Business & Legal Update: More WWE shareholder lawsuit depositions set, WWE draws $2.6M gate in Birmingham

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More WWE shareholder lawsuit depositions set

In new court filings Wednesday, WWE President Nick Khan, Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque and fellow former WWE board members George Barrios and Michelle Wilson sought to depose one of the investor groups leading the WWE shareholder lawsuit over the company’s merger with UFC.

The executives served a notice to question representatives of the Laborer’s District Council and Contractors’ Pension Fund of Ohio, which is one of the entities acting as co-lead plaintiff in the case. Attorneys for the executives, who were WWE board members when the deal was made with Endeavor to create TKO Group Holdings, want to question the fund on why it decided to bring the case, how it chose its law firms, and what analysis it did on the merger transaction, among other topics.

Depositions don’t automatically become public record. Transcript excerpts from them may be used in future exhibits in the case.

Vince McMahon and the former board member are defendants in the case, which is being litigated in Delaware Chancery Court. McMahon has separate counsel.

The new filings came in the same week Stephanie McMahon and former WWE executive Frank Riddick were scheduled to be (and presumably were) deposed on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, respectively. Wilson was deposed on Oct. 24. Barrios was deposed on Thursday. McMahon, Khan, and Levesque are scheduled to be deposed in November.

The shareholder lawsuit accuses McMahon and other former board members of breaching their fiduciary duties in approving WWE’s merger with Endeavor’s UFC in a process the plaintiffs allege was pre-selected to assure McMahon would remain with the company post-transaction. In a filing last year, McMahon broadly denied the allegations.

According to a filing submitted on Thursday, TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro will be deposed on December 8, slightly later than previously scheduled. TKO CEO Ari Emanuel is set to be deposed on December 2. Levesque’s deposition was moved from Nov. 4 to Nov. 18.

WWE draws $2.6M gate in Birmingham, and other ticket sales details

Pollstar data also revealed multiple million-dollar gates for WWE through the summer and the start of fall, which featured the company’s European tour. Raw on Aug. 25 drew a $2,590,009 gate on 11,152 tickets sold in Birmingham, England at bp pulse LIVE, with an average ticket sale price of $232. That was the go-home show to Clash in Paris and featured Roman Reigns, a segment featuring Nikki Bella and Becky Lynch, plus Bron Breakker, LA Knight, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso and CM Punk in the main event.

Saturday Night’s Main Event and Evolution drew a combined $2,006,415 gross gate, according to Pollstar, which didn’t provide separate data for the two events that took place on back-to-back nights in Atlanta. SNME featured Goldberg’s retirement match, and Evolution was the second edition of the premium live event in WWE’s history. Both events were held at State Farm Arena on the weekend of July 11 and 12, the same weekend AEW held All In: Texas.

WrestleTix estimated there were 12,412 tickets distributed for SNME and 9,303 tickets distributed for Evolution. The July 11 SNME was the last edition of the event on NBC, and it drew 1,425,000 viewers with a 0.33 P18-49 rating.

Just before All In in Arlington, AEW ran two nights of TV at the Curtis Culwell Center, about 45 minutes away in Garland. Dynamite on Wednesday, July 9 and Collision the next day on July 10 generated a combined $185,305 from 4,969 ticket sales. Like with the WWE Atlanta dates, Pollstar did not break these two events out separately.

One other AEW event we obtained data for was Dynamite on Sept. 17 in London, Ontario at the Canada Life Palace. The show drew $116,893 from 2,699 sales.

Additional single-day events with available Pollstar data are detailed below.

View interactive version of the table above

Grant v. Colker hearing: Attorneys for Dr. Carlon Colker and Peak Wellness withdraw motion as questions remain over whether Janel Grant will get more records.

A remote hearing was held on Monday in Connecticut Superior Court in the bill of discovery case brought by former WWE employee Janel Grant, who has been seeking records from Dr. Carlon Colker, a Connecticut physician mentioned in her separate federal lawsuit against WWE and Vince McMahon.

