Ted Turner, one of the most influential people in media and the former boss of WCW, has died at 87 years of age.
The news was broken via a press release from Turner Enterprises on Wednesday, May 6, stating that Turner was with his family when he passed. A pioneer in media, Turner introduced the world to the 24-hour news channel, among other notable ventures.
Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said the following about Turner in a statement to the press:
“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement. He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”
Ted Turner Leaves Lasting Legacy In Professional Wrestling World
Turner was also a major player in professional wrestling throughout the 80s and 90s. After purchasing Jim Crockett Promotions, Turner founded World Championship Wrestling. Although Turner was not involved in the creative process, his financial backing allowed WCW to grow into a national wrestling promotion. Putting the flagship show Nitro head-to-head with WWE Raw on Monday Nights, the WCW show famously beat WWE for 83 consecutive weeks in the ratings. Nitro remained on the air until 2001, when the AOL/Time Warner merger saw wrestling cease to exist on Turner television. Ted Turner was not involved in the company at this time.
A long-time rival of WWE owner Vince McMahon, Turner was presented as the billionaire as opposed to McMahon being the underdog. McMahon also took shots at Turner with the “Billionaire Ted” skits on WWE TV, which saw the stars of WCW being mocked for being past their prime.
Pro wrestling returned to Turner Network Television in 2019 with the launch of AEW Dynamite.
In 2018, Turner revealed that he was battling Lewy body dementia, the second most common form of dementia, alongside Alzheimer’s.
