An update has surfaced regarding how many WWE talent were recently approached about taking pay cuts, as additional details continue to come out following the post-WrestleMania 42 roster changes.
While early reports suggested a wide-ranging number of wrestlers were impacted, new information indicates the situation was far more limited in scope than initially believed.
In today’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter at F4WOnline.com, Dave Meltzer clarified the scale of the situation, noting that those “in a position to know” have indicated fewer than half a dozen wrestlers were actually asked to take reduced deals, and those individuals were already on the verge of being let go.
“While there have been talks of large numbers asked to take pay cuts, those in a position to know have said that the number is less than a half dozen, and they were people who would have been cut had they not accepted it,” Meltzer wrote.
“They were not the high end players and were people that creative had tabbed little interest in going forward and thus the idea is they could remain under contract while their in-ring aspect of their career would be phased down.“
Quick hit: the implication internally was that accepting the reduction simply allowed certain names to remain employed under altered usage.
Meltzer also confirmed that at least one notable name did agree to a significant reduction in pay, citing the financial leverage, or lack thereof, some performers have depending on outside opportunities.
“There were reports, confirmed to us, that at least one major name wrestler agreed to a 50 percent pay cut,” he continued. “There are wrestlers who would not fit in AEW and are making well into seven figures, many in excess of $2 million per year, who simply couldn’t earn anywhere near $1 million elsewhere, so the leverage isn’t there.”
The report also touched on The New Day specifically, with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods said to have been presented with a different type of arrangement tied to the final stretch of their deals.
“The New Day, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods, who were on the list of those without significant future plans, were essentially put in the position where they were going to be cut, but were offered less money to stay, wind down their in-ring careers and finish their current contract doing some in-ring and working in a promotional capacity,” he added. “They both decided to leave the promotion, given they had signed a five year-contract in 2025 at a certain number and one year in were being asked to have that money cut back while maintaining the rest of the contract.”
