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By Cassandra Cousineau, LVSportsBiz.com Combat Sports Writer
Amid NCAA’s March Madness at T-Mobile Arena, a prominent boxing match and the Vegas Vipers minor league football comes the return of WWE to Las Vegas at MGM Grand Garden Arena on the Strip Friday.
WWE is known for its scripted wrestling entertainment story lines, but the organization’s business scene can make for some interesting story lines, too.
For example, there’s talk of the Stamford, Connecticut pro wrestling promotion trying to attain legalized gambling on its scripted matches.
Another fascinating business story line was chatter about UFC owner Endeavor exploring the purchase of WWE. But Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, at the company’s most recent quarterly earnings report session, downplayed Endeavor acquiring WWE.
The WWE has been a family operation outside the ring — and even inside it, as we shall see in Las Vegas tonight.
Today’s event at MGM Grand Garden will be a family affair at the venue, with 2023 WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio scheduled to face LA Knight. WWE says Rey and the Mysterio Family will appear with Dominik Mysterio, asking his mom for permission to wrestle his dad at WrestleMania scheduled for a two-night event on April 1 and 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
WWE’s return to Los Angeles is notable as it marks the full return of the company’s road show. SoFi was the original location of WrestleMania 37 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be relocated.
You might recall that before the COVID-19 pandemic WWE even staged a major production at Allegiant Stadium.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the longest-running professional wrestling organization in the world, existing under various names like the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF, since 1953. It has turned WWE personalities into box office superstars including Hulk Hogan, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista. The entire time, the company has been owned and operated by the McMahon family.
Vince McMahon stepped away as chairman and CEO of the company in July 2022 due to internal investigations and sexual assault allegations. The 77-year-old McMahon returned to WWE in January, claiming to reinstate himself with the sole intent of selling the company for an estimated $9 billion.
Some, including WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, are skeptical that McMahon will sell the company.
“I don’t think Vince McMahon, as long as he’s alive, will ever, just my opinion. I don’t know anything, I heard a number, I heard he may have priced it out the box, I don’t think he has any desire. I think he’ll live and die with it. If it’s what makes him happy, he’s certainly worked hard enough to be in any position he wants to be in. I don’t want somebody else feelings to get hurt but I take it Vince’s worked hard enough to do anything he wants to do in terms of management of the company,” Flair said on his To Be The Man podcast.
Here’s the announced lineup for Friday’s show at MGM Grand Garden:
* Cody Rhodes vs. Ludwig Kaiser
* Rey Mysterio vs. LA Knight
WWE SmackDown will also air live tonight on FOX. WrestleTix is reporting that the show has sold 9,797 tickets and remaining tickets are still available at Axs.com.