Newly surfaced audio has shed further light on Vince McMahon‘s decision to sell WWE to Endeavor, with the former WWE chairman saying the deal “solves a lot of problems.”
The recordings, first reported by POST Wrestling, include three voicemail messages exchanged during the months leading up to WWE’s merger with UFC under TKO Group Holdings. The audio has emerged as part of an ongoing shareholder lawsuit in Delaware concerning the 2023 merger.
In a voicemail left on December 13, 2022, Vince McMahon told Jeff Sine of The Raine Group, the investment bank advising WWE during the sale process, that he believed moving forward with Endeavor was the best option following a meeting with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
“Hey, Jeff. It’s 10:13 [p.m.]. Very good meeting with Ari and company. And I think, probably the best thing to do is to go forward with the deal with Ari. It solves a lot of problems,” McMahon said. “I, you know, again, together, I think it’s a stronger situation than either one of us on our own. But I’m pretty sure that’s the way I want to go now. It’s easier, faster and all that kind of stuff.”
McMahon added that he had not committed to Emanuel but wanted to continue moving towards a deal.
The recordings also include two previously reported voicemails left by Emanuel in September 2022. In one message dated September 16, Emanuel discussed legal matters with McMahon, referencing advice he had received from counsel at Latham & Watkins.
“I spoke to my lawyer from Latham. Just FYI, everybody at the DOJ is former Latham lawyers. So on that side, it will be helpful. SEC, of course, is SEC, but that’s just the penalty,” Emanuel said. “As it relates to everything else, yes, we can indemnify you, and we will. If it’s criminal, of course, you can’t stop criminal, but this is not criminal.”
A second voicemail, left on September 19, urged McMahon to continue discussions.
“I really do think that we all need to get together and talk through all the issues, because I think whether it be the DOJ or anything, there’s ways around this to figure this out,” Emanuel said.
The 2022 voicemail messages remain relevant to the ongoing Delaware shareholder litigation surrounding the merger. McMahon previously reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over disclosure failures, agreeing to pay more than $1.7 million without admitting or denying the regulator’s findings. McMahon, Emanuel and several other executives are expected to testify during the upcoming trial.
Vince McMahon Retired From WWE In July 2022, Only To Return In January 2023
Vince McMahon stepped down as WWE Chief Executive Officer earlier in 2022 amid investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct and hush-money payments before returning to the company’s board as it explored a potential sale.
However, McMahon returned to the company as executive chairman on January 10, 2023, and WWE announced an agreement to merge with Endeavor in April 2023, with the transaction officially completed in September 2023, forming TKO Group Holdings. WWE and UFC now operate as separate divisions under the TKO banner.
McMahon then resigned from his role at TKO in January 2024 after alleged sexual trafficking allegations were made against McMahon by former employee Janel Grant.
