In an intriguing evolution of sports entertainment, the merging of giants WWE and UFC into TKO Group Holdings may soon see professional wrestling thrown into the mix of combat symphony. Since the merger’s grand completion last September, schemes of creating a single destination platform for both sporting spectacles have been churning the rumor mills.
Painting a picture too daring to disregard, industry whispers speculate the initiation of the intended crossover at the heart of Sin City. If the wind blowing through the grapevine carries weight, the WWE’s spectacular event, “NXT Battleground,” will flip its set from Savannah, Ga, to the UFC Apex events and production center in Las Vegas, near the South Point Hotel & Casino on June 9. While the May 26 date in Savannah remains on paper, the significant shift has been hinted at by steel-solid MMA social-media news platforms @PWInsider and @WrestleVotes, with the latter pinpointing the UFC Apex as the new stage for the showdown.
Amidst the chatter of change, WWE stands staunch with no official confirmation of the relocation. Yet the corridors of sports entertainment are abuzz with theories chewing on the possible motives. For WWE, it’s no stranger to the adrenaline rush of outpouring fans filling up massive arenas during its main events. However, the ticket count for its developmental brand doesn’t echo the same boom.
Likening it to squeezing an ocean into a teacup, Savannah’s Enmarket Arena accommodates 10,000, but the ticket tally for this year’s “NXT Battleground” skims at a mere 2,000 , as per reports of The Wrestling Observer newsletter. Fueling the theory of venue change further, a wrestling duel in the entertainment ring for ticket sales may be lurking in the shadows, courtesy of the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) event, “Double or Nothing”, slated for this very same May 26. Both events traded blows in the same ring last year on May 28.
A cherry on top to the merry mix of speculations is the suggestion that the “NXT Deadline” may potentially pack its bags and move house to the UFC Apex, as per industry source SEScoops.com. In case the Vegas vibe starts to resonate with more than 1,000 wrestling enthusiasts who initially pocketed tickets for Savannah, the fate of their transition remains shrouded in uncertainty. As we remain on the edge of our seats, waiting for the plot to unravel, the future of sports entertainment appears brimming with promise and intrigue.
