former
WWE Co-Presidents and Board members, they are intimately
familiar with industry dynamics and the organization's
operations and have helped guide the Company through
past successful media rights negotiations. I look
forward to working closely again with Michelle and
George – as well as the Company's remaining directors
and management team, who have my full support and
confidence. WWE has an exceptional management team
in place, and I do not intend for my return to have
any impact on their roles, duties, or responsibilities."
In
conjunction with the changes to WWE's Board, Mr. McMahon's
written consent also includes certain amendments to
the Company's bylaws to ensure that WWE's corporate
governance continues to properly enable and support
shareholder rights. These changes will be detailed
in a Schedule 13D amendment to be filed by Mr. McMahon
and a Form 8-K to be filed by the Company in the coming
days.
No
assurances can be given regarding the outcome or timing
of the review process. Mr. McMahon does not intend
to comment further until the process has concluded
or Mr. McMahon has otherwise determined that further
disclosure is appropriate or required.
Michelle
Wilson Biography
Ms.
Wilson is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Isos Capital Management.
She is a leading sports and entertainment c-suite
executive and, prior to founding Isos with Mr. Barrios,
most recently served as Co-President and Board Member
of WWE until January 2020. In 2018, Forbes named Ms.
Wilson one of the 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports.
She also was featured on the Adweek 50 list, which
highlights the leading executives in Media, Marketing
and Technology, and named one of Sports Illustrated's
10 Most Influential Women in Sports. She joined WWE
in 2009 and prior to her appointment as Co-President,
served as Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer.
Previously,
Michelle served as the Chief Marketing Officer of
the United States Tennis Association, oversaw all
marketing efforts for the launch of the XFL, a partnership
between WWE and NBC, and held consumer products and
brand management positions at the NBA and Nabisco,
respectively. She received her MBA from Harvard Business
School and currently serves on the Boards of Bowlero
Corporation and Turtle Beach Corporation.
George
Barrios Biography
Mr.
Barrios serves as Isos Capital Management's Co-Founder
and Co-CEO. He is an award-winning c-suite executive
and most recently served as Co-President and Board
Member of WWE until January 2020. In 2017, Institutional
Investor ranked George among the Top 3 CFOs in the
Media Industry as part of its All-America Executive
team rankings. He joined WWE in 2008 as its Chief
Strategy and Financial Officer.
Previously,
he held leadership roles in finance, strategy and
operations at the New York Times, Praxair, Time Warner
and HBO. He received his MBA from the University of
Connecticut School of Business and currently serves
as the National Board Chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Kirkland
& Ellis is serving as legal counsel to Mr. McMahon.
Forward
Looking Statements
This
press release contains forward-looking statements
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements
include statements regarding Mr. McMahon's return
to the Board as Executive Chairman, the impact of
Mr. McMahon, Ms. Wilson and Mr. Barrios as members
of the Board, the timing and success of the Company's
media rights negotiations and the Company's review
of strategic alternatives. In addition, the words
"may," "will," "could,"
"anticipate," "plan," "continue,"
"project," "intend," "estimate,"
"believe," "expect," "outlook,"
"target," "goal," "guidance"
and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements, although not all forward-looking statements
contain such words. These statements relate to future
possible events, as well as plans, objectives, expectations
and intentions and are not historical facts and accordingly
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties
and other factors that may cause the actual results
to be materially different from future results expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties
relating to, without limitation, the matters referred
to in this release, the complexity of the Company's
rights agreements across distribution mechanisms and
geographical areas and the Company's review of strategic
alternatives. Forward-looking statements speak only
as of the date made and are subject to change without
any obligation to update or revise them. Undue reliance
should not be placed on these statements.
SOURCE
Vince McMahon
News
Full
Transcript from Today’s WWE Meeting Led By Stephanie
McMahon, Nick Khan and Frank Riddick - January 6th,
2023
As
noted, WWE Chairwoman & Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon,
Co-CEO Nick Khan, and President & CFO Frank A.
Riddick III led a meeting via call earlier this afternoon
to address the return of Vince McMahon to the WWE
Board of Directors, and his plans to pursue a sale
of the company, among other issues. The meeting was
held at 3:45pm ET today, and was for all employees,
but not talent. The meeting went for around 10 minutes.
Courtesy
of Wrestlenomics,
a full transcript of what was said by Stephanie, Riddick
and Khan has been revealed. You can use the links
below the transcript to read the absolute latest on
Vince and WWE, the recent reports and press releases,
backstage reactions, and more.
