• Major Name Still “Widely Hated” Backstage In WWE
Vince McMahon made professional wrestling global, but by the end of his run as WWE Chairman, many fans wanted him gone due to years of unpopular booking decisions.
WWE was also considered a negative workplace for many wrestlers during the final years of his tenure. Morale had dropped and several wrestlers found working under Triple H far better once he took over creative responsibilities.
In 2022, McMahon announced his retirement following multiple misconduct allegations. However, he made a surprise return in 2023, regaining influence in company decisions after helping finalize the historic merger between WWE and UFC, which led to the creation of TKO Group Holdings.
Eventually, the former WWE CEO stepped away again in early 2024 after being sued by Janel Grant for $ex Trafficking.
The Wrestling Observer recently reported McMahon’s current reputation in WWE. It was revealed that he remains “widely hated by almost everyone” backstage because of how damaging his influence was to the product.
McMahon recently secured a big legal win after being charged for reckless driving earlier this year.
• Update On Austin Theory’s Future After Seth Rollins’ Injury
The original plan for Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1st was Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship.
According to the Wrestling Observer, WWE was discussing the return of Austin Theory at this event. The former United States Champion was expected to join The Vision and plant seeds for his role in the 2025 Men’s WarGames Match. However, those plans were scrapped after Rollins got injured and kicked out of The Vision.
It was previously reported that The Vision was set to team up with Theory and Brock Lesnar to take on Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Jacob Fatu, and LA Knight OR Jimmy Uso in this year’s Men’s WarGames match.
WrestleVotes provided the following update on Theory’s status:
“Sources indicate there are still voices within the company pushing to keep Austin Theory involved in creative plans, even after the recent shuffling caused by Seth Rollins’ injury.
The idea of Theory joining The Vision was at least discussed, and he still has internal support moving forward to reappear on TV in a significant manner.”
• WWE’s ESPN Numbers For Wrestlepalooza Revealed — Network Might Already Regret The Deal
ESPN’s deal with WWE may not be paying off as planned. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, early numbers from the ESPN Unlimited platform show that while WWE helped drive short-term subscriber growth, the financial return falls far short of justifying the network’s $325 million-per-year investment ($1.6 billion over 5 years).
The platform reportedly peaked at 2.1 million total subscribers, with Wrestlepalooza weekend accounting for an additional 100,000 to 125,000 sign-ups. However, Meltzer calculated that if each month performs at a similar level, the deal would only generate around $35 million annually in revenue – less than one-tenth of ESPN’s annual payout to WWE.
Meltzer noted that the service’s growth is misleading because the majority of ESPN’s 30 million users are bundled through cable packages and aren’t directly paying for ESPN Unlimited. That leaves only a small segment of paying WWE fans contributing real revenue. He explained that ESPN’s business model is a long-term gamble, banking on the idea that future subscriber growth will eventually cover massive short-term losses.
So far, however, the numbers suggest the strategy is unsustainable. Meltzer compared the deal to other major sports streaming investments, such as UFC’s billion-dollar partnership with Paramount and WWE’s previous Peacock deal – both of which he said resulted in heavy financial losses for the platforms, despite boosting brand visibility.
In the end, Meltzer emphasized that WWE remains the clear winner in these partnerships. The company continues to secure massive licensing deals that guarantee profit, while streaming services like ESPN shoulder the financial risk.
Also Read: Top Star Might Be Injured On RAW
• WWE Refused To Pay For Sir Mo’s Kidney Transplant
Former WWF Tag Team Champion Sir Mo (real name: Bobby Horne) has passed away at 58 after a long battle with blood infection and pneumonia. Before his death, Horne reportedly asked WWE for financial help to afford a kidney transplant, but the company turned him down.
According to Dave Meltzer, Horne needed around $30,000 for the procedure and reached out to WWE, pointing out that the company regularly offers to pay for rehab for former wrestlers. WWE declined, as its policy only covers drug rehabilitation programs, not organ transplants or cancer treatments.
Horne eventually raised the money himself and underwent the transplant, but his health continued to decline in the following years. He also battled liver issues, dialysis treatments, and severe complications from COVID-19.
Sir Mo was best known for being part of Men on a Mission with Mabel (Viscera / Big Daddy V) and Oscar in the World Wrestling Federation.