At the hearing, Colker’s attorney, Frank Silvestri, formally withdrew a motion that asked the judge to reopen a prior judgment. That motion, filed in September, sought clarification about how future discovery disputes could be handled after the judgment was entered in August. Silvestri told Judge David Bothwell that the motion was now moot because Colker and his clinic, Peak Wellness, had already produced Grant’s medical and billing records, as well as related data.

The outcome of this litigation could affect what evidence is available to Grant as she pursues her lawsuit against WWE and McMahon, in which she accuses McMahon of sexual abuse and trafficking and the company of negligence, particularly as the defendants in that case push to move the matter into private arbitration where discovery may be limited. McMahon has denied Grant’s allegations of abuse.

Grant’s attorneys did not dispute that some materials were produced by Colker but made clear in a filing the previous Friday that they believe additional information is still missing. In that motion, they stated that Colker had turned over only one document and certain “audit logs,” and that key issues remained unresolved after a recent conference between the parties. Grant’s requests include records of communications between Colker, McMahon, and WWE, and records of possible travel involving Colker and McMahon. Colker’s side has previously objected to producing those materials, arguing that request goes beyond the scope of this type of legal case, which is a pre-suit bill of discovery, not a conventional lawsuit.

“It’s our view that this case is over, that there’s nothing left to be done” Colker’s attorney, Silvestri, said at the hearing.

Judge Bothwell did not determine whether additional records still need to be provided to Grant. The judge indicated that if there are further disputes about what evidence Grant is entitled to — and it seems nearly certain there will be — either party can bring those disagreements back to the judge to resolve.

Grant’s lawyers have already asked for more time to decide if they need to request more documents, which suggests their discovery efforts aren’t finished yet.

That motion has been scheduled for the court’s “short calendar” on Nov. 10, a regular session in Connecticut where judges hear and decide pending motions, meaning the case may return to court that day for a ruling on Grant’s request.

In still another separate case, Colker is suing Grant’s attorney for defamation, claiming he was damaged by allegations that he treated Grant with infusions and pills without disclosing what she was being given.

UFC expands Paramount relationship with international rights

UFC and Paramount announced Tuesday a seven-year multi-territory expansion of their partnership across Latin America and Australia in 2026. The agreement expanded the sides’ media rights partnership that was announced in August, in which Paramount+ became the exclusive home for all UFC events in the United States starting in 2026.

The value of the new international deal was not revealed. The domestic rights agreement with Paramount, announced in August, is worth $1.1 billion per year for the same seven-year term.

This will mean the end of incumbent deals in Latin America with Fox and in Australia with partners Foxtel and Kayo.

Viewers in Latin America, including Brazil, will have access to 13 “marquee” numbered events and 30 UFC Fight Nights televised live for free for Paramount+ subscribers. Australian fans will have access to all 30 UFC Fight Nights, as well as the prelims for all numbered UFC events.

14TH&I annual filings

Vince McMahon’s new business venture, 14TH&I, registered its annual filings with the State of Connecticut, which does not require businesses to disclose any financial information.

The filings were registered under three LLCs, which are differentiated by Holdings, Management and Investments. McMahon was listed as the principal owner The filing also suggests Sean Delany is working for McMahon’s new company. Delany’s verified LinkedIn profile shows he worked as Vice President of Operations for WWE for the last several years.

Other former WWE staff are also working for 14TH&I, including Brad Blum, who is its president.

The filings indicate 14thi.com is the company’s working email domain, but there’s no working public website yet at that domain.

Trademarks the company filed within the last 14 months indicate the name 14TH&I will be used for private equity investment services, scripted televised entertainment, among other purposes. There’s no indication at this point that 14TH&I will be involved with the pro wrestling business.