Below
is the transcript and aforementioned links:
Stephanie
McMahon (WWE Co-CEO): Vince McMahon is coming
back to the board of directors. He has made it clear
upon his return what he’s really most excited
about is the media rights opportunity in front of
us that we’ve all been discussing and tying that
to a strategic alternative process. And we wanted
to make sure we got with everyone as soon as possible
so you were aware of this message and also so we can
explain a little bit more about it. And hopefully,
we can answer questions moving forward. This format
doesn’t allow for it. But, Frank, I kick it to
you. I’m not going to attempt to explain strategic
alternatives. I’d do a very basic level. Frank
has the details, so go ahead, Frank.
Frank
Riddick (WWE President, Chief Financial Officer):
Sure, so at a very high level, what Vince has proposed
and the process that would be followed would be to
engage with a banker and prepare some background information
on the company and present that to various potential
partners for the company to evaluate whether there
are any strategic transactions that would enhance
the value of the company to all constituencies, including
shareholders. And the idea is, as Steph said, the
timing of this is largely driven around the upcoming
media rights renewal and to do something that could
enhance, in addition, those renewal discussions. So
that would include — when we say “strategic
initiatives”, “strategic alternatives”
for the company — could include a broad range
of potential transactions, everything from a combination
with another company, an acquisition of the company
by someone, or a take-private transaction, taking
the company private and/or just simply some sort of
cooperation joint venture agreement. So it’s
pretty broad and I just would add a couple of things
to that. One is, of course, there’s no assurance
that any transaction will actually happen or any transaction
will be forthcoming that makes economic and strategic
sense for the company. And, of course, Vince is the
controlling shareholder and controls the vote of the
stock of the company is the ultimate decider as to
whether there’s a transaction that can happen.
So just to close out, all this from Nick and Steph
and my perspective is very positive for the company.
It’s a great time to look at alternatives and
make sure that the company is well-positioned for
the future. I think as everybody is aware, there’s
a lot of changes that have happened in the media landscape
in the last couple of years, even in the last six
months. And there’s probably from a value of
content perspective never a better time in history
for the company to look at something like this. So
hopefully that gives you a better perception of what
that means.
Stephanie
McMahon: Thanks, Frank. And then, Nick, how does
that work as it’s tied to media rights and why
is that a great strategic opportunity for us?
Nick
Khan (WWE Co-CEO): Thanks, Steph, so these things
work hand-in-hand with one another. For example, since
our U.S. media rights are up in October of ‘24,
for any conglomerate — so think Disney, Comcast,
Netflix, etcetera — any conglomerate that might
be interested in WWE would be interested in purchasing
the company outright. They very well may be interested
in doing a media rights deal, but obviously, we couldn’t
do a media rights deal, let’s say, with Comcast
and then go sell to Disney. Those sort of companies
would want to make some sort of acquisition prior
to those media rights being up. So the timing is spot
on for that. In terms of the day-to-day of the company,
nothing is changing. Steph is in her role, I’m
in my role, Frank’s in his role, Paul is in his
role, Kevin Dunn is in his role. And we would ask
everyone to stay focused on the business as hand [sic].
We’re going to engage in this process. We’re
going to look at it with open eyes and open hearts.
We’re going to ultimately see what’s out
there. And Vince will make his decision, as Frank
said, as the controlling shareholder, as to what he
wants to do with the company. For now, let’s
focus on business as hand, if we could.
Stephanie
McMahon: Great, thanks, Nick. This feels so formal
since none of us are in the same room. And I just
wanted to add also, rejoining the board is Michelle
Wilson and George Barrios, who for those of you who
were here remember them as co-presidents. They have
so many years of experience here in WWE. And they’ve
now been off on their own creating their own business
and have a lot to offer from a media standpoint, certainly
from an M&A standpoint. So they will be —
and they’re very familiar with the company —
so they will be joining the board, not management,
as Nick was spelling out. So again the management
structure stays the same, but Vince has joined the
board, and obviously, as the controlling shareholder.
And again, I just wanted to wrap up with reinforcing,
a) there may have been a lag on this video, so just
to let you know it has been recorded and will be shared
if you missed anything; b) when Frank talks about
how well-positioned WWE is and our performance, the
reason why we’re doing so well is, again, because
of all of you, because of our employees, who bring
everything that they have to table every single day.
