Following the departure of longtime WWE head of production Kevin Dunn, the company announced on Tuesday that Lee Fitting had been hired as Head of Media and Production.
Dunn was one of Vince McMahon’s most trusted employees and most powerful figures behind the scenes. He recently gave his notice to the company, effective at the beginning of 2024.
As PWMania.com previously reported, Dunn’s say had decreased over the last year-plus with McMahon no longer in charge, prompting the decision to leave because he did not want to change the production style from how he saw it. Dunn made the decision to leave, and it was reported that he left because he felt disrespected and was a “Vince McMahon Guy.”
According to PWInsider, Fitting’s hiring as Dunn’s replacement “absolutely made waves among those in the production and TV departments.” According to reports, “there were some not thrilled that an “outsider” would now be above them,” while others were concerned about what the hiring might mean for them if he brought in his people at the expense of WWE employees.
Others waited to see what would happen before becoming concerned, while others were disappointed that the company did not promote from within, as some believed that Executive Vice President of Television Chris Kaiser “deserved” consideration, as did lighting and set director Jason Robinson, who is regarded as a valuable resource.
According to a source, the hiring should not have come as a surprise given that TKO’s Marc Shapiro previously oversaw ESPN, where Fitting worked for many years. According to the same source, the hiring matched Shapiro and Nick Khan’s expectations for what’s next in sports.
