Add as a preferred source on Google WWE has been pointing to its dramatically reduced travel schedule as the main reason for asking wrestlers to accept pay cuts. According to Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the internal view at TKO is that many deals were signed under a very different business reality than the one WWE operates in now.
The company’s argument is that talent once worked several house shows per week, traveled for days at a time, and covered expenses for transportation, hotels, and food, while today’s workload is far lighter. One key number backs that up, as WWE ran roughly 25 house shows in 2025, including international events, compared with 65 in 2024 and 103 in 2023.
Several names have reportedly already been affected. Fightful Select reported that some wrestlers were given only two days to decide whether they would accept the new terms, while PWInsider noted that one featured star reportedly agreed to a pay cut of up to 50%.
The Wrestling Observer reporta que la justificación de la WWE para pedir a los luchadores que acepten recortes salariales es que actualmente están trabajando menos que en el pasado. Según el informe, la postura de la empresa es que “las cosas son muy diferentes ahora a cuando… pic.twitter.com/bCljfNNggI
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The most talked-about case involves Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. Both left WWE after rejecting a contract restructuring as part of the broader round of cuts being carried out under TKO.
The biggest criticism centers on the contrast between those pay-cut requests and WWE’s financial performance. In 2025, WWE generated $1.709 billion in revenue, up $311.3 million from the previous year, while the division’s adjusted EBITDA rose to $896.5 million.
WWE has not officially commented on the new salary approach. Backstage, however, the mood is said to be uncertain, especially among higher-paid talent who are not regularly featured on television.