Below are some top WWE news stories of the day, involving SummerSlam and NXT.
• TKO, the parent company of WWE and UFC, has secured substantial public subsidies for its events, with WWE’s SummerSlam 2025 at MetLife Stadium receiving a record-breaking $7.125 million from the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA).
This far surpasses previous subsidies for WWE events, including $500,000 for the 2024 Royal Rumble. The funds aim to offset costs tied to the event’s projected $80.7 million economic impact on the region, boosting local businesses and the tourism sector.
The subsidy, funded by the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund, awaits approval from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. UFC also benefited from a $5 million subsidy for UFC 302 (main evented by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier) earlier this year in Newark.
TKO CEO Mark Shapiro highlighted WWE’s growing value for potential platform partners, noting the popularity of monthly Premium Live Events (PLEs). He also teased new opportunities for WWE’s PLE library once its Peacock deal expires in 2026, with negotiations expected to begin in early 2025.
SummerSlam 2025 will take place on August 10 & 11 at MetLife Stadium.
WATCH: ECW Diva Francine Gets Exposed (NipSlip) Part 1:
• ECW Legend Sabu criticized WWE’s NXT 2300 episode, held at the iconic ECW Arena, for failing to capture the essence of ECW’s legacy.
Despite featuring ECW alumni like Rob Van Dam and Bubba Ray Dudley, Sabu described the event as “lame” for an ECW tribute, citing the absence of key figures like himself, Sandman, and Paul Heyman.
In an interview with Covalent TV, Sabu remarked that the venue’s altered appearance and the lack of significant ECW representation diminished the nostalgia.
He highlighted a moment when fans mistook Rhino’s surprise appearance for his own and suggested he could have contributed to the show by running in to assist Rob Van Dam during his segment.
Sabu concluded that without certain ECW icons, the tribute felt incomplete.
Here’s what the former 2-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion said:
“I thought it was lame. Even though it’s a good show, good wrestlers, it was lame for a nostalgia ECW thing. The building doesn’t look the same. It’s not the same. It’s not really a reunion or a top-notch thing without me or Sandman. Both of us or one or the other. It’s kind of a must, I think.”
