As previously reported by PWMania.com, former WWE stars Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, known as The New Day, decided to leave the company after TKO asked them to restructure their contracts and accept significant pay cuts, despite having signed with the company the previous year.
PWInsider.com later reported an unconfirmed rumor about a “majorly pushed talent” in WWE who was asked last week to take a 50% pay cut, and it is alleged that this talent agreed to do so.
Additionally, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp mentioned that “a number of people” in WWE were asked to take pay cuts, although it remains unclear whether this group includes the wrestler referenced in Mike Johnson’s earlier report on PWInsider.com.
According to BodySlam+, sources indicate that WWE’s parent company, TKO, is requesting that talents restructure their payments due to what they perceive as a discrepancy between their production rate and compensation.
It was also noted that another source informed the site that TKO aims to maximize its revenue as Endeavor continues to manage significant debt. TKO reported its gross debt at $3.783 billion as of December 31, 2025.
It was also noted that TKO CEO Ari Emanuel earned $67.3 million in 2025, while TKO President Mark Shapiro earned $42.6 million, and WWE President Nick Khan made $24.3 million during the same year.
