List of WWE and AEW Stars Who Maintained Blue Checkmarks on Twitter’s Updated Platform

Twitter has started a mass removal of blue checkmarks worldwide, and the majority of WWE and AEW locker rooms are apparently just fine without them.

For years, Twitter’s blue checkmarks were seen as a status symbol that was free of charge, awarded to users with notability in their field. But, following Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Bird app, these checkmarks have become a paid subscription feature that can be accessed through Twitter Blue.

According to Musk, the reason behind the new monetization system is that it is easy to create thousands or even millions of fake Twitter accounts using a single computer, making it harder to verify accounts without genuine identity.

“Any social media network that doesn’t take verification seriously will eventually fail,” Musk said during a recent Q&A session on Twitter.

A study by researcher Travis Brown reported that an estimated 300,000 users are now paying for subscriptions on Twitter, with 62% of those users coming from the United States. These monetization efforts are estimated to bring in $2.4 million per month and $7.2 million per quarter.

Despite this, a number of WWE and AEW superstars have opted not to pay for verification, and have instead left their blue checkmarks behind.

Some of the wrestlers who have let go of their blue tick include Asuka, Grayson Waller, Kofi Kingston, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Pat McAfee, and Zoey Stark from WWE, and Evil Uno, Mark Briscoe, MJF, Orange Cassidy, Swerve Strickland, and Paul Wight from AEW. Meanwhile, John Cena, Randy Orton, Logan Paul, Paul Heyman, Ronda Rousey, and Michael Cole have opted to keep their verified status by subscribing to Twitter Blue.

As of this writing, 14 WWE personnel have subscribed to Twitter Blue, accounting for 5% of WWE personnel, including active WWE and NXT Superstars, broadcasters, non-wrestlers, and ambassadors. On the other hand, just 4% of the AEW roster has subscribed to Twitter Blue, which represents a mere $40 per month.

Musk’s push for paid verification is partly in response to fake Twitter accounts. Last year, Tony Khan, the CEO of AEW, suggested that WWE was paying anti-AEW Twitter bots to spread negative narratives about his company.

What do you think about Twitter’s decision to make blue checkmarks a paid feature, and how do you feel about WWE and AEW superstars who have opted not to pay for verification? Leave a comment.