As previously reported, former WWE stars The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) chose to leave the company after TKO requested that they restructure their contracts and accept significant pay cuts, despite having signed with the company the previous year.
Additionally, PWInsider.com has shared an unconfirmed rumor about a "majorly pushed talent" in WWE who was asked last week to take a 50% pay cut. It is alleged that this talent agreed to the reduction. A subsequent report from Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp indicated that "a number of people" in WWE were asked to make pay cuts, but it remains unclear whether the group includes the wrestler mentioned in PWInsider.com's earlier report by Mike Johnson.
According to BodySlam+, sources suggest that WWE's parent company, TKO, is requiring talents to modify their compensation due to concerns regarding the talent’s output relative to their pay. The report also noted that another source informed them TKO aims to maximize revenue, especially as Endeavor is currently facing substantial debt. TKO reported a gross debt of $3.783 billion as of December 31, 2025.
It was also reported that TKO CEO Ari Emanuel earned $67.3 million in 2025, while TKO President Mark Shapiro made $42.6 million, and WWE President Nick Khan earned $24.3 million in the same year.