New data confirms WWE ticket prices have nearly doubled since TKO merger

Average domestic ticket prices for WWE’s weekly main roster television events have roughly doubled since the TKO merger that combined WWE and UFC closed in September 2023, in real 2025 dollars.

Data obtained from Pollstar and analyzed by Wrestlenomics shows the line breaks sharply upward beginning in 2024 and continuing in 2025, after more gradual increases throughout the 2010s and 2020s. Pollstar doesn’t capture every Raw and Smackdown — there are more than 100 per year — but the sample is substantial: 27 domestic events so far in 2025 and around 50 in recent pre-pandemic years.

The natural question is whether this dramatic rise in prices is all that different from the wider live event business. The short answer is: yes, by scale. Pollstar posted an article at the end of 2024, indicating that, for touring acts in North America, average ticket prices were essentially flat from 2023 to 2024. Our analysis of Live Nation’s investor disclosures supports a similar conclusion, with prices largely stable when adjusted for inflation.

But what about sports? NFL ticket prices slightly declined this season from last year, according to The Athletic. The increase in NBA prices has been significant. In the 2023-2024 season, the average price was $118 before increasing 21% to $144 in the 2024-2025 season. That’s moderate compared to the 60% increase for WWE from 2024 to so far in 2025.

It’s a different question, though, to ask whether WWE tickets were previously underpriced. And it’s possible they were.

Some might assume the increase reflects more international televised events skewing the sample, but that’s not the case here. This analysis excluded all international events and focused just on events in WWE’s domestic market in the U.S. and Canada. Still, the growing number of international tapings and the steep decline in non-televised house shows mean fewer domestic events than ever, which might push domestic prices higher by creating scarcity.

TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro — who began overseeing WWE when the merger finalized — has been clear that raising ticket prices isn’t an accident, it’s a mission. At a Goldman Sachs conference in September, he said WWE “is not where UFC is yet on ticket yield” and that there’s “work to do.” He added that Vince McMahon “was primarily pricing tickets for families and wasn’t totally focused on maxing the opportunity.” Shapiro has made clear he sees higher ticket prices as part of a broader effort to expand WWE’s profitability. He connected the company’s latest increase in profits — “margin expansion” — to “higher ticket yield and site fees” and said there’s still “more room to go.”

Television viewership data from 2023 affirmed the conventional belief that household income for the average wrestling fan is well below the median in the U.S. But somehow demand — so far — is unfazed.

For those suggesting that WWE’s surge in consumer business — visible at least since McMahon backed off from creative control in 2022 — has cooled this year, the numbers in live events don’t support that. Despite record-high prices, more people are attending Raw and Smackdown events, not fewer.

WrestleTix estimates show tickets distributed for these events are having their third consecutive year of growth, averaging about 11,500 per show so far in 2025, up from about 11,000 even in 2024. Pollstar’s less complete data on actual sales aligns closely with that. The 27 domestic events sampled this year averaged just over 12,200 tickets sold, up from 11,400 in 2024; 9,800 in 2023; and 7,800 in both 2022 and 2021.

Even narrowing to the most recent quarter, from June to September, the pattern holds steady. Raw and Smackdown events averaged 10,847 tickets distributed, according to WrestleTix, almost identical to the same quarter last year at 10,849. All this while the average ticket price climbed from around $75 to $118.

AEW’s domestic ticket prices have gone in the opposite direction, adjusting for inflation. In 2025 dollars, the average AEW TV event went from $58 in 2022 to $49 in 2025. Attendance has also declined over the same time period, based on WrestleTix data. It’s worth noting that the 2025 figure is based on only six samples, far fewer than in previous years. And given evidence that AEW recently sought to include a confidentiality clause in a venue contract, it’s reasonable to question whether similar restrictions are more common across the company’s deals — potentially limiting Pollstar’s access to data from AEW events at a time when attendance for Tony Khan’s promotion has been trending downward.

