Shane Douglas is sounding the alarm on WWEs direction under TKO Group Holdings, and he isnt sugarcoating how the corporate approach looks from his perspective.
Responding to a fans concern on his podcast that TKO is treating WWE like a short-term asset instead of a long-term creative brand, the ECW legend made it clear he sees the same problem. The fan framed the issue bluntly, arguing that new ownership tends to cut costs, jack up prices, and flood the product with advertising while damaging what made it special in the first place.
Douglas didnt push back on that take. Instead, he doubled down and admitted thats exactly how it appears to him watching from the outside.
While he acknowledged that any company spending over $9 billion is going to want its money back, Douglas questioned the pace and philosophy behind the strategy. To him, theres a difference between building WWE for the future and aggressively squeezing it for fast returns, and he worries TKO is leaning too hard toward the latter.
The concern isnt just about ticket prices or ad placementits about whether WWEs identity can survive if the business side keeps overpowering the creative foundation that made fans care in the first place.
Douglas may not be watching every episode weekly, but his criticism taps into a growing feeling among some fans that WWEs corporate evolution under TKO could come at a cost if the balance tips too far toward profit over passion.
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Is TKO simply doing smart business with WWE, or are they risking long-term damage to the product? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
