WWE: The Rock on “Just Getting Started” with WWE Return, Kevin Dunn’s Departure Update, TKO Merges UFC & WWE Global Teams

Jan 4, 2024

The Rock Comments on “Just Getting Started” Over Recent WWE Return

As noted before, this past Monday’s WWE RAW Day 1 show in San Jose, California featured Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson making a surprise appearance.

Johnson recently reflected on Instagram about his recent surprise return to WWE and stated that he was “just getting started” for his return run.

“It all hits differently.
The theme, the crowd, the connection, the reaction, the electricity, the chills – the mana.
Helluva way to bring in 2024.
Grateful, blessed & inspired to forever be, the People’s Champ. @wwe
We’re just getting started ⛰️”

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A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

Backstage Update on WWE’s Recent Talent Meeting & Kevin Dunn’s Departure

As noted before, longtime WWE Executive Producer Kevin Dunn departed this past week from WWE following an almost 40 year tenure with the company. WWE held a talent meeting this past Monday that was described to be a “rah rah” and “rallying the troops” style meeting thanking them for everything they have done and will do for the company.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that WWE President Nick Khan praised Dunn during the talent meeting that was held this past Monday. Khan stated that Dunn led with “strength” and that the company will “lead with strength” going forward. Johnson reported that the general reaction within WWE over Dunn’s departure was one of very much praise and reverence as someone who helped build up WWE into a powerhouse in wrestling.

In regards to a potential successor to Dunn, Johnson reported that one name that has been mentioned a lot internally recently is WWE Executive Vice President of Television Chris Kaiser. Those spoken to reportedly stated that Kaiser has been a big figure behind the scenes in the company for almost a decade and has been heavily involved in the management and overseeing of the television production side of WWE. One person spoken to reportedly described Kaiser as him being the one truly in the trenched in recent years while Dunn had the “rubber stamp” officially on decisions.

TKO Group Announces Merger of UFC & WWE’s Global Partnership Teams

TKO Group announced earlier today that they have merged UFC and WWE’s Global Partnership teams into a single team going forward.

Official press release:

TKO Merges UFC® and WWE® Global Partnerships Teams to Create Sports Marketing Powerhouse
01/04/2024
Combined Unit to Offer Blue-Chip Brands Unprecedented Integration within Two of the World’s Most Iconic Sports and Entertainment Properties
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company, today announced that it has combined the UFC and WWE global partnerships teams into one unit, providing brands with access to one of the most formidable sports marketing portfolios in the world.
UFC and WWE, which collectively serve more than one billion young and diverse fans in 170 countries, provide brand partners unparalleled scale and reach across multiple platforms, including premium live events, original content, and digital media. Further powered and enhanced by the Endeavor flywheel, the company’s global infrastructure that also includes IMG’s dynamic sales teams around the world, UFC and WWE together can offer marketers significantly expanded inventory, vastly increased brand visibility, extensive international reach, and unique integration opportunities across UFC and WWE premier content.
Grant Norris-Jones, who has played a key role in driving UFC’s global partnerships to six consecutive years of record revenue, has been elevated to lead the integrated unit as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships for TKO, which includes the entirety of UFC and WWE properties. Norris-Jones will work alongside Lou Koskovolis, who is also taking on an expanded role as TKO’s Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships. Together, they will focus on delivering unique, authentic integrations for TKO’s corporate partners. This new joint effort will further benefit from additional support and collaboration with the Endeavor Partnerships team to maximize value for brands across the entire Endeavor portfolio of assets.
With partnership sales, activations, and operations teams in New York, Las Vegas, Stamford, Conn., London, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Shanghai, and Toronto, the newly combined unit will focus on creating new revenue opportunities and brand integrations across UFC’s and WWE’s must-watch live and original content.
“Since Endeavor acquired UFC in 2016, UFC’s global partnerships business has become a significant growth area,” said Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer, TKO, “and we believe WWE’s partnerships business has similar potential. Together, UFC and WWE create a sports marketing powerhouse, with hundreds of live events per year and a reach that’s equal to, or better than, the world’s biggest sports properties. The newly integrated global partnerships team will offer premium brands the opportunity to integrate and activate within UFC’s and WWE’s extraordinarily popular content to engage their massive fan bases around the world.”
In recent years, UFC has partnered with brands that are consumer product and category leaders, including Anheuser-Busch, Crypto.com, DraftKings, Jose Cuervo, Monster Energy, PRIME Hydration, Timex, and VeChain.
In addition, WWE has worked with dozens of blue-chip brands across its roster of promotional assets. Over the last year, WWE has activated with Applebee’s, General Mills, Mattel, Netflix, PepsiCo, Pizza Hut, Slim Jim, and Snickers.