Meanwhile, Live Nation’s calculated average ticketing fee — derived from dividing ticketing revenue by the number of fee-bearing tickets sold — has hovered around $9, inflation-adjusted, since 2022. The stability suggests price stability across events that cooperate with the Ticketmaster parent, assuming changes in fees would be proportionate to the underlying ticket price. Live Nation’s own concert ticket prices, adjusted for inflation, have also been flat, bouncing between $122 and $136 in 2025 dollars.

Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. He operates and owns Wrestlenomics.

WWE Elimination Chamber scheduled for Chicago in February

Elimination Chamber is scheduled for Chicago on Feb. 28, Wrestlenomics confirmed with multiple sources.

The date and location of the WWE PLE were first reported by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. WWE did not immediately respond to a request from Wrestlenomics to confirm the date and location.

The Chicago event would be the first time Elimination Chamber was held in the United States since 2021 in St. Petersburg, Fla., in the WWE Thunderdome at Tropicana Field. Last year’s Elimination Chamber was at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The most recent WWE event in Illinois was a Sept. 5 Smackdown at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, just outside Chicago. The event garnered 16,642 tickets distributed, according to estimates by WrestleTix.

The last WWE PLE in the state was Survivor Series 2023, which also was in Allstate Arena, which generated a $2.2 million gate from 16,579 tickets sold and ended with CM Punk’s return to the company. There were 17,102 tickets distributed for the event, according to WrestleTix.

As of Tuesday, Elimination Chamber would be the second PLE in WWE’s 2026 calendar, which begins with the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Jan. 31.

TKO President Mark Shapiro set to be deposed in WWE shareholder lawsuit

TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro will be deposed in the ongoing WWE shareholder lawsuit. He is set to provide testimony on November 18.

Shapiro was among the most high-profile executives involved in the TKO merger who apparently had not been subpoenaed yet until new filings, which were reviewed by Wrestlenomics, appeared on the docket on Monday.

Shapiro, along with Ari Emanuel, was a leading executive of Endeavor at the time of the WWE-UFC merger in 2023. Shapiro continues to lead Endeavor’s predecessor company, WME Group, while also working as the most front-facing executive of TKO Group Holdings. Under TKO — again, along with CEO Emanuel — Shapiro oversees WWE, UFC, Professional Bull Riders, and other businesses.

The consolidated shareholder and class action suit, which started in November 2023, alleges that Vince McMahon predetermined the sale process and steered WWE toward a deal with Endeavor when shopping WWE for a company transaction in 2023.

Shapiro is not a defendant in the case, which is being litigated in Delaware Chancery Court. The defendants are McMahon, Paul Levesque, Nick Khan, George Barrios, and Michelle Wilson — all of whom were WWE board members when McMahon forced his way back into the company in January 2023 and announced WWE would explore a merger or sale.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys are expected to question Shapiro about whether Endeavor’s deal structure uniquely allowed McMahon to retain control of WWE after the merger. It’s standard for attorneys for the defendants to also question the deponent in support of their defense.

McMahon is represented by separate counsel from the other defendants.

McMahon ultimately resigned for a second time from the company in January 2024 following a separate sex trafficking lawsuit brought by Janel Grant. Many of the facts of Grant’s case and the shareholder suit are intertwined as both narratives surround sexual misconduct allegations against McMahon, which came to light in 2022.

Like others who have been or will be deposed in the case, Shapiro’s testimony won’t be immediately available to the public. Deposition excerpts could appear in future filings, or could be presented as evidence in a trial if the case continues.

According to previous filings, other upcoming depositions include:

October 24: Stephanie McMahon
November 4: Paul Levesque
November 12: Vince McMahon
November 19: Nick Khan
December 2: Ari Emanuel

Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. He operates and owns Wrestlenomics.

AEW All In Texas attendance and public funding detailed in government records | Exclusive

AEW All In Texas qualified for public reimbursement dollars through the Texas Event Trust Fund program.

