WWE President Nick Khan joined Bill Simmons for a wide-ranging interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast, published Friday, one day before WrestleMania 42 begins at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Khan discussed the company’s plans for the weekend, its long-term talent development strategy, the return of managers, the state of Zuffa Boxing, and more.
On returning to Las Vegas for a second consecutive year
Khan explained the decision to hold WrestleMania in Las Vegas for the second straight year, citing the city’s infrastructure, hospitality capacity, and geographic convenience for media and entertainment executives.
“There’s no city that can handle that quantity of people better than Las Vegas can.”
Khan noted that the decision was also influenced by media industry geography. With Disney, Netflix, and most major entertainment companies based on the West Coast, Las Vegas offers easy access for key stakeholders. He praised the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and its executive Steve Hill for the execution of major events in the city.
He also emphasized the importance of scheduling WrestleMania away from competing major sporting events, noting that this year’s date avoids the Final Four and other conflicts. Khan pointed to WWE’s broader scheduling philosophy, which has seen premium live events repositioned to take advantage of gaps in the sports calendar — the Royal Rumble now occupying the open weekend between the conference championships and the Super Bowl being one prominent example.
Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar opening Sunday night on ESPN
Khan confirmed that Sunday night’s WrestleMania card will open with Oba Femi facing Brock Lesnar, airing on ESPN and ESPN Unlimited during the first hour.
Saturday night’s first hour will air on ESPN 2 and ESPN Unlimited, with the remainder of both nights available on other platforms.
Khan described the match as a deliberate choice to spotlight a new generation of talent against an established name.
“It’s a match when Paul [Levesque] and I sat together with a number of other folks said, this seems to have a bit of a hot hand here. Let’s start big. New versus old, a lot of good stuff, a lot of good angles.”
He praised the work both performers have done in the build, singling out Oba Femi’s promo with Paul Heyman on the Raw go-home show.
Accelerating NXT talent development
Khan revealed that the decision to take NXT on the road was a deliberate response to concerns about the aging of WWE’s top male talent. He said that roughly a year ago, he and Triple H visited the WWE Performance Center to meet with Shawn Michaels and Matt Bloom, who oversee NXT operations on a day-to-day basis.
Khan said they assessed the top male roster — Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Brock Lesnar, and Drew McIntyre — and noted that all are 40 years old or older.
“We said, all right, we got to make sure we’re preparing for the future here.”
Michaels told them that NXT needed to tour in order for younger talent to receive authentic crowd reactions and learn how to work different markets. Khan said they approved the request within a week and NXT began touring shortly after. He credited that decision with accelerating the development of Oba Femi, Trick Williams, and Je’Von Evans, among others.
Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk
Khan identified the Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk match as one of the most compelling storylines heading into the weekend, noting that Punk himself acknowledged on the go-home show that this is his first one-on-one WrestleMania main event match.
He addressed the broader question of Punk’s longevity and the responsibility both performers share in communicating when their bodies can no longer sustain main event-level work.
“The good thing with him and with Brock and with Cena last year is they’ve all been quite responsible in their life. So the conversation of, hey, you, Brock, or now Punk, you have to tell us when you start feeling like, I’m not going the way that I used to go. Tell us and let’s figure out something else for you.”
Khan acknowledged Punk’s injury history this decade, including the torn tricep at his first Royal Rumble back, but said that since returning nine months later, Punk has performed at what Khan described as an “A-plus level.”
Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker injuries
Khan addressed the injuries to both Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker, acknowledging that Breakker was on a significant trajectory before going down.
When Simmons asked whether Breakker was planned for a major match on the WrestleMania card, Khan stopped short of confirming specific plans but did not deny it.
“There was a major push behind him. That was evident, and we hadn’t finalized WrestleMania matches or order of matches at that moment.”
Khan praised the Seth Rollins fake-injury-to-real-injury arc, calling the original work “one of the greatest works of all time” before noting the unfortunate reality that a legitimate injury followed. He described these situations as analogous to any sports franchise dealing with in-season injuries that can alter the direction of an entire campaign.
Biggest WWE stars by 2033
Simmons asked Khan to identify who might be the company’s biggest star by 2033. Khan offered several names:
Rhea Ripley was his first answer. Khan noted she is still in her late 20s and already occupies a top position in the company. He said she passes what he calls “the room test” — whether a performer feels like a major presence when they walk to the ring.
