Former WCW Owner Ted Turner Passes Away at Age 87

TLDR

Former WCW owner and media mogul Ted Turner has passed away at age 87, with his death confirmed on May 6, 2026, through a Turner Enterprises release reported by CNN. Turner, who had been battling Lewy body dementia since revealing his diagnosis in 2018, purchased Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988 to create World Championship Wrestling and launched WCW Monday Nitro in 1995, which dominated WWE in ratings for 83 straight weeks during the Monday Night Wars. His influence on professional wrestling ended after the AOL-Time Warner merger led to WCW losing its place on Turner networks and being sold to WWE in 2001.