The budding WrestleMania 42 program pitting WWE’s stars against their corporate bosses at TKO Group appears to be one they worked out on the fly when little was going well with their previous plans. That means it’s based on recent history, which among other things makes Brandon Thurston’s latest reporting for Post Wrestling on the investor lawsuit which claims the 2023 sale of WWE was a “sham” particularly timely.
Previously, Thurston wrote about the plaintiffs’ request that the Delaware Chancery
Court sanction defendants including former TKO executive chairman Vince McMahon, WWE president Nick Khan, and Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque for destruction of relevant evidence. In particular, the March 4 report for Post reads:
The motion, which appeared publicly on the docket this week, alleges that Vince McMahon, Khan, Levesque, as well as non-defendant former executives Stephanie McMahon and Brad Blum failed to preserve communications despite multiple notices from WWE’s legal team to do so. Under Delaware law, parties subject to a litigation hold are required to preserve potentially relevant communications once litigation is reasonably anticipated.
Khan, WWE’s current president, is characterized as “spearheading” communications on the messaging app Signal, which allows users to time messages to auto-delete. Khan is also alleged to have deleted conventional text messages, which plaintiffs say, based on context, included merger discussions and the investigation of alleged misconduct by McMahon.
That’s relevant to Thurston’s story today (April 7), because it features texts Nick Khan sent to Levesque then subsequently deleted in 2023. It gives the impression of close relationship between the two, with Levesque leaning on Khan for support and advice while dealing with the merger — and his father-in-law, Vince McMahon.
The first exchange was on Sept. 11 of that year, the day before WWE was officially acquired by Endeavor and TKO was launched. In a message to Khan, Levesque wrote, “How’s it going so far ? Man, I’m wound tight today …. DDay tomorrow, expecting the worst”. Khan replied twice only to later delete the messages; he later said in depositions that he didn’t recall what he’d written. They two then discussed a time to talk around a WWE executive committee meeting Khan attended that day.
Later on, Levesque reached out about a meeting Vince McMahon wanted to have about talent releases that would happen along with post-merger office layoffs: “Vkm. Btw I need to meet with all of U tomorrow re talent releases which coincides with all corporate releases Thx.” He reached out again about a call, then a couple of hours later sent a follow-up asking if Khan has spoken to “AE”, which is believed to be Endeavor head Ari Emanuel: “While I’m SURE you like to be done with this shit for today ….. Please let me know if you speak to AE”.
Khan replied a few hours after that with, “I will. I’ll get him early. We missed each other tonight.” Levesque followed up:
11:06 PM Paul Levesque: U ok?
11:11 PM Nick Khan: Yes sir! How you ?
11:12 PM Paul Levesque: Good anxious for tomorrow and beyond ……
The Sept. 11 Raw was one McMahon was rumored to have changed the script for without attending the show in-person. Previous reporting from Post and Thurston indicates that Khan acted a go-between on creative disputes involving Levesque and McMahon, such as when Vince overruled his son-in-law’s booking for the main event of 2023’s WrestleMania 39 in other exchanges disclosed as part of the investor suit.
On merger day, Sept. 12, Levesque and Khan sent each other congratulatory texts expressing their affection for one another.
6:57 AM: Paul Levesque: Nick , just wanted to take a moment before all the craziness today to say THANK YOU !!!!! Thank you for getting us here … if it wasn’t for you , I would have been gone a long time ago. I appreciate you and all you have done and gone thru …. And I appreciate our friendship… It means the world to me. Thank you and Congratulations
6:58 AM: Nick Khan: You are my guy. You got me here. I want us to do this for 20 years and call it a day. I appreciate and admire you.
A little while later Levesque messaged Khan with an “fyi” that “VKM looking to set an in person meeting for today at 4pm with you, Bruce and Ed regarding Talent Policies”. Khan sent a reply he later deleted, to which Levesque responded, “Done”.
Early October brought word that McMahon was gone for good and that Emanuel had “knighted” Triple H as WWE’s creative leader. But on Dec. 9, Levesque messaged Khan: “Was just told by security that VKM is coming to Cleveland TV Monday. What’s that about ??????” Khan sent and deleted three follow-ups, after which Levesque sent, “Is he in nyc yet …… When is their meeting?”. Khan replied, then deleted.
On Dec. 10, Khan tried to reach Levesque for a call with “him” before noon, with “him” believed to be Emanuel. Around 1:30 PM, Levesque restarts their exchange, and that call has seemingly happened.
1:33 PM: Paul Levesque: the more I think about it the more I’m kinda disappointed in that Ari convo…… Seems like we are in the same place , “I’m gonna tell him to stay out of it or else” that’s way different than “I’m telling him he’s done ….. it’s over” Kicking the can down the road
1:36 PM: Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]
1:44 PM: Paul Levesque: What do u think about me hitting Shapiro to get his take and let him push or better direct to Ari?
1:44 PM: Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]
1:44 PM: Nick Khan: [Deleted by the sender]
Less than an hour later, the conversation continued.
2:31 PM: Paul Levesque: Between you and I, It feels like they are both backtracking on the “he’s out” narrative. It’s back to the “well if he wants to go to the show now and then” and “if he gives notes and wants to have a 30min meeting now and then, ok”
2:39 PM: Paul Levesque: He just sent an email re script for Ari
2:43 PM: Nick Khan: Seems off. Lemme call him.
2:58 PM: Nick Khan: They know already. No need to send.
A few hours after that, Levesque sent a message about McMahon possibly bumping into CM Punk.
5:48 PM: Paul Levesque: So he’s on the AM plane ….. I just remembered punk is scheduled to be on it as well. You think that’s an issue ?
There’s no record of a response from Khan. Post reached out to representatives for WWE and TKO seeking comment on behalf of Levesque, Khan, and Emanuel, but received no response. The same is true for McMahon’s reps when Post contacted them about their story.
For the plaintiffs, whose sanction request would mean a trial judge could assume the deleted evidence would have been unfavorable to the defendants, this looks to be more proof that WWE and TKO weren’t being honest about McMahon’s involvement during and after the merger.
For those of us intrigued by the inner workings of WWE — even when the inner workings in this case allegedly involve covering up some heinous acts — it adds a lot to an already interesting picture that also involves Khan’s longtime friend and Levesque’s long-time rival Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Follow Thurston, Wrestlenomics, and Post for the latest and most in-depth reporting on this lawsuit, and the business of pro wrestling in general.