And we’re just, we’re grateful, we’re
appreciative, and we want you to know that our employees
are incredibly important to us, and we recognize all
of your contributions, and you will be well-informed
throughout this process. We don’t want there
to be — obviously there’s going to be some
animosity — or not animosity, angst, natural
emotions that you might feel, and we want to make
sure that we’re on top of this and we’re
communicating with you and everyone has all the information
that they need. So again thank you to all of you.
This is an exciting time. It shouldn’t be a scary
time. It’s an exciting time for WWE. Our founder
is back on the board and is going to help lead this
process. And thank you to all of you. It’s an
exciting way to kick-off 2023.
News
WWE
PROVIDES UPDATE REGARDING COMPOSITION OF ITS BOARD
OF DIRECTORS AND EXPLORATION OF STRATEGIC ALTERNATIVES
STAMFORD,
Conn., January 6, 2023 – WWE (NYSE: WWE)
is providing the following update regarding the composition
of its Board of Directors and the exploration of strategic
alternatives.
“Today,
we announce that the founder of WWE, Vince McMahon,
will be returning to the Board,” said Chairwoman
& Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon, Co-CEO Nick Khan and
Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque. “We also
welcome back Michelle Wilson and George Barrios to
our Board of Directors. Together, we look forward
to exploring all strategic alternatives to maximize
shareholder value.”
As
Vince McMahon stated yesterday, “WWE has an exceptional
management team in place, and I do not intend for
my return to have any impact on their roles, duties,
or responsibilities."
In
connection with the change in the composition of the
Board of Directors and in cooperation with Vince McMahon
as majority shareholder, the Company intends to undertake
a review of its strategic alternatives with the goal
being to maximize value for all WWE shareholders.
There is no assurance that this process will result
in a transaction.
Vince
McMahon, in his capacity as controlling shareholder
of the Company, has removed JoEllen Lyons Dillon,
Jeffrey R. Speed and Alan M. Wexler from the Board.
Vince McMahon, George Barrios and Michelle Wilson
have been added to the Board to fill the resulting
vacancies.
The
Board currently consists of:
Vince
McMahon
Stephanie McMahon
Nick Khan
Paul Levesque
Steve Koonin
Michelle McKenna
Steve Pamon
George Barrios
Michelle Wilson
Ignace
Lahoud and Man Jit Singh have resigned from the Board,
effective today.
About
WWE
WWE,
a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated
media organization and recognized leader in global
entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio
of businesses that create and deliver original content
52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed
to family-friendly entertainment on its television
programming, premium live events, digital media, and
publishing platforms. WWE’s TVPG programming
can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide
in 30 languages through world class distribution partners
including NBCUniversal, FOX, BT Sport, Sony India
and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes
all premium live events, scheduled programming and
a massive video on-demand library and is currently
available in more than 180 countries. In the United
States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock,
is the exclusive home to WWE Network.
Additional
information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.
News
Vince
McMahon interview on The Pat McAfee Show: full coverage
- March 3, 2022
Vince
McMahon will do his first long-form interview in years
on today’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show. The
expectation is that McMahon will do an angle on this
show to set up a match with McAfee at WrestleMania
38 in Dallas. It was hinted during Monday Night Raw
that Austin Theory might be appearing on today’s
show as well. WrestlingNews.co
will cover the interview in real-time. Refresh this
page for updates.
Live
notes/recap:
–
The interview was originally scheduled for 2 pm eastern
and then it was pushed to 2:15 pm eastern.
–
At 2:03 pm, McAfee said that he isn’t sure if
McMahon has landed yet but he is going to be in the
studio at some time in the hour. McAfee said he can’t
wait to pick his brain to talk about some of the decisions
he has made and he wants to ask questions about things
that we haven’t heard answers from.
–
McAfee said he got a call and was told that McMahon
doesn’t need any prep time. McAfee said he has
no clue what is going to happen, despite what has
been said online and there are no time restrictions.
McAfee says he genuinely has no clue what is happening
ahead of time on SmackDown and what you hear is his
genuine reaction.
–
Vince showed up at 2:23 pm. McAfee said he appreciates
Vince appearing in-studio because this is big for
his show.
–
Vince talked about not believing in ceilings. Vine
said everything he and his staff do is calculated
and he listens to them before making decisions. On
the decision to move to streaming, Vince said lawyers
try to tie your hands in terms of creativity and owning
you and for him, it’s more about creative control
and creating your destiny.
