Some top WWE stars’ outside commitments, especially in Hollywood, have become a concern backstage because the company reportedly struggles to get them to agree to long storylines.
Jonathan Coachman recently revealed on The 2 Count that he heard about the issue from a source within WWE.
“Getting them to buy into long-term storytelling, JD, is becoming an issue backstage… they’re always looking to go do other stuff,” Coachman said.
Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and Drew McIntyre, all of whom have had recent movie roles, were brought up in the conversation.
Coachman noted that this freedom could hurt ticket sales because a lot of fans buy their tickets two or three months ahead of time and can’t be sure the stars advertised for the show will be there. He added that parent company TKO is very interested in Hollywood.
WWE was unable to sell out Night 1 of WrestleMania 42 despite a 25 percent price cut the week before the show. Back in July, Coachman agreed with Jim Ross that SummerSlam ticket sales were lower than expected due to WWE’s biggest stars missing from the card.
At the start of October, Rhodes himself appeared on the Flagrant podcast and revealed that he signed a new contract with WWE. He said the new deal allows him to take time off for other projects.
“I’m able to take a step away, and I’m able to collaborate with WWE, and I’m able to come back home,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes and Reigns are part of the cast of the Street Fighter movie, which opened in U.S. theaters on October 16. Rhodes plays Guile, while Reigns plays Akuma.
But McIntyre is the most obvious case. He hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since losing to Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 42 in April, and in that time he has filmed the new Highlander movie and The Last Druid with Russell Crowe.
Despite rumors that he could be back soon, McIntyre said his focus is on other things for now.
“But right now, I’m focused on Hollywood Drew,” McIntyre said. “I’m not giving anything away.”