Will Vince McMahon last in WWE’s new world order?

Vince McMahon no longer owns the WWE, a day many thought would never happen. However, that doesn’t mean he’s out of the wrestling business, far from it, in fact. However, the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz wonders how long McMahon will last working for someone else.

As part of the WWE’s merger with Endeavor, McMahon will remain as executive chairman, a somewhat stunning resurgence for a man who was forced into retirement last year amid scandal. David Samson joined the show and said he’s excited to think about the prospect of Ari Emmanuel, Dana White, Vince McMahon and Nick Khan in a room together with their large egos.

Samson notes that WWE took a lesser position in the valuation of the company, but gave McMahon a PR out by naming him executive chairman, which Samson says really doesn’t amount to much no matter what Vince might say. At the end of the day, Samson says this is an Endeavor-led project and the reason that WWE did this was because they were trying to sell, but wanted to keep a piece and keep people in the room while also taking advantage of the strategic partnership with Endeavor in order to grow the business. Basically, Samson says they think owning 48 percent of a new company is better than owning 100 percent of the old company. Samson also says we won’t know what the true value of the deal really is until we see the market cap of the new company.

Mike points out that Endeavor has shown in their dealings with Dana White and UFC that they’re willing to let the people who know the business operate the business, which is fertile ground for Vince’s ego, but asks if he will really be able to operate in a silo. David laughs about that as he notes that Vince McMahon now has a boss and that’s something that Vince has never had. Samson said he would be very surprised if this lasts. He said that at the end what happens is within five years at most someone will be gone and he thinks it will be Vince.

Mike asks what the consumer can expect out of this merger. Samson says the UFC and WWE are two different types of entertainment, but to a broadcaster you’re giving them tremendous programming. So the reason you bundle it, he says, if because you can go to different areas in different countries and instead of offering X hours you can now offer X plus Y hours and the view is that you’re going to get paid more than the sum of the parts. Samson said it will take some time, but he said Wall Street will be looking for more profitability, so he said that when you’re going out and selling your TV rights you do want to put those two groups together because that is where they have the most power.

David also offered up his take on Cocaine Bear. Needless to say, he was not a fan ...

Check out the breakdown of Thursday’s show below.

SHOW BREAKDOWN

Local Hour: Most Adorable Thing This Week

• It’s the David Samson Local Hour here on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. He gives his in-depth thoughts on Endeavor’s new deal with WWE. JuJu asks David a question to try to soften his persona before Chris Cote has his Top 5 Clevelander Moments. Plus, David dives into naming rights, tv quality vs. cost, and reviews Cocaine Bear.

The Big Suey: Last Day of School! Last Day of School!

• It’s our last day at The Clevelander, so Dan walks to the beach for the final time. Once he’s gone, it’s ‘last day of school’ vibes as the crew discusses senior pranks and their favorite memories. Then, we have JuJu’s Joker of the Week, Cam Newton’s list of backups, and a new character named “Bring It Home Roy.” Plus, Amin tells us about the Clippers and Lakers matchup and the Mavericks continued struggles.

Hour 1: Baby A & Baby B

• Amin is convinced he can tell the difference between twins, Markieff and Marcus Morris, and Wiz Khalifa has a poem about his feet. Then, Ronan Farrow is here to detail the Donald Trump indictment and what stemmed from his reporting, how these are not the most serious of the charges against Trump, and the Trump system of deception. Plus, Mike Schur shares stats from our run at The Clevelander.

Hour 2: The Elephant Ear vs. The Funnel Cake

• Denzel Washington’s Gladiator, John Adams, and referees kick off an Hour 2 full of champagne and margaritas. Ricky Williams joins us to discuss how to avoid people sitting next to you on an airplane and Roy’s Top 5 Carnival Foods. Plus, the debut of our new game: AGAINST! THE! SPREAD!

Postgame Show: Chris Cote’s Thursday Thunder Picks

• Everyone but Chris Cote seems to have a suggestion for Thursday Thunder.

Watch more below!

VIDEO:

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