According to records obtained by Wrestlenomics, the governor’s office initially approved just over $1 million in combined state and local funding to help cover expenses for AEW’s biggest event of the year. AEW will end up getting somewhat less than that amount though because attendance for the event at Globe Life Field in Arlington was lower than expected.

The funding approval was based on estimated attendance of 33,490, including 32,500 spectators, projected in February. After the July 12 show, officials submitted documentation certifying actual attendance at 23,759, including 21,973 spectators.

The count of 21,973 spectators reflects the number of tickets scanned for people who actually entered the venue. The number of tickets sold or distributed, which we couldn’t confirm, could differ significantly. The final estimate by WrestleTix of tickets distributed was 27,245. It’s not unusual for the number of tickets scanned to be substantially lower than the number of tickets distributed or sold. Records also show 678 suite tickets were sold though only 274 were scanned for admission.

View the interactive chart

Because the certified figure is 29% below the estimate submitted five months ahead of All In, the reimbursement amount will be proportionally reduced, Arlington City Manager Trey Yelverton confirmed to Wrestlenomics.

Still, if the funding is reduced by roughly the same 29%, AEW would end up seeing around $700,000 in reimbursements, which are intended to go toward the costs of putting on All In.

The City of Arlington applied for state funding on February 4, and later that month the Office of the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Division approved reimbursement funding based on the city’s application and an accompanying economic impact study, which projected spending from out-of-market and out-of-state visitors who would be drawn to the area’s hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. The approved reimbursement of $1,078,340 was largely based on a similar amount of incremental tax revenue anticipated as a result of out-of-town visitors spending in the area.

When anticipated attendance is more than 25% lower than the actual attendance, it triggers a proportional reduction, Yelverton said, speaking to us by phone on Tuesday. That’s consistent with the state law governing the event program, which allows the governor’s office to reduce reimbursements proportionally when actual attendance is “significantly lower” than projected.

Yelverton said he was pleased AEW brought its major event to Arlington and was appreciative of how many people it drew from outside the area. He added that AEW has not received any of the reimbursement funding yet, which is normal. The payment process can take between six and twelve months to finalize, he said.

AEW and the Office of the Governor did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.

WWE has also received funding under the state’s event programs, for at least two WrestleManias in Arlington in 2016 and 2022, two Royal Rumble events in San Antonio in 2017 and 2023, and Survivor Series in Houston in 2017. WWE received just over $3 million for the 2016 WrestleMania. The 2022 WrestleMania had an adjustment, too, as WWE ended up receiving $5.2 million after initially being approved for nearly $9 million in funding.

AEW CEO Tony Khan mentioned in the post-show press conference that the attendance at Globe Life Field that night was “I think close to 29,000 when it’s all said and done,” a number closer to the WrestleTix estimate of tickets out of just over 27,000 than the scan count of just under 22,000. In the days leading up to the event Khan said in an interview that the gate had passed $2.5 million and that he expected to surpass $3 million.

The city’s application listed several associated events that were seemingly slated to take place in the Arlington area but were never announced. The July 11 Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor show did happen at Esports Stadium. And the Starrcast convention took place at the Sheraton hotel. But also listed in the application were CMLL and New Japan events, as well as at least one music event, all of which apparently didn’t make it past planning stages.

Listing of events included in the application for funding for AEW All In under Texas’s Event Trust Fund program

The list suggests plans that would’ve had the week of All In further resemble a WrestleMania week. A “Lucha Libra Resurgence” [sic] CMLL show was listed for Esports Stadium on the Thursday evening before All In.

Then, Friday was to include an “AEW: Music Showcast” at CBD Kratom Backyard, a concert venue close to Globe Life Field. The event would’ ha’ve featured Fozzy — Chris Jericho’s band — and “Swerve,” almost certainly referring to Swerve Strickland, who’s also a rapper.

