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WWE Reportedly No Longer In ‘Talent Hoarding’ Mode
Back in 2019 WWE was throwing large money contracts at a number of talents to keep them from signing with competitive promotions, specifically AEW. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affecting business there’s a new report stating that WWE is no longer in “talent hoarding” mode.
According to Fightful Select (subscription required), there were several contract offers made to exiting WWE talent towards the end of 2020 that were “disappointing” in comparison to deals offered just one year earlier. A number of wrestlers reportedly told the publication that they have outright passed on these new offers, with the idea being that they’ll wait until the world becomes “more normal” before they attempt to improve their situation. WWE is aware of this mindset and are also willing to wait to see how things play out. While no individual names were mentioned, the report specifies that this applies to wrestlers across each brand.
One star who is definitely returning is former NXT tag champion Matt Riddle, who recently re-signed with WWE extending him through 2021, which was when his original deal was set to expire after joining NXT in 2018. Riddle’s deal was rumored to be for $400,000 per year, plus a bonus of $50,000 for every event he worked in Saudi Arabia.
We’ll keep you updated with which stars contracts are set to expire as 2021 ushers in a new year for pro-wrestling.