Real Reason WWE Let Star’s Contract Run Out

One WWE star is no longer with the company, but it seems their exit has come three months after it was originally meant to.

Ashante “Thee” Adonis revealed his time in WWE is at an end after his contract with the company expired. WWE has been allowing more contracts to run down in recent months, with Baron Corbin and Carlito among the highest-profile stars to have also left the company that way.

But it seems that for Adonis, his contract end date gave him something of a reprieve from being released by the company, even if he didn’t do much.

WWE Considered Publicity Angle For Star’s Exit?

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained why Adonis had been given a stay of execution despite his name being on WWE’s list as part of the cuts to the roster in May:

The deal with Ashante, when they did those cuts three months ago, I thought he was getting a call any day. I guess what happened was he was gonna get cut and then they kinda realised if they cut him, they’d pay him for 90 days, which would have ended this week, and then they found out his contract ends this week.

He did nothing. From a publicity standpoint, it sounds so much better when his contract expires rather than you fire a guy when his contract’s not up. So they allowed the man’s contract to run out roughly the same week that if they had fired him [in May], they’d stop paying him with the 90 days. When they were making the list of guys, he was on that list.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit original source and h/t with a link back to TJR Wrestling for the transcription.