Add as a preferred source on Google Kevin Nash once again went after TKO, this time over the company’s new contract restructuring policy in WWE, which has been causing serious frustration behind the scenes.
According to Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer, several upper-midcard talents were approached to accept pay cuts that could reach as much as 50%. The reasoning given was the change in scheduling, since many wrestlers now work fewer live events and have fewer matches per month.
On a recent episode of Kliq This, Nash didn’t hold back and said TKO executives need to stop meddling with WWE, especially on the creative side. The Hall of Famer also defended Triple H, saying the cuts shouldn’t be dropped in Paul Levesque’s lap.
“Get your nose out of creative. Let Paul run the company.”
The comments gained even more traction because TKO’s top executives received massive compensation packages in 2025. According to an official filing with the SEC, Ari Emanuel earned $67.3 million, while Mark Shapiro pulled in $42.6 million.
On top of that, TKO itself reported $1.597 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2026, with a net profit of $249.8 million and roughly $1 billion returned to shareholders.
Nash also questioned WWE’s contract model, saying it makes no sense for the company to slash long-term deals whenever it wants while still classifying wrestlers as independent contractors.
It remains to be seen whether the strong public pushback from names like Nash will have any impact in the coming months. For now, TKO has shown no signs of backing down.