Vince McMahon and Dana White are more alike than either man would probably admit in public. They’ve propelled pro wrestling and MMA, respectively, to heights none would have dreamed when they began. Both are known for their supreme confidence in knowing what’s right for their businesses, and are similarly dismissive of critics.
And those critics have had more ammunition than ever over the past year: McMahon was involved in a very public sexual harassment hush money scandal that saw him have to claw his way back to power in WWE, while White was caught on camera in a physical altercation with his wife on New Year’s Eve.
That could cause concern that both men will be under the same corporate umbrella soon, with Endeavor announcing its intention to merge WWE and UFC into a single publicly traded company. Yet one person who says he doesn’t see any potential issues is Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, who will be the de facto boss of both men as CEO of the new company (still nameless for now, though it will trade under the stock ticker TKO).
In an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” Emanuel noted that he’s known both men for years and doesn’t foresee any issues.
“No, I mean, we have a good relationship,” Emanuel said.
He added that he anticipates letting McMahon and White do what they do within their own industries as they’ve always done, “and we do what we do as it relates to saving some costs, driving some revenue with sponsorship, international sales.”
“Like we did at UFC, we’re going to do 2.0 with WWE,” Emanuel said.
The topic of media rights also came up, though Emanuel pointed out that WWE and UFC are on “separate timeframes” when it comes to negotiating new TV and streaming deals. There had been some speculation that the new company might look to establish some synergy between its wrestling and MMA streaming efforts, but Emanuel suggested that it’s not a primary focus.
No exact date for the finalization of the proposed merger has been given. Emanuel said Endeavor is waiting for the Department of Justice to make its decision on the deal and has not pushed anything back.