Fans can't believe Vince McMahon's appearance as WWE officially sold in UFC merger

Fans are still getting used to Vince McMahon's drastic new look after he officially sold WWE to Endeavour, UFC's parent company, for $9.3billion (£7.46billion).

The news emerged on the weekend of WrestleMania 39, WWE's biggest event of the year, and means McMahon has handed over the business his family has owned for over 70 years.

Endeavour are now the majority owners and hold 51% of the company but both combat giants have unified under a new publicly traded company called “TKO”.

McMahon, along with UFC president Dana White and WWE executives Nick Khan and Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, appeared at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday to ring the bell and announce the merger.

And once again McMahon's appearance was the talking point again. Although he had accepted he had gone grey in recent years, the former WWE champion has died his hair black and his now sporting a moustache.

Image: NYSE

One wrote: "I still can't believe this is what Vince McMahon looks like now."

Another said: "Why does 2023 Vince McMahon look like he's trying to find the Pink Panther?"

A third added: "I keep forgetting that this is what Vince McMahon looks like now."

A fourth commented: "Why does Vince McMahon look like J. Jonah Jameson from Spider-Man."

A fifth user laughed: "This is what Vince McMahon looks like. He looks like he's trying to steal your sports-hero dog in a Disney movie..."

A final person asked: "Why does Vince McMahon look like he’s gonna try sell me timeshare flats in Spain?"

Endeavor chief Ari Emanuel is to serve as CEO in the new company but McMahon will remain involved as executive chairman after returning to the WWE board following a hiatus after sexual misconduct allegations.

Commenting on the merger, he said: "This is the culmination of a decades-long partnership between Endeavor and WWE across strategic initiatives including talent representation and media rights.

"Given our collaborative, trusted relationship and Endeavor’s incredible track record of success growing UFC, we believe WWE is optimally positioned for future growth and success as part of TKO. Our focus remains on delivering for our fans across the globe as we take the business to the next level alongside UFC and Endeavor.”

Monday night's episode of Raw was the final show under McMahon's sole control - though both WWE and UFC are still expected to be separate entities going forward.

Topics: Vince McMahon, WWE, UFC, Dana White, Fan Reactions

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

@joshlawless_