WWE has undergone a wave of releases, cost-cutting measures, and contract changes in recent weeks as a part of a broader push to scale back payroll.
In accordance with a report from Fightful Select, the corporate was tasked with trimming “hundreds of thousands” from its expenses over the past month. The move drew significant backlash across the wrestling industry, particularly because it coincided with reports of high executive pay inside TKO Group Holdings and robust stock performance. While talent releases are generally expected as a part of WWE’s business model, many inside the industry criticized the reported requests for wrestlers to simply accept steep pay cuts — sometimes reaching seven figures annually.
Sources inside each the talent and agent communities consider this example could reshape how wrestlers approach contract negotiations with WWE and TKO moving forward. There’s growing skepticism about whether lucrative, long-term deals will actually be honored through their full duration.
It was also noted that, lately, some wrestlers were approached about latest contracts during overseas tours — often sooner than expected. While some viewed this as a tactic to secure signatures before agents could fully review the terms, that is still speculative. Nevertheless, on the day of probably the most recent roster cuts, multiple talents were reportedly given just 48 hours to determine whether to simply accept reduced pay or leave the corporate.
Members of The Recent Day — Austin Creed and Kofi Kingston — ultimately selected to exit relatively than accept the cuts, despite leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table over the following several years. An analogous situation was previously described by Killer Kross, who said he was given just sooner or later to make a contract decision.
There was no confirmation regarding rumors of a possible digital-only deal for Xavier Woods, which could have limited his ability to work elsewhere, including All Elite Wrestling. Meanwhile, multiple individuals inside AEW are reportedly advocating internally for The Recent Day to be brought into the corporate.
One other major point of frustration stems from the undeniable fact that several talents — corresponding to Santos Escobar and members of The Recent Day — had signed latest deals inside the last yr, in some cases without even exploring offers from other promotions. With WWE now cutting or restructuring those deals, their market leverage has been significantly reduced. Some agents argued that, from a competitive standpoint, the strategy may backfire, because it could make it easier for AEW to sign top talent at lower costs.
While no full list of wrestlers who accepted pay cuts has emerged, the reported reductions vary widely. It’s also been noted that WWE’s decision to maneuver certain names to its alumni section made it easier for news of pay cut refusals — like those involving The Recent Day — to change into public.
Finally, there was internal disappointment over how The Recent Day’s departure was handled publicly. One report claimed that WWE did not acknowledge their contributions, though an organization source stated that praise was shared privately and that a joint statement had been planned, though it ultimately never materialized.
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