73-year-old veteran says WWE getting sold was a "great move" (Exclusive)

WWE was recently acquired by Endeavor Group.

Wrestling legend Dutch Mantell recently opened up about WWE's sale and explained how it could benefit the performers in the long run.

After months of speculation about a possible sale, it was revealed earlier this month that Endeavor Group had acquired the promotion. The multi-billion dollar deal saw the new owners gain a 51% stake in the global juggernaut.

The deal is expected to close by late 2023. It was also noted that UFC, which is also owned by Endeavor, would merge with WWE into one company after the sale. Speaking on the episode of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell explained how the deal could benefit the promotion's talents.

Mantell mentioned that since Endeavor has its presence in other forms of entertainment as well, it could allow wrestlers to make an easy transition to other avenues they want to explore. In closing, the former manager termed the global juggernaut's decision to get acquired as a "great move."

"I researched them a little bit. Brother, they are deep. They do more than just UFC fighting. They do fashion; they represent singers; they do all kinds of stuff. Everything they do sits perfectly with WWE. Also, since they have so many links to other entertainment forms, that speaks well for all the talent who may want to get into something else because this company is now aware of them, and they are aware of the company. And I think it's a great, great move.," said Dutch Mantell (6:04 - 6:54)

Check out the full video below:

Vince Russo thinks WWE was sold at a much higher value than its "street value"

On Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing with Russo, Vince Russo said though Endeavor purchased WWE at $9.3 billion, the company's "street value" was much lower. Russo explained that Ari Emanuel, the CEO of Endeavor, didn't mind shelling out such an amount as he was keen on changing its business mode.

"Do you know what the street value of the WWE was? They sold it for $9.3 Billion. Do you know what the street value was? The street value was $6.5 Billion. The guy (Ari Emanuel) is convinced that I'm going to take this WWE model, and I'm going to slide it right into the UFC model. That's all he cares about. That is it!" stated Russo.

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It remains to be seen if the promotion witnesses any major changes once its sale process is finalized by the second half of the year.

What do you make of the Stamford-based promotion's sale? Do you expect to see some fundamental changes taking place within the organization? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you take any quotes from this article, please embed the YouTube video and credit Sportskeeda Wrestling.

Edited by Arpit Shrivastava