For Saturday morning, “New Japan Pro Wrestling: Strong Style” was listed for Esports Stadium. Then later in the day, an AEW fan fest and live Collision event at the Backyard were to take place, just before All In. Collision ultimately aired live from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, about an hour drive from Arlington, on the Thursday after Dynamite aired live from the same venue the night before.

We couldn’t confirm whether the unannounced events were affected by ticket sales for All In, but alongside the attendance estimate that was ultimately 29% too high, the details suggest expectations outpaced demand.

There’s plenty of data, however, to show that thousands of fans travelled to the area to attend All In. Government records indicate at least 6,258 fans came from outside Texas and at least another 4,628 came from elsewhere in Texas but outside the local market. Those figures are almost certainly higher because 5,255 spectators’ residences couldn’t be determined.

The data submitted to certify the attendance and justify the reimbursement funding offers a glimpse into the “traveling wrestling fan” phenomenon, showing how far attendees came to see All In.

Attendees from 49 of the 50 U.S. states (Wyoming, the least populated state, was left out), Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C., were accounted for. Fans from at least 23 different countries attended. After the U.S., leading countries were Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Australia.

This isn’t the first time AEW has received government subsidies for events. AEW was projected to receive a $373,388 tax credit related to Double or Nothing 2024 and the accompanying Collision. And the company received a tax credit worth $2,134,560 for events in Ohio.

A contract with the City of Arlington says that AEW paid $23,000 to rent the city-owned Esports Stadium, where the ROH pay-per-view took place and which the company occupied from Thursday to Saturday. Drafts of the venue agreement show AEW proposed a variety of changes to the contract, which ultimately were not a part of the executed contract but highlights the company’s efforts to control information.

AEW sought to insert provisions that would’ve committed the city to keep secret any attendance information and help AEW make trade secret claims if there was a legal requirement to publicly reveal the numbers.

The suggested confidentiality clause would have the city agree “not to publish or disclose attendance figures, turnstile counts, drop counts, ticket numbers, revenues, box office receipts,” and similar information, except when disclosure would be legally unavoidable. Even then, AEW’s language would’ve bound the city to notify the company in advance and assist in claiming that AEW’s attendance information is a trade secret under Texas law.

Another suggested clause would have sent legal disputes, if there were any, between AEW and the city into private binding arbitration instead of public court. Like with at least some of its talent contracts, AEW wanted its counterparty to waive its right to a jury trial and handle litigation only in private, with AEW’s chosen arbitration provider, JAMS.

Those clauses didn’t make it into the final version because, Yelverton told us, agreeing to it wouldn’t have complied with state law. Texas statutes establish limits under which government entities can resolve disputes in arbitration.

“That is not an unusual request we receive,” Yelverton wrote to us by email on Wednesday, “but it is an easy response because it is not allowed under state law.”

The full language of the suggested arbitration clause may give us insight into AEW’s preferred language for these kinds of agreements that aim to keep lawsuits hidden from public view.

ARBITRATION. All disputes between the Parties, including, without limitation, any dispute relating to any matter arising under this Agreement or any dispute concerning the performance, application or interpretation of any provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, the application of this arbitrability clause to any dispute), shall be resolved for final, binding, and conclusive arbitration conducted before a single arbitrator in Tarrant County, Texas and administered by JAMS, Inc. pursuant to its Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures. Provided, however, that nothing in this provision is intended to require arbitration of any claims or disputes that cannot be arbitrated or subject to pre-dispute arbitration agreements under controlling federal or state law, including as provided under the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act. Judgment may be entered on the arbitrator’s award in any court having jurisdiction and the sole grounds on which the arbitrator’s decision may be appealed are those set forth in the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §10(a). THE PARTIES EACH HEREBY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT.

The suggested clause included a carve out acknowledging that the relatively new Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act prohibits predispute arbitration agreements in cases of sexual misconduct.