“She has a chance. She’s already up there. She also passes, though, when you’re in the room test, does this person feel like a major person just walked down the runway into the ring? No question. She has it.”
Logan Paul was Khan’s second pick. He confirmed Paul is now full-time with WWE, having just turned 30. Khan praised his work ethic and commitment to the business.
Bron Breakker was mentioned with the caveat that WWE cannot rush his development.
Oba Femi was described as an obvious candidate.
Trick Williams drew particular praise. Khan said he values that Williams is a former SEC athlete, understands media inherently, and possesses authenticity.
“I always look for people whose inner voice matches their outer voice. Trick Williams is Trick Williams.”
The return of managers
Khan confirmed that WWE is actively working to expand the use of managers, something Simmons said he had advocated for repeatedly in conversations with Khan over the years.
Khan said that during the same Performance Center visit where NXT touring was discussed, he and Triple H told Michaels and Bloom to identify performers who may not have long-term in-ring futures but who excel on the microphone, and to develop them toward managerial or other on-camera roles.
He discussed Pat McAfee’s potential transition into a heel manager role and confirmed that Stephen A. Smith has expressed interest in a managerial role, noting that Smith specifically wants to play a heel character.
“He would be a phenomenal manager. He’s, and he wants to be a heel. Most people say they want to be heels. He really wants to be heel.”
Khan and Simmons briefly discussed the greatest managers of all time, with both citing Paul Heyman and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan as their top picks.
On becoming an on-screen character
When asked whether he would ever appear as an on-screen character, Khan was emphatic.
“Never. That will never happen. Never, ever, ever. I’m a behind the scenes guy.”
He drew a parallel to his prior career as an agent, during which he avoided public-facing media appearances, believing his name should only appear “after pay to the order of.”
ESPN
Khan acknowledged that the integration with ESPN remains a new experience for longtime fans. Simmons described it as “still weird” to see WWE coverage on SportsCenter.
Khan framed it as a natural evolution, noting that WWE was once on UPN and the Nashville Network and is now on Netflix, USA, and ESPN.
“It’s worked out, in my opinion, great for the consumer, great for the company, great for our athletes, in terms of their potential to cross over.”
He credited Jimmy Pitaro at ESPN and Bela Bajaria at Netflix as the respective driving forces behind the WWE deals at those companies, noting the importance of having the decision-makers at partner companies be genuine champions of the relationship.
Zuffa Boxing Update: Conor Benn and Legislative Goals
Khan provided an update on Zuffa Boxing, the TKO-owned boxing venture. He said he is “happy with how we’ve started it” and asked for patience, saying the initiative needs a couple of years to be properly evaluated.
He discussed the recent Conor Benn fight with Regis Prograis in London, noting the opponent was dealing with multiple injuries but calling Benn “game.” Khan outlined his view of the legislative goals tied to the Muhammad Ali Enhancement Act, including training camp insurance for fighters and minimum per-round pay.
On the broader boxing landscape, Khan said the goal is to replicate a league-like structure similar to what exists in the UFC and WWE, where the best consistently fight the best and there is programming consistency.
Middle East situation
Khan addressed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its effect on WWE’s international plans, noting that some previously planned events in the region have been affected.
“Number one, we’d never send our wrestlers, our crew, anybody into an unsafe environment.”
He said the situation has not yet materially affected the company’s broader plans but characterized the approach as “wait and see.” He noted that partners like Turki Alalshikh have continued to operate events elsewhere, including the recent Netflix card from Tottenham Stadium in London.
Economic concerns
When Simmons asked about his biggest fear for the next 18 months, Khan pointed to broader economic concerns.
“I think the middle class started getting squeezed 10 years ago. So people with money are fortunate and they have a lot of disposable income. Those things can always affect any business.”
However, he expressed confidence in the live event business, saying that post-COVID consumer behavior has shifted decisively toward experiences over material goods. He reported that WWE’s attendance dip has been in the single-digit percentage range, which he attributed largely to the end of John Cena’s retirement tour and the natural adjustment period as the company builds its next generation of main event talent.
