Vince McMahon may have dodged a public trial over WWE’s merger with UFC, but new audio is now putting fresh attention right back on how that deal came together.
According to POST Wrestling, audio messages from Ari Emanuel to McMahon were sent in September 2022, shortly after McMahon had retired as WWE CEO amid the company’s investigation into sexual misconduct allegations and hush money payments. In one voicemail, Emanuel told McMahon he had spoken with his lawyer from Latham & Watkins and brought up the DOJ, SEC, and indemnification.
“I spoke to my lawyer from Latham. Just FYI, everybody at the DOJ is former Latham lawyers. So on that side, it will be helpful. SEC, of course, is SEC, but that’s just the penalty. As it relates to everything else, yes, we can indemnify you, and we will. If it’s criminal, of course, you can’t stop criminal, but this is not criminal. Call me when you get a chance.”
Three days later, Emanuel left another message telling McMahon they needed to sit down and work through the issues, including anything involving the DOJ.
“I really do think that we all need to get together and talk through all the issues, because I think whether it be the DOJ or anything, there’s ways around this to figure this out, and I don’t know what, you know, you’re hearing or thinking. So give me a call if you have five seconds.”
That audio is now landing after McMahon reached a last-minute settlement in the WWE shareholder lawsuit over the 2023 merger with UFC parent company Endeavor. The case was pulled from the Delaware Court of Chancery calendar before trial, keeping potentially ugly material from being aired in open court.
The lawsuit accused McMahon of steering WWE toward Endeavor because Ari Emanuel would allow him to keep power and financial benefits after the sale. Shareholders also claimed other bidders may have pushed McMahon out because of the sexual misconduct and hush money scandals hanging over him.
POST Wrestling also obtained a December 13, 2022 voicemail from McMahon to Jeff Sine of The Raine Group, the banker advising WWE on the eventual deal. In that message, McMahon sounded ready to move forward with Emanuel.
“Hey, Jeff. It’s 10:13 [p.m.]. Very good meeting with Ari and company. And I think and probably the best thing to do is to go forward with the deal with Ari. It solves a lot of problems. I, you know, again, together, I think it’s a stronger situation than either one of us on our own. But I’m pretty sure that’s the way I want to go now. It’s easier, faster and all that kind of stuff. So, let’s talk in the morning, and I didn’t commit to Ari, but let’s talk in the morning, and, and go. [Laughs.] Jeff, thank you so much. Sorry to call so late.”
That “solves a lot of problems” line is going to get attention, especially because the shareholder case centered on whether McMahon favored Endeavor for personal reasons while WWE was exploring sale options. Front Office Sports previously reported that the settlement helped McMahon avoid a trial that could have put more details about his scandals into public view.
McMahon avoided this courtroom fight for now, but the legal storm around him is not gone. Janel Grant’s lawsuit is still active, and McMahon is also facing a lawsuit from former “Ring Boys” who allege he and Linda McMahon knowingly allowed abuse decades ago.
So the trial may be off, but the story is not cleanly going away. The newly surfaced voicemails give people another reason to question what was happening behind the scenes before WWE merged with UFC and became part of TKO Group Holdings.
What do you think about the leaked Ari Emanuel and Vince McMahon voicemails? Do they change how you view the WWE-UFC merger? Let us know in the comments below.
