What Led to WWE Talent Releases After Endeavor’s Acquisition

On Thursday morning, a wave of WWE superstars was released from the company following the acquisition by Endeavor. This unexpected round of releases raised questions as it was initially believed that WWE/NXT talent would not be affected by the merger.

According to a report from The Wrestling Observe Newsletter, that the decision to make these cuts was driven by a desire to reduce expenses significantly, with a targeted cutback of $50 million to $100 million following the merger with UFC.

While WWE initially planned not to release talent, the criteria for these cuts revolved around the balance between the talent’s earnings, their utilization on the main roster, and their potential future roles in WWE.

Dave Meltzer explained the decision, stating, “It’s time in vs. how much money you are paid vs. return on investment.” In other words, WWE assessed whether the talent’s contributions and future prospects justified their main roster salaries.

“The key to the releases were talent making main roster money but not being used on the main roster and with the idea that they were not going to be used in the future. ‘It’s time in vs. how much money you are paid vs. return on investment,’ said one WWE official regarding the talent cuts.”

All the released superstars, who were under main roster contracts, have been issued 90-day non-compete clauses. This means that they will be free to work for other wrestling promotions starting on December 20th, 2023, after the expiration of their non-compete periods.

What are your thoughts on WWE’s decision to release these superstars as part of their cost-cutting efforts following the merger with Endeavor? Leave us a comment.