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One Star Reportedly Took A “Pretty Big Pay Cut” To Stay In WWE; Doesn’t Want AEW Move

By Gaurav Singh • Published May 05, 2026 06:20 EDT
WWE AEW
WWE and AEW have shared quite a few stars between them. (Image via-X/@WWE, @AEW)

A latest report has revealed that a WWE star took a big pay cut to stay instead of jumping ship to AEW.

Almost a week after WrestleMania 42, WWE came to terms with the release of over 20 wrestlers, and the list included some shocking names like Aleister Black, Kairi Sane, Zoey Stark, Zelina Vega, Wyatt Sicks, and more. Amid the fear of more releases coming, the New Day’s Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston parted ways with the Stamford-based promotion, after they were reportedly asked to restructure their existing deals to take a pay cut.

Meanwhile, another WWE star was reportedly asked to take a pay cut, and he could’ve gone to AEW for a big deal. However, the undisclosed star reportedly accepted the pay cut and decided to stay with the Sports Entertainment Juggernaut.

A WWE star took a pay cut and stayed with the company instead of heading to AEW

Speaking on the Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that he knows a guy in WWE who could’ve made a lot of money by joining AEW, but decided to stay by taking a pay cut. Meltzer also explained why TKO renegotiates a wrestler’s contract:

I know one guy in this situation, he could go to AEW and he could make a lot of money in AEW but he did take a pretty big pay cut to stay… The reason you would be asked to renegotiate is because the contract you signed was when they perceived you as being far more valuable than they perceive you as being now. That’s why they would renegotiate a contract”

Meltzer further reported that the reason for the undisclosed star’s pay cut is that the creative didn’t do justice to him. Dave concluded, saying the star accepted the pay cut instead of taking a risk of going somewhere else:

In the case of the person, it’s someone who would fit into that category and the reason was not that he’s not good or not that he’s not great, but that they creatively didn’t take advantage of what they had, I would say is the best way of putting it. But he accepted it, he didn’t take the risk or whatever it is of going elsewhere. It’s still a lot of money, you could say that.”[h/t Cultaholic]

More updates will be provided regarding the undisclosed WWE star who reportedly accepted a pay cut.

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