Update on TKO having ‘complete control’ of WWE creative | Exclusive
An update is available regarding TKO having “complete control” of WWE creative.
Earlier this week, comments made by TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro to a University of Alabama class were spread online, with Shapiro stating that TKO is in full control of WWE creative.
Shapiro’s comments were made prior to WrestleMania 42, and Dave Meltzer addressed the situation in this week’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Meltzer noted that while TKO executives do have final say over WWE creative, they almost never use it. However, when they did at WrestleMania 42, it was said to have come at the most inopportune time.
Meltzer wrote:
“It was noted to us that in the end, Emanuel and Shapiro do have the final say in creative, but they almost never use it. It was said that in this situation, they used it at the most inopportune time. There was a ton of chaos regarding those on the wrestling side who didn’t want the McAfee and Jelly Roll involvement in a world title match they had been slowly building for months and how the celebrities took the focus away.”
Meltzer also wrote that one person stated they saw conflict between TKO and WWE coming a year in advance.
“One person noted seeing the TKO Executives vs. WWE creative team battle coming for a year and said there was a lot of internal jockeying going on and that it was encouraged by Ari Emanuel and Shapiro.”
“It was noted to us that everyone acknowledges that at the end of the day, they have complete control, but they rarely use it and the complaint this year was that when they use it it’s at the worst time.”
The full edition of today’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available here for subscribers.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.