–
Vince stays out of the conversation when people try
to pat him on the back. “I’m just who I
am.” He says if he listens to the positives then
he has to listen to the negatives and he’s not
big on negatives. Vince says the members of the media
will say what they want to say. “If people think
you’re an asshole, you can’t change that.
I’m a good guy, I love my family.” He said
you can’t change perception when you are a public
personna. He only cares what the general public thinks.
He said it took a while to stop caring about the critics.
Vince said he can’t care what the media says
or what people who don’t understand him say about
him.
–
On not liking the word “wrestling” Vince
says he wanted to separate from everyone else. He
said his dad has his own brand, the World Wide Wrestling
Federation and it was brilliant. Vince joked that
“the panda got us” and he didn’t know
that the World Wildlife Fund existed and it was a
“no win” lawsuit because the company was
tried in England so he decided to “get the F
out.”
–
Vince said he has a lot of creative people in the
company and he listens because you can’t learn
if you’re talking…sometimes.
–
Vince announced that he will induct The Undertaker
into the Hall Of Fame.
–
McAfee talked about competition and specifically mentioned
AEW buying ROH. Vince said he loves confrontation
and he says that he lived “through the beating”
as a kid so he has nothing to be afraid of. Vince
said there was never a conversation about Taker going
to WCW, not one.
–
Vince talked about growing up in the trailer park
but he didn’t think he was “somebody”
until around WrestleMania 4 or 5 but he said he’s
just like everyone else but he’s fortunate to
do what he does and he is fortunate to be alive.
–
McAfee asked him to follow up on the statement that
he’s lucky to be alive. Vince said that he’s
just lucky to do what he loves.
–
Vince said that it’s just business when he lets
people go and sometimes people need to look in the
mirror but they like to pass blame.
–
Vince named WrestleMania 1 as one of his favorite
moments. He talked about not having the money he said
he had to fund the first WrestleMania.
–
McAfee asked if he has seen the person who plays him
on “Young Rock” and Vince said no. Vince
talked about the territory days and said that there
were times when people threatened him. He recalled
a story that Jim Ross told him about Bill Watts trying
to figure out what to do about Vince going national.
Vince said that four promoters were in the restroom
talking about how to take out Vince and JR happened
to hear this in the restroom stall and pulling both
feet up so he couldn’t be seen and “mother
nature is calling at the same time.”
–
On Saudi Arabia, Vince says the people there area
just like other people and WWE has had a presence
there for years and the fans there are enthusiastic
about western culture even though they don’t
love our government. He said WWE fits in everywhere.
Vince said, “people are people and cultures are
cultures and you have to respect that.”
–
Vince was asked how he finds time to do so much. Vince
said he’s not like anybody else in the world.
He finishes training around 3 am and he starts around
1:30. He says he overtrains even though it’s
not good for him but it’s the only socially acceptable
way to let out aggression. He does it for his head
more than he does it for his body and he tries to
eat right. “It really helps me more mentally
and psychologically” so he can handle the things
that come at him. Vince said he hasn’t had doubts
about what he’s wanted to do but sometimes he’ll
make decisions and he learns from mistakes. He said
he doesn’t have a down day.
–
On starting the WWE Network before streaming was a
big deal, Vince said he makes decisions based on common
sense.
–
Vince was asked how much he thinks about the future.
Vince says he loves branding and marketing and the
word “stupendous” is not used much in everyday
speak and things like that is what he thinks about.
–
Vince says he is “wide open” in regards
to being creative and you have to be able to accept
whatever comes in from whatever source. He feels that
he has a “second wheel” going on in his
brain and sometimes a third one but sometimes it can
get very confusing.
–
In regards to balancing thoughts about the future
and the current product, he said he doesn’t always
know where things are going to go but if something
becomes available, he figures out how WWE will fit.
Vince said when someone graduates from WWE you know
how to treat people and you show respect because “respect
is huge in everything we do.” Vince said people
hug each other and shake hands backstage and the basis
of that is that wrestlers have to work with each other
to avoid serious injury.
–
McAfee says Vince always listens to him during their
chats. McAfee says everyone sees Vince as a “robot
as a person” and people think he will live forever.
Vince said before he dies he wants one second to say
“thank you” and he wants to be thankful
to be alive. McAfee said he has about 26 years left
to live until 101, the same age that his mother lived
to.
