The unpredictability of the pro wrestling business touched new heights after it emerged that Vince McMahon, who retired from WWE last year, returned to the company’s board with the intention of overseeing a sale.
McMahon made the move to stage a comeback to WWE with two former co-presidents and directors, Michelle Wilson and George Barrios.
McMahon stated his presence on the board is necessary to lead a sale of the company or to negotiate a new media-rights deal, as he is still the majority shareholder.
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This news led to speculation about the changes that could take place in WWE since Vinnie Mac was back. There were reports of which companies could be interested in buying the sports entertainment giant if WWE decides to go that route.
Now a report has emerged that the Saudi Public Investment fund could bid on WWE if it is put for sale.
Fans in Disarray over PIF’s possible WWE bid
After the news of Vince McMahon’s return to WWE started filtering in, the company’s shares jumped 10 percent in the stock market. With WWE’s net worth sitting slightly over $5 billion, it is a very enticing project for potential buyers.
Earlier, we covered which big companies could end up owning WWE, but now a new contender has emerged.
According to a report by Michael McCarthy and A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is a possible bidder for WWE if the company is put for sale.
Golf enthusiasts will identify PIF after it bankrolled the LIV Golf league as a challenge to the PGA Tour. Last year, they spent at least $2 billion as many major names and champions joined the Saudi-backed league.
And they have now emerged as possible bidders for WWE. The PIF has about $620 billion in assets and could easily outbid most companies.
As this news did rounds on social media WWE fans were having a hard time believing that this could go down and expressed their reservations. A fan wrote, “They’ll ruin WWE if that happens.” Another fan commented, “This is the wildest twist in this story so far.”
Here are the top reactions from this story.
LIV Wrestling https://t.co/mXNC1yyVew
— Jeffrey Wright (@JWright929espn) January 7, 2023
This is the wildest twist in this story so far
— RisingJericho (@rising_jericho) January 7, 2023
They'll ruin WWE if that happens
— TotallyNotXyøn (@Xyon06) January 7, 2023
Saudi Arabia could buy WWE and put Vince back in charge. I'm a life long wrestling fan. This would end my interest in WWE forever. Plenty of alternatives
— Cricket/NFL are dead to me (@suthodan) January 7, 2023
Wonderful!
Shall we just say goodbye to the company we all grew up with now then? https://t.co/fbj6C0APqM— Michael Green (@GMoney4Sure) January 7, 2023
I may never watch @WWE again. https://t.co/hKFE0SqECI
— Cat Owner Mike 🇺🇸⭐️🏟 (@mconiaris) January 6, 2023
Fans were clearly skeptical of PIF possibly owning WWE.
God no. 🤬
— Dave Martz (@mechman636) January 7, 2023
plz no…
— 🤡elliott👽 (@jeckelbox) January 7, 2023
Could you imagine this happening? Hopefully it wont become a possibility https://t.co/thzdT9rqvG
— V.J. Phoenix (@VJPhoenix) January 7, 2023
This story is getting worse https://t.co/QauG1rJxcY
— Paul Majeski (@pmajeski) January 7, 2023
The fan reaction tells a lot about what they think of this report. If Vince McMahon’s departure shook up WWE last year, his return and reports of a sale of the company come as a seismic shock to its fans. This latest update could only be the beginning of this ever-twisting saga.
PIF’s role in LIV golf
LIV Golf launched in 2021, backed by Saudi Arabia’s PIF as a new golf tour rival to the PGA Tour. Many former world number-one ranked players and major champions joined the new league. Also, Kevin Na became the first member of the PGA Tour to resign and join the rival LIV in 2022.
Former professional golfer Greg Norman is the CEO of LIV Golf which has undergone a few changes. Recent reports said that Atul Khosla, the Chief Operating Officer of LIV Golf, has left the league.
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Moreover, it was also reported that Matt Goodman, the president of franchises of the league, was no longer with the organization. With these recent departures, among others, it has been a period of upheaval for the PGA rival.
However, the PIF-funded LIV Golf league has been unable to secure a media rights deal in the U.S. This will be a concern for WWE fans if they end up taking over WWE.
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As such, there will be a few hurdles for the PIF if they want to own one of the most attractive prospects in sports entertainment today.
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