Stokely Hathaway Turned Down $250K A Year From WWE

Stokely Hathaway made his surprise debut at last Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view. The former Malcolm Bivens joined forces as the new publicist for Jade Cargill. Hathaway is known as an excellent talker and thus far has filled the role perfectly.

It was reported that WWE tried to keep Bivens in the fold. He was in the middle of an ongoing storyline with the Diamond Mine faction in NXT. After being offered a new contract in February, he decided to try his luck elsewhere.

Stokely Hathaway became well-known for his work in Ring of Honor before moving to WWE. In a clear show of his value, Vince McMahon’s company offered him a $250,000 per year deal to stay. According to Dave Meltzer in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that wasn’t enough.

“It should be noted Hathaway was offered a WWE main roster contract a few months ago at $250,000 and turned it down, so for him to turn it down, he almost had to be knowing he had a strong deal elsewhere. Khan said he’s wanted Hathaway for the promotion since its start. — Stokely turned down $250K a year from WWE.”

Advertising

Advertising

Stokely Hathaway is now aligned with one of the rising stars of AEW. Jade Cargill is the reigning TBS Champion, is undefeated, and recently formed “The Baddies,” a stable of heel wrestlers including Kiera Hogan and Red Velvet. There are certainly worse spots for Hathaway to be in.

Time will tell how Stokely Hathaway’s AEW run goes. After turning down a nice deal from WWE, it seems that is where he wants to be. Hathaway has the talent to become one of the top managers in the company, and he’s ready to show what he can do.