Since Vince McMahon’s shock return to the WWE last week to help lead the sale of the worldwide leader in sports entertainment, potential suitors rumored to be interested have ranged from Disney, to Amazon, to Saudi Arabia, to even The Rock. The latest potential buyer is a doozy, with Shad and Tony Khan — owners of WWE’s primary rival, All Elite Wrestling — said to be among those interested in the company according to Barron’s.
The news comes less than a week following a report from the Wall Street Journal that “unless (Vince McMahon) has direct involvement as executive chairman from the outset of a strategic review, he won’t support or approve any media-rights deal or sale.” The move essentially holds WWE from negotiating television deals for its flagship programs, Raw or Smackdown, as well as his apparent goal of selling the company unless he is directly involved.
That led to Vince’s official return to WWE’s board of directors and Stephanie McMahon’s nearly immediate resignation from the company. In the days that followed, rumors swirled that Saudi Arabia was finalizing a deal to acquire WWE, but those reports were premature. Barron’s reports that an offer from the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which backs the golf league LIV, is “more likely” than a purchase by the Khans considering WWE’s presence in the country and its ongoing 10-year deal for premium live events.