Vince McMahon, Triple H & other TKO executives to testify in WWE shareholder trial
With the WWE shareholder trial set to begin on June 8, the list of witnesses that will testify is a notable one.
First reported by Post Wrestling’s Brandon Thurston, Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, Paul Levesque, Ari Emanuel, Mark Shapiro and others will be testifying in the trial that begins next month in Delaware.
The lawsuit was filed by a group of WWE shareholders who feel the process to merge WWE with UFC to create TKO was a predetermined process designed by McMahon to keep himself in power. The shareholders feel that because of that, they didn’t get the full potential value of a WWE sale.
McMahon was in power until January 2024 when the Janel Grant lawsuit was filed, resulting in him resigning.
Other notable witnesses include former WWE executives and Board members George Barrios, Michelle Wilson and Frank Riddick, former WWE Board member Steve Koonin, banker Jeff Sine who advised WWE in making the deal, TKO CFO Andrew Schleimer and TKO chief strategy officer Mark Zhu.
Some witnesses will appear live while others may appear via video or via pre-recorded deposition testimony like former WWE Board members, Stephanie McMahon, Jeffrey Speed and Steve Pamon.
Liberty Media CEO Marty Patterson is also on the witness list as the company was among those bidding for WWE.
It remains a possibility the lawsuit will be settled pre-trial or even after it starts.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.