–
On talk about WWE no longer being his one day, Vince
says if you build something he wants it to prosper
and grow with or without a family member and he wants
it to prosper even if you are not part of it. Vince
said he has always expected more from his family members
and you have to do the right thing for the business
and if things are not working out then you shouldn’t
he part of the company.
–
McAfee was about to end the interview but Vince was
willing to stick around to answer questions from McAfee’s
staff/co-host.
–
Vince said he wanted to offer something to McAfee.
Vince said he wanted to offer an opportunity to wrestle
at WrestleMania. Vince did not say that he would be
the one to wrestle McAfee.
–
Vince was asked if it’s harder to create Superstars.
Vince said it’s a team effort when creating Superstars.
Vince then went into a story about The Undertaker
being pressured to do the spinarooni and almost breaking
character. Vince said uses the term “Superstars”
instead of wrestlers because “anyone can wrestle”
and “do you want to be a professional wrestler
or a WWE Superstar” and “WWE Superstar sounds
better than a professional wrestler.” He said
you have to have acting talent and the want to grow
because if you are not growing then you’re dying
and you have to really get into your character in
the ring and some people are confused and act the
same way in their private life. Vince said “the
really good ones” are all in with their character
but they can shut it off after the show. Vince said
it’s important for mental health to not be the
same character out of the ring.
–
Vince said during COVID he never wanted to miss a
show and he credited the performers for working hard
at what they do. Vince acknowledged that things were
different with the NFL because they are a little more
higher profile. Vince talked about doing shows at
the Performance Center with no audience and how difficult
that was for the performers.
–
Vince said WWE has a focus group every night (the
fans at shows) and it does not matter what he wants
if the fans say otherwise. Vince said “you can
tell” when something is working or not and a
portion of the internet audience can be biased and
he doesn’t listen to those people.
–
Vince said that he has to overcome the stereotype
that he’s not cool or hip and he tries to give
people as much creative ability as possible but “you
don need to lead, you can’t just wait.”
–
McAfee praised Vince and said that he learns from
him and said that Vince, since the beginning, has
let Pat just do his thing. Vince said that if he didn’t
like what McAfee was doing then he wouldn’t be
doing it. Vince said McAfee appeals to the audience
and he has fun.
–
On Brock Lesnar, Vince said he is an extraordinary
human being and a “smart son of a b*tch.”
He says people think he’s a neanderthal but “he’s
smarter than you pal.”
–
Vince was asked if he keeps in touch with his top
guys like Steve Austin, Goldberg, etc. Vince said
he keeps in touch with “some” and he’d
love for them to stay in touch with him but he’s
busy but he tries to have the company stay in contact
with them.
–
Vince talked about the Attitude Era being so much
fun and the 80’s was the wild west and they had
a blast. Vince talked about the bedpan skit with Stone
Cold and Mick Foley. Vince said Austin came up with
the idea to hit Vince in the head with the bedpan
and it was fun to do that.
–
Vince said live TV is when you’re on the edge
and nothing can go wrong and it’s exciting, despite
the pressure and he lives for that.
–
McAfee mentioned Michael Cole Vince joked that Cole
is a “horrible human being.” McAfee asked
if Vince still gets excited before shows and Vince
said he does. Vince said if the vision of a story
comes out the way he wants then it’s awesome
and he gets chill bumps like everyone else.
–
Vince talked about the travel and sometimes it’s
difficult for the corporate types to grasp what WWE
does because they are like no one else. Vince said
it takes a grind and a toll to leave your home and
be on the road all the time. He said that it’s
extraordinary that so many people want to do this
together and he doesn’t see this as a grind,
but he sees it as a privilege. Vince said no one will
ever know when he’s tired. Vince said he can
have a horrible meeting or phone call but he won’t
bring that emotion into his next meeting.
–
McAfee asked if he looked at books or other leaders.
Vince said his grades weren’t good enough for
college and he is sure he had every learning disability
there was and he was expelled for fighting and he
never learned how to study. He said he needed summer
school to get into college and it took 5 years for
a 4-year curriculum in East North Carolina College.
Vince said Linda got through her curriculum in 3 years.
Vince said he didn’t have the grades to graduate
and he found out where the professors lived and he
knocked on their door and he got his grade changed
from a B+ to an A- but the other professor wasn’t
so nice and there was a confrontation. He said he
graduated from college because the first professor
changed his grade.
–
Vince was asked if he ever considered himself a WWE
Superstar. Vince said he had to during the Attitude
Era and he said “I’m really Steve Austin”
and he understood the underdog philosophy. Vince joked
that it’s easy to get people to dislike him.
