Former WWE stars pay cut details (& two names who weren’t even offered)

WWE

With reports emerging that a number of former WWE stars were offered pay cuts before opting to exit, here’s a list of the names so far.

Earlier this year, it was reported that TKO had an approach to WWE talent contract offers that compensated the names that “they perceive as the stars”. The report would go on to indicate that “older wrestlers” would see less compensation as TKO would “rather spends (its) resources on somebody younger, who also (they) can pay less.”

Some stars have indicated the pay cut that had been offered, without specifying how much in dollar terms would be lost. There are two names who confirmed that no pay cut was even offered:

The New Day

Now signed to AEW contracts, the WWE stars previously known as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods revealed that they were asked to accept a pay cut of more than 50% before their departures.

Speaking on the subject of the actual amount, Conrad Thompson would later reveal that the figure he’d heard was “actually a 75% pay cut“.

Ridge Holland

With his contract expiring and WWE opting not to renew the deal in November of last year, the star previously known as Ridge Holland has confirmed the pay cut figure he was offered.

In a post on Twitter earlier in September, Luke Menzies would suggest he “may have been the first to experience the new TKO version of ‘contract negotiations'”, with the star noting he had been offered a 56% pay cut.

Sheamus

The terms that saw Sheamus part ways with WWE haven’t been revealed, although past reports indicated he “turned down a contract extension offer“.

According to that report, WWE approached Sheamus to restructure his contract while he was injured, and he “swiftly rejected” that approach.

A pay cut isn’t specifically identified, just that there was an attempt to restructure his contract.

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson

For Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, a pay cut wasn’t even offered before they exited WWE for a second time back in February of last year.

The pair spoke on the subject during a recent episode of their Talk’N Shop podcast, with Gallows saying it “would have been kind” to be offered a pay cut.

After a bit of an exchange, Anderson would state, while laughing, “we would have accepted the pay cut”, with Gallows concurring with the assessment.

Gallows and Anderson would return to WWE for the Hall of Fame ceremony in April of this year, inducting AJ Styles into the Class of 2026.

Taking The Deal

Back in May, it was reported that an unnamed “pretty majorly pushed” WWE star had allegedly agreed to a 50% pay cut.

This revelation came in the wake of a report that “a half-dozen people” had been approached with new deals, with “at least two names” agreeing to the arrangement, with no stars named.

Testing The Waters

As is often the case when stars exit WWE, regardless of the reason, many will venture into new territory when it comes to continuing their professional wrestling journey.

For the New Day, they’ve made their AEW debut as the New Level and will no doubt go on to a successful run under Tony Khan. It was also recently reported that Ilja Dragunov is expected to debut in AEW in due course. There is also potential for other former WWE stars to follow suit.

Success will likely come with the right direction for any star seeking an opportunity elsewhere, but the only way to find out is to test the waters of professional wrestling outside of WWE.

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• New Day
• Sheamus
• TKO
• pay cut
• New Level
• wwe

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