Ted Turner, the visionary media mogul and founder of CNN, passed away peacefully on May 6, 2026, at the age of 87. While best known for revolutionizing 24-hour news, Turner left a massive mark on professional wrestling. In 1988, he acquired Jim Crockett Promotions and transformed it into World Championship Wrestling, turning a regional territory into a national powerhouse that aired on his TBS superstation and later TNT. A lifelong fan of the sport’s entertainment value, Turner protected WCW through financial ups and downs for over a decade.
“Ted Turner, the media maverick and philanthropist who founded CNN, a pioneering 24-hour network that revolutionized television news, died peacefully Wednesday, surrounded by his family, according to a news release from Turner Enterprises. He was 87.” – CNN.com
Under Turner’s ownership, WCW exploded in the 1990s with the launch of Monday Nitro in 1995, igniting the legendary Monday Night Wars against Vince McMahon’s WWF. The revolutionary nWo storyline helped WCW dominate ratings for years and changed wrestling forever. Though the company ultimately folded in 2001 after AOL Time Warner’s sale to WWE, the hands-off billionaire owner’s bold investment proved that wrestling could thrive on cable television and produced one of the most exciting eras in pro wrestling history.
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