WWE Potentially Interested In Expansion Into Boxing
After building a professional wrestling empire, WWE may have its sights set on the boxing industry according to Stephanie McMahon!
Vince McMahon is largely credited with nationalizing the business of professional wrestling, and according to Stephanie McMahon, who became co-CEO of the company when her father retired, WWE may look to give the world of boxing the same treatment.
Business Insider reports that speaking at the 6th national Wells Fargo TMT Summit, Stephanie McMahon called boxing a disjointed sport, pointing to the idea that its world championship landscape is too fractured for casual fans to understand who is the true champion of a weight division. She is quoted as saying:
“Who’s the lineal champion? Who’s the WBC champion? Who’s the this — it’s kind of it’s all over the place.”
Stephanie McMahon indicated that WWE is always interested in expanding into other industries if it makes business, sense, but she says that any potential acquisition would have to “align with our capabilities.”
When speaking about the potential to move into the world of boxing, McMahon pointed to her father’s acquisition of wrestling territories as a way to remedy fractured industries, saying that he took wrestling from a regional to a global business.
“My father, Vince McMahon, who was the Chairman and CEO, obviously had the opportunity to roll up all of those different territories and create one major brand in WWE that is now gone from a regional, territorial content play to a global media franchise.”
McMahon confirmed that boxing was an idea that WWE may look into when it comes to acquisitions as they may look to replicate what Vince McMahon did in the world of wrestling.
While WWE is not yet in the boxing business, the company does have a history of working with boxers on their programming. Butterbean, Mike Tyson, and Floyd Mayweather have all made guest appearances in WWE, and celebrity boxer Logan Paul signed with the company in June. There is speculation that Jake Paul could work with the company again after being involved in his brother’s match against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel.