In a recent interview by Sports Illustrated with UFC President Dana White, he discussed his relationship with Vince McMahon and the significant strides both companies have taken as a result of their partnership. White, opening up about past clashes with McMahon, divulged his newfound admiration for the WWE chief.
“My history with Vince isn’t a good one. He tried to f—- me so many times for no reason except just to f— me. But that’s in the past. Now that Vince and I are allies, no one’s been a better partner than Vince,” White stated. He went on to call McMahon “the Michael Jordan of the business world.”
McMahon, in a later interview with MMAjunkie, responded positively to White’s comments and affirmed their strong business relationship. Meanwhile, wrestling legend The Undertaker offered his own perspective on the dynamic between the two, applauding their business acumen and noting their similarity in character.
These alliances expand far beyond personal friendships, as it seems to be impacting the WWE’s global strategy. As reported by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE announced plans to hold its new event, Bash in Berlin, slated for August 2024 in Germany. It also appears next year’s Backlash event could land in Paris, France.
Meltzer reveals the rationale behind these plans – WWE wants to secure significant financial commitments for their international events and is currently negotiating with various city governments to make this happen. This strategy could lead to at least five PLE events outside the United States in 2024, adding considerable value to the WWE portfolio.
In television news, WWE NXT saw a slight drop in viewership for its October 24, 2023, episode – the Halloween Havoc 2023 Night 1 special. Despite a decrease, NXT still managed a key demographic rating of 0.21, securing 8th place for the night. The decrease was primarily attributed to tough sports competition during the same time slot.
The WWE-UFC alliance signifies a shift in relationships and business strategies among sports entertainment giants. One thing is clear, this partnership is set to impact future WWE events and reshape the wrestling landscape in the years to come.
