WWE paid tribute to their former rival, Ted Turner, last night at the start of Smackdown, opening the show with a graphic which had a photo of Turner and the words “In Memory of Ted Turner 1938-2026.”

The tribute was nothing like anything that AEW did earlier this week on Dynamite, but at least the company did acknowledge someone whose purpose was to put them out of business with WCW and the Monday night war.

The media mogul took over Jim Crockett Promotions in late 1988 and then renamed it WCW, hired Eric Bischoff, and went to war with WWE, signing big names such has Hulk Hogan, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Bret Hart, and others.

Turner passed away earlier this week at the age of 87 after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia.