WWE Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn, who is one of the highest executives in WWE, will be departing the company in the near future.
According to a report from Pwinsider, Dunn informed WWE around Christmas week that he would departing the company after nearly three decades as the head of production. It is said that one of the big factors in his decision to retire is due to the changes that have been made internally following the Endeavor acquisition. One source stated that Dunn was “never going to do anything that was dictated” to him. In the past, he’s been the head man in charge of production for the company. It is said that the issue is not related to creative but it’s simply a case of two differing visions of how things should be run from a TV production perspective. As many of you know, Endeavor is trying to cut costs.
While there had been some rumors of Dunn wanting to leave the company for years, that was never the case. Dunn had actually been asked to stay on by the WWE Board of Directors when Vince McMahon initially retired in July 2022.
It’s pretty well-known that Dunn had always said over the years that he would never work for anyone other than Vince McMahon while working for WWE. When McMahon sold the company to Endeavor, his power was greatly reduced. The departure of Vince weighed greatly on Dunn, who has been largely responsible for the “vibe, feel and production” of the WWE product over the last 30 years or so.
Over the last three decades, it is said that not a single WWE broadcast or documentary hasn’t passed through Dunn’s hands for approval prior to airing or being released.
Pwinsider is reporting that “for many live broadcasts, Dunn has remained the official Director for those shows, but more importantly, he was also the Line Producer of record for every WWE broadcast from 1993 on. In the entertainment world, the line producer is usually the most important internal component of any production, the person responsible for breaking down the budgeting of a show, hiring the crew and production, overseeing the filming to make sure it is kept fiscally responsible, etc. It would be his job to make sure that the company properly spends its capital for production and does so to the best of its ability in order to make the best show possible. They are the person who prevents the fires via planning and when an emergency happens, it’s on them to take care of it and keep the show rolling, no matter what. It’s the most stressful and most important job in any film, TV, concert or theater production – and for decades, that was Dunn in WWE.”
Additionally, it was added that “Kevin Dunn was a strong proponent of the perspective that WWE was not professional wrestling or a sport, but a theatrical show that was unique and different from everything else out there.”
While some are likely to celebrate Dunn’s exit as he represents what WWE “was,” others are big fans of his work as far as it pertains to production, video packages, and documentaries.
It was added that while Dunn would often come across as “rash and rude,” his attitude changed among some in the production circles after McMahon’s departure. Some felt that was a sign that as hard as Dunn was on them, it was just a case of him rubbing off on how hard McMahon was on him privately.
Finally, it remains to be seen who will wind up replacing Kevin Dunn. Michael Mansury, who left WWE years ago, now works for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). For the time being, it’s expected to be a mix of people sharing the responsibilities that Dunn once held. We’ll have to wait and see what the WWE production will now look like in the post-Kevin Dunn era.
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