WWE Reportedly Releasing More Wrestlers, Backstage Talk On Contracts And Cuts
WWE officials are reportedly looking at making more releases.
WWE recently parted ways with a number of Superstars, who were told that they were being released as a part of budget cuts. Now word via Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast is that there will be more releases made as the company looks to cut back on contracts.
It was reported earlier this week that there is a push among some in WWE who think Aleister Black should be brought back. Zarian reported on Mat Men that there are a lot of people within WWE who believe the company never really intends on fully releasing some wrestlers, and that some of the cuts are just a contract move so that they can re-negotiate the deals.
This way of doing business is not official, but it is heavily speculated on within WWE, and people are said to be very unhappy with the possibility of that happening, due to the fact that WWE could terminate contracts in the middle of a wrestler's deal, in order to re-negotiate, just to give that talent less money. It was noted that this isn't something WWE does often, and this isn't the first we've heard of the practice, but if true it would be a new method of doing business for the company.
It was also said that WWE management does want to cut back on contracts and because of that, more releases are coming. There is no word on exactly when the next round of cuts will be made, or who is being released, but it was noted that this last round on June 2 was not the final list of cuts.
Since mid-April WWE has released a number of wrestlers, and made several office cuts amid corporate restructuring. The following Superstars have been released since the first round of budget cuts on April 15 of this year: Wesley Blake, Bo Dallas, Chelsea Green, Tucker Knight, Kalisto, Peyton Royce, Billie Kay, Mickie James, Samoa Joe, Ruby Riott, Aleister Black, Braun Strowman, Santana Garrett, Lana, and Buddy Murphy. They also released Lars Sullivan, Steve Cutler and Andrade in the months leading up to April, but for various reasons.
Stay tuned for more.