WWE Merger Trial Suddenly Removed From Court Calendar Just Days Ahead Of Scheduled Start Date

The high-profile lawsuit challenging WWE’s merger with UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings has taken an unexpected turn just days before the trial was scheduled to begin.

According to a new report from Jennifer Kay of Bloomberg Law, the Delaware Chancery Court trial that was slated to start on June 8 has been removed from the court’s calendar. The reason for the change remains unclear as of this writing.

Greg Varallo of Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP, who represents the shareholder plaintiffs in the case, confirmed late Friday that the four-day trial was no longer listed on the court’s schedule. However, he did not provide any additional details regarding why the case was removed, and no immediate explanation was available.

The development comes shortly after plaintiffs released a 75-page pre-trial briefing on June 5 outlining their arguments. As previously reported, the shareholders are seeking damages in the nine-figure range and contend that WWE was undervalued during the 2023 transaction that combined WWE and UFC under the TKO Group Holdings banner.

Several prominent figures were expected to testify during the proceedings.

That list includes former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, WWE President Nick Khan, and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Delaware Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster had been scheduled to oversee the case.

For now, it remains unknown whether the trial has been delayed, rescheduled, settled, or removed from the calendar for another procedural reason. Additional details are expected once the court or involved parties provide further clarification.