Vince said he would much rather be on the other side
of the camera.
–
McAfee asked if Vince has had injuries other than
his blown quads. Vince said he had no use of his legs
when that happened at Royal Rumble 2005 and he had
to learn how to talk again during rehab. He says he
had neck surgery, triceps surgery, spinal surgery
and the injuries came from a combination of a lot
of things. Vince talked about squatting 1,000 pounds
and he only does that once a month. Vince put over
his staff as good people and quality human beings.
–
McAfee talked about the heat he got a few years back
for wearing shorts during a WrestleMania pre-show
and Vince appreciated that he wore the shirts. McAfee
said Vince has been genuine and cool with him.
You
can also watch the interview by clicking below:
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'They
should move to any other night, get away from us'
- Chris Jericho slams WWE with a bold statement -
4th September 2020
"They
lost! There's nothing wrong with conceiting defeat
and moving to a different night." Chris Jericho
had a lot more to say.
There
are rumors about WWE possibly moving NXT to a different
night.
AEW
Dynamite and NXT have aired on different days for
the past few weeks. As expected, the results have
been quite positive for both companies. Both shows
have drawn huge numbers without any competition, and
there is also talk about NXT possibly moving out from
the Wednesday slot. Chris Jericho, who has always
been on the offensive when it comes to AEW's ratings
victories over WWE, has sent another bold message
to the WWE.
During
a recent appearance on the Busted
Open radio show, the Demo God addressed the rumors
of WWE contemplating a change of day for NXT.
Chris
Jericho said that he wasn't surprised that the WWE
was planning on retreating from the Wednesday Night
Wars. The AEW Superstar sent a direct message to his
former employers that they should move to another
night. Chris Jericho felt that WWE had a great program,
and their spiteful tactic of going up against AEW
was only hurting NXT's ratings.
Chris
Jericho says WWE should just conceit defeat
Chris
Jericho declared that AEW isn't going anywhere and
that Dynamite would continue to beat NXT. Jericho
felt that WWE retreating is the right move from a
business standpoint. 'Le Champion' isn't bothered
about NXT breaching the 800k or 900k barriers as he
and AEW are focussed on getting over the 1 million
mark. He also spoke about the importance of the 18-49
demographic.
Chris
Jericho said that the WWE lost, and there is nothing
wrong for them to conceit defeat. The former AEW World
Champion concluded by proclaiming that no one can
stop All Elite Wrestling.
Here's
Chris Jericho's full statement on the rumors of WWE
moving to another night and the ongoing ratings war:
"Once
again, it was never a war for me. This is a war that
was thrust upon us by a company that is very petty
and very spiteful, and we know the reason why NXT
was moved to Wednesday nights. To mess with us. We
get it. We pay attention to what we are doing. We
don't care what they're doing, and we have no interest
in it. If you watch us, you get the ratings, where
we beat them week after week. We beat them in the
demos where people think it's jokes. The only thing
that matters is the TV networks and advertisers that
listed the 18-49 demo. Look it up. We win every week.
They should retreat. They should move to any other
night. Get away from us! You guys got a great program,
and it's good; why would you want to sacrifice your
own ratings just to be spiteful and petty to go head
to head with AEW? We're not going anywhere and put
on anything you want - we'll continue to beat you.
It is a retreat, but it's also the right move from
a business standpoint. Get your head out of your rear
end and just worry about your product the same way
we worry about ours. If they move to Tuesday, smart
move. That way, you guys can get your 850 thousand,
900 thousand. Whatever! Get 10 million viewers. Congratulations!
Let us do our thing, and we'll get over a million.
I think it's a smart move business-wise on theirs.
They lost! There's nothing wrong with conceiting defeat,
moving to a different night, and worrying about your
show and not worrying about going head to head with
AEW because you can't stop us." H/t WrestlingInc
While
Chris Jericho is just doing his job of putting over
AEW, many fans would argue that both shows airing
on different nights would be the right decision as
they can watch both shows. The ratings and viewership
figures from the past few weeks have proven that putting
out shows on separate days could be ideal for moving
forward.
Also,
don't forget to check out the latest interview from
Sportskeeda in which our very own Gary Cassidy caught
up with Chris Jericho. The legendary star discussed
a plethora of topics, including the possibility of
Brock Lesnar coming to AEW, the origins of his nickname,
Jon Moxley, Orange Cassidy, and much more.
