For fans of large people hitting each other very hard or pretending to do so, massive news came out last month when Endeavor, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), merged with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
I never cared much about the UFC, but I have been a huge wrestling fan my entire life. I’ve been to more wrestling shows than any other type of event, and I know way more about wrestling history than I should. As such, I feel I have some authority to say this merger is absolutely horrible news.
For the uninitiated, professional wrestling in the United States used to have more than one mainstream company. Prior to the 1990s, there were numerous companies across the country that were popular in particular regions, generally referred to as territories.
The territory days were extremely far from perfect, but the aggressive purchasing of all the territories by Vince McMahon in the 1980s and the failure of World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s has created WWE hegemony over the United States wrestling industry. McMahon’s monopoly has since brought about poor pay for wrestlers, poor health and safety protocols and outrageously unethical business practices.
With that precedent in mind, further monopolization efforts by the WWE raise alarm bells, particularly at a time when there is a slight challenge to WWE’s mainstream market share in the form of All Elite Wrestling. This upstart and admittedly tremendously flawed company has defeated WWE shows in ratings and been incredibly competitive in live attendance, but WWE receiving an injection of capital could spell bad news for competition.
Additionally, the merger is bad for professional mixed martial arts (MMA), as it gives the UFC, which already had somewhat of a monopoly on MMA in the U.S., even more capital to work with. If no other promotion can reliably compete, it gives UFC carte blanche to overcharge fans and treat their talent however they want since they have nowhere else to go.
This plays into a larger issue — that mergers are meant exclusively for the benefit of the executives of these companies. They certainly don’t benefit employees, as mass layoffs of both office workers and talent, primarily in WWE’s corner, have taken place in conjunction with millions of dollars in bonuses for executives since the merger’s finalization.
These unjust outcomes are particularly unacceptable considering WWE and UFC performers and competitors are putting their bodies through intense training and nightmarish pain hundreds of nights per year for pennies on the dollar of the revenue they generate, a far cry from what athletes in other sports make due to lack of unionization.
WWE and UFC merging also hurts athletes by limiting their employment options. There have been many instances of athletes from either WWE or UFC jumping to the other such as Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. With both companies being under the same umbrella and no union to advocate for them, though, the opportunities and benefits for talent in both companies are likely to be reduced.
Therefore, it is inconceivable to me that this merger could be celebrated, yet many are excited seemingly because two brands they like have joined forces. While I understand wanting the promotion you follow to succeed, these companies merging is only going to add billions to the bank accounts of the people at the top on the backs of the people who make their companies what they are.
As wages continue to fail to keep up with inflation in nearly every industry, it leaves a terrible taste in my mouth when corporate mergers happen and lead to even further exploitation by the anointed few capitalists who get to profit off of luck. It is now incredibly important that wrestlers, UFC fighters and workers in every industry unionize and advocate for their own interests.
If you are in a position to do so, I would suggest organizing in your workplace or even within your community and take a lesson from the world of professional wrestling and MMA. Beyond that, simply be aware that corporate mergers do not benefit you or anyone you care about. The game is rigged, and WWE and UFC are just two companies counting cards.
