WWE’s recent wave of releases and pay cut requests could have lasting consequences on how the company signs and re-signs talent in the future. According to Fightful Select, most people in the industry view periodic releases as a normal part of WWE’s business, but the request for some wrestlers to take seven-figure pay cuts has been heavily criticized internally.
Sources within the talent and agent space told Fightful that the post-WrestleMania 42 cuts and pay cut requests are likely to lead to significant changes in how wrestlers negotiate their deals with WWE going forward. There is reportedly very little confidence among talent that the big-money contracts being offered today will actually run their full term.
WWE made the moves after being directed by TKO to reduce payroll by millions of dollars. The company has released 29 wrestlers, including the entire Wyatt Sicks faction, the Motor City Machine Guns, Kairi Sane, and Aleister Black. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were also granted their releases after rejecting a pay cut offer.
Several other talents who were approached have accepted reduced terms. Those targeted for pay cuts were primarily wrestlers who had previously been pushed at the top of the card but are no longer being booked in those positions. WWE’s stated reasoning is that those wrestlers are working fewer dates than they were when their original deals were signed.
