Ever since WWE released Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Ruby Riott, Murphy, Lana, and Santana Garrett, the entire wrestling community is trying to make sense of the situation. These were some of the most talented stars on the roster and this wasn't the first time when WWE released a bunch of stars.
Now, many fans and even some popular wrestling personalities, have started to believe that these budget cuts are indicating that WWE's up for sale.
Why Fans Think Vince McMahon Is Planning To Sell WWE
It's not surprising when WWE releases wrestlers each year. But the likes of Braun Strowman, Lana and Aleister Black were shocking releases for many fans. The Monster Among Men was in the WWE Championship picture a month ago, whereas Black had just returned with a new character. Lana is also a huge name that at one point seemed destined for greatness. On paper, their releases didn't make much sense.
Fans are speculating that WWE's releasing these stars to make their numbers look good before a potential buyout.
This May Not Be The Real Case
The reality, however, could be drastically different. Vince McMahon has put his blood, sweat, and tears building WWE, and it's really unlikely that he'll hand over the ownership to anyone but his family members.
Another way to rationalize the situation could be that WWE is trying to maximize their profits before they resume touring again. Their numbers looked good last year despite doing no live events, but once they start touring, their expenses will go up quickly. The company will need to find a way to make its profits look good to investors and cutting talents seems to be their go-to route.
It also doesn't make much sense that WWE would release talents to make their numbers look good. If the company gets sold, the buyer could cut the talents right after making the purchase as well. Releasing several high-profile wrestlers just to impress potential buyers seems unlikely too because if nothing comes out of the deal, it would just limit their booking plans.
Some reports have also indicated that WWE released these superstars because they just couldn't find any storyline for them.
The Potential Buyers
In the past, Vince McMahon has said that he's open to listening to offers about selling WWE. He could also be kidding but Vince has shown over the years that he's not one of those to miss good opportunities. After all, it's a business and McMahon will do everything to make more money.
Right now, Disney and NBCU are the two most likely buyers of WWE. The company has a long working relationship with NBCU and they recently sold the WWE Network to Peacock in the United States as well. Possibly, NBCU could even end up purchasing WWE as a whole.
On the other hand, there were some rumors that Disney could be interested in WWE but nothing came out of it.
Vince McMahon Wants Power In WWE
As of now, nobody knows what is the future of WWE. What they do know is that Vince is the kind of person who likes to have control over everything.
If he ends up negotiating a deal, Vince will likely want to have some sort of input in WWE. After all, it's a company he's put his whole life working on and he wouldn't just let everything go. McMahon has spent the majority of his life atop the empire and is infamous for hating sleep and vacations, it's highly unlikely that he just steps away entirely.
Fans Don't Have To Worry Too Much
Some years ago, nobody would've wanted Vince to sell WWE. Because that could've drastically changed the wrestling business and could've created a whole lot of problems too.
But with things being the way they are, it wouldn't matter to WWE fans who the owner of the company is. The quality of the product is at an all-time low and the best that could happen is it'll get better after WWE gets sold.
Whether Vince is thinking about selling WWE or not, one thing is for sure is that everything is a possibility. The company is making record profits each year and for all we know, the long-term goal could be to sell WWE. Or maybe wrestling fans are just overthinking the current situation.