Veteran with 50 plus years of experience warns WWE of making a major mistake after merger with UFC 

WWE officially completed its merger with UFC on September 12, 2023. It is expected that the synergies between the two companies will benefit both in the long run. The deal has already brought about significant changes in the sports entertainment juggernaut, and Dutch Mantell recently shared his thoughts on the same.

Mantell has been in the pro wrestling business since 1972, working for companies like WCW, WWE, and IMPACT Wrestling. On a recent episode of his Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast, the veteran addressed potential changes in WWE and UFC's pay-per-view schedules following the merger.

World Wrestling Entertainment and UFC are expected to hold major events on the same weekend after their merger. On his podcast, Mantell explained the potential drawbacks of such a lineup.

“With a wrestling pay-per-view on Saturday night and a UFC pay-per-view on Sunday night, they will use the same broadcast of RAW and the TV UFC has.” (1:28 - 1:43)

He added that UFC and WWE organizing shows on the same weekend could force fans to buy one of those pay-per-views due to financial constraints. This could ultimately lead to losses for both organizations, per Mantell.

“That’s an expensive weekend if you’re an MMA fan and a wrestling fan. You have to choose one or the other, and I don’t know how much effect that will have on either (...) But it is an expensive weekend. They’re stacking a lot on a weekend in one town,” mentioned Mantell. (2:27 - 2:51)

WWE reportedly planning major changes to its premium live event model after merger with UFC

According to reports, World Wrestling Entertainment plans to change how it chooses locations for its premium events. The company will seemingly invite cities to bid for the rights to host some of its major shows.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter also reported that while the new model could initially apply to the Big Four premium live events, the sports entertainment juggernaut might follow the same approach for all its annual shows in the future.

UFC already uses the abovementioned model for its major events, and WWE is also expected to follow suit after the merger. It will be interesting to see how the rumored change will affect both organizations in the coming days.

Would you like to see World Wrestling Entertainment and UFC hold events on the same weekend? Let us know in the comments section below.

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