TKO COO Mark Shapiro Says Vince McMahon Staying With Endeavor 'Wasn't A Goal Of Ours'

In September 2023, WWE and UFC officially merged to become TKO Group Holdings. In January of that year, Vince McMahon forced his way back into WWE to help broker a sale of his company; he eventually sold it to Endeavor. The sale of WWE and how it came about has been the subject of a shareholder lawsuit. Last December, TKO President Mark Shapiro was deposed in relation to the lawsuit.

POST Wrestling's Brandon Thurston has uncovered that in Shapiro's deposition, he was asked if McMahon being in the executive chair role was necessary. Shapiro replied that it wasn't, "especially with all the baggage." An attorney asked whether retaining McMahon was the goal and Shapiro stated it "wasn't a goal of ours. No, no it was not." Thurston points out that this contradicts the public record.

At the time of the merger, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and McMahon went on CNBC to discuss the deal. When asked about McMahon staying involved, Shapiro said he would've "bodyslammed him" if he tried to leave. WWE's 4-S SEC filing claimed that Endeavor needed McMahon to stay on for his leadership during the merger. Securing McMahon was why Endeavor increased its offer from 43% to 49% of shares, according to the filing. He was supposed to have a lifetime role as Executive Chairman, board nomination rights, and veto power over some transactions.

McMahon and Emanuel have also been deposed, but their depositions have not been made public as of this writing. McMahon resigned in January 2024 after Janel Grant filed a federal sex trafficking lawsuit against him and WWE. The shareholder's lawsuit is scheduled for a June trial.