WWE President Nick Khan addressed several topics during a TKO town hall on Monday, per audio obtained by POST Wrestling. Topics included WWE’s safety plans for Saudi Arabia, the company’s use of AI in storyline development, the back-to-back WrestleMania run in Las Vegas, and the ongoing push for the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act in Congress.
Khan On Saudi Arabia Safety
WWE has Night of Champions scheduled for June 27 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is committed to holding WrestleMania 43 in the country next year despite the ongoing wars involving Iran, Israel, and Lebanon.
According to POST Wrestling, Khan said WWE will only run Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia and will not hold the surrounding Raw or SmackDown events there. WWE typically runs Raw and SmackDown in the same area as a PLE, and has done so around major Saudi events in the past. Locations for SmackDown and Raw on June 26 and 29 have not been announced.
“We’re only going if it’s safe or if we’re allowed there,” Khan said.
Khan said he and Paul Levesque, whose WWE deal was recently extended, would both be traveling to Riyadh for the event.
“We are monitoring with our heads of security internally and with our government affairs folks externally, the situation there. If U.S. citizens are allowed in at this moment in time, it is declared and deemed safe, we’ll all be going there.”
“Saudi is deeply desirous of getting WWE back there and getting events restarted, especially those that come from the United States.”
Khan Acknowledges Back-To-Back Vegas WrestleMania Was His Call
Khan addressed the criticism over running WrestleMania in Las Vegas in consecutive years, which some have suggested contributed to lower attendance at this year’s event.
“That was ultimately my decision. Maybe we don’t do that one again in terms of back-to-back, but ultimately it ended up being a successful event.”
Khan also teased the location for WrestleMania 2028 without giving any hints.
“Wait until you hear the announcement on where we’re going to be for WrestleMania in 2028.”
TKO Executives Detail WWE’s Use Of AI
TKO Chief Financial Officer Andrew Schleimer told staff at the town hall that the company’s use of AI is still in early stages, with most current applications focused on data and analytics around WWE and UFC consumers and minor enhancements to broadcasts.
TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro called AI a “major priority” and detailed how WWE is using it.
“Nick Khan and Triple H are using AI for storylines with the WWE. What’s resonating? What superstars are resonating? In what pockets of the country are they resonating? That helps us with, obviously, our content, our editorial, our creative, our mapping, our touring, and of course, maximizing revenue and getting our product out to the fans most in need of it.”
Shapiro said AI is also being used by UFC for fighter rankings.
Government Affairs SVP Speaks On The Ali Revival Act
Dean Garfield, who TKO hired last year as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, spoke briefly about the TKO-backed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. UFC Senior Executive Vice President Lawrence Epstein had praised the “excellent results” from Khan’s testimony on April 22, and Garfield reiterated that praise.
Garfield said part of his job is to help get the Ali Revival Act passed within a year, rather than the typical seven years that government acts often take. U.S. Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Jacky Rosen of Nevada are part of the committee that oversees the Ali Revival Act, and both have received donations from the TKO PAC according to Federal Election Commission data.
WWE communications staff did not immediately respond to POST Wrestling’s request for comment.
For the full report, visit POST Wrestling.