Other suggested edits also not part of the executed agreement show AEW sought full control of event-related sponsorships. AEW also wanted to write in a favorable merchandise split, getting 80% of sales, and 90% for certain items, including media, replica belts, masks, and autographed items.

Yelverton said revenue splits were removed because it’s their longstanding business practice at the venue for the city to retain all revenues from concessions they sell.

Yelverton explained they do, though, allow leaseholders like AEW to retain all revenues from ticket sales and concessions that they sell, like merchandise.

“We do sometimes receive similar requests, but our practice effectively predetermines the revenue split so that the event and city facility both have opportunities to capture event revenue,” he added.

Emails between AEW staff and City of Arlington personnel obtained through our public records requests indicate AEW is loosely scheduled for a residency at Esports Stadium, possibly overlapping January and February 2026, as we previously reported.

Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. He operates and owns Wrestlenomics.

TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, Stephanie McMahon among upcoming depositions in WWE shareholder lawsuit

TKO CEO Ari Emanuel will be deposed under oath by attorneys representing a class of WWE shareholders on December 2, according to new filings in Delaware’s Court of Chancery reviewed by Wrestlenomics.

Emanuel, who negotiated the 2023 merger between Endeavor and WWE that created TKO, is expected to face questions about the terms of the deal and his communications with Vince McMahon leading up to the transaction. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have argued that McMahon favored a sale to Endeavor because he believed Emanuel would allow him to retain power, unlike other potential buyers.

Former co-CEO and board member Stephanie McMahon will be deposed on October 24. She resigned from the company shortly after her father returned to power in January 2023. The plaintiffs’ attorneys may seek to learn what she knew about her father’s return, her own resignation, and internal board discussions about the merger process.

Frank Riddick, a longtime board member and former WWE executive who was initially named as a defendant before being dropped, will be deposed on October 28.

The defendants are Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, Paul Levesque, George Barrios, and Michelle Wilson — all of whom were members of WWE’s board of directors after McMahon returned to the company in January 2023, following his mid-2022 resignation.

Brad Blum, a former executive and close associate of Vince McMahon who now serves as president of McMahon’s new venture, 14TH & I, will be deposed November 14 at WWE headquarters.

Mark Zhu, Executive Vice President of Strategy for TKO and Endeavor, is scheduled for December 5.

As previously reported, other current and former executives and board members have been or will be deposed. Vince McMahon is scheduled for November 12, and Paul Levesque for November 4.

Several depositions have been rescheduled: WWE President Nick Khan is now set for November 19 (previously November 21); WWE executive Alex Varga for October 30 (previously October 8); and TKO Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer for October 23 (previously September 25).

Under Delaware law, the defendants’ attorneys will also be allowed to question each witness. Depositions transcripts do not automatically become part of the public record, but excerpts may be filed later as exhibits in motions or at trial. The case is currently in the discovery phase, where depositions and evidence are collected.

The shareholder plaintiffs, in the case titled In re World Wrestling Entertainment Inc Merger Litigation, allege that Vince McMahon predetermined the process that led to WWE’s merger with Endeavor’s UFC to form TKO. They claim McMahon steered the sale to Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor because he allegedly believed other potential buyers would require his departure from the company due to sexual misconduct allegations against him.

McMahon and WWE are defendants in a separate federal lawsuit brought by former employee Janel Grant, which includes sexual misconduct allegations that the shareholder case says motivated him to drive the merger toward a buyer who would keep McMahon in power.

The plaintiffs in the shareholder case are asking the court for financial damages and other remedies. They claim McMahon and other board members breached their fiduciary duties by manipulating the sale process.

Former WWE executive John Laurinaitis, who was also accused of sexual misconduct during his time with the company, was deposed on September 26.

Filings indicate that representatives for Liberty Media, believed to be a potential bidder, were deposed on September 30. A partner for private equity firm KKR is set to be deposed on October 30.

Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. He operates and owns Wrestlenomics.