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Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of TKO, reiterated his vision for the future of WWE and the need to let go of certain inherited inertia from the Vince McMahon era. During a conversation with journalist Andrew Marchand, Shapiro pointed out that the company must bet on fresh ideas and take risks that are not tied to the previous era.
The executive praised the work of Nick Khan and Paul Levesque, highlighting that both are open to experimenting with new formats and developing concepts that resonate with the current audience. As an example, he mentioned the recent launch of Wrestlepalooza, a new PLE that served as the kickoff for the agreement with ESPN.
Shapiro stated that many of the current premium events were born during Vince McMahon's tenure and that it is time for WWE to build its own intellectual properties under the TKO era. In his opinion, Wrestlepalooza demonstrated that the company can create new successful franchises both in terms of audience and merchandising.
"Nick and Triple H created Wrestlepalooza and it worked incredibly well. It could become a superfranchise. As for merchandising, I don't need to say it: securing the brand rights and selling products there was a real triumph," Shapiro commented.
Despite his message, WWE has not modified any traditional event from the McMahon era. Historic names like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, or Money in the Bank continue to form the backbone of the annual calendar. The same goes for the identity of the flagship programs: Raw and SmackDown.
Shapiro did not clarify if his vision is a recommendation or a corporate mandate, but he made it clear that his intention is to drive a bolder WWE, with new events that can grow and establish themselves in this stage under the TKO umbrella. Will this materialize in new names for the weekly shows or new premium events? Only time will tell.
