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Roman Reigns Reportedly A Target For TKO Budget Cuts

By Shuvangi Sen Chaudhury • Published Jun 06, 2025 05:19 EDT
Roman Reigns WWE

Roman Reigns hasn’t been on WWE TV since the RAW after WrestleMania 41. There is no set timeline for his return to the ring either.

It is well-known that The OTC has been working a part-time schedule for a while. However, his limited appearances actually helped in boosting ticket sales for the events and shows that he was advertised for.

It so happens that Reigns has been making big bucks on his current contract despite not being present for several flagship shows and a handful of premium live events.

TKO might not let Roman Reigns continue with the same pay

Recently, the contracts of R-Truth, Carlito, and Valhalla were not renewed as a part of the company’s roster adjustment. Supposedly, Truth was provided with a new contract but he wasn’t going to make as much money as before, and hence, he denied it.

As per former WWE commentator, Hugo Savinovich, the global juggernaut might take a similar approach to Roman Reigns’ contract. While speaking on Lucha Libra Online, he revealed that TKO might decide to cut down on The OTC’s pay owing to his part-time schedule.

While they won’t outright release him, he won’t be making $15 million per year anymore…Now, why $15 million? Let me break it down. Roman Reigns’ base salary is $5 million. But then there are add-ons—pay-per-views, video game deals like WWE 2K, promotional appearances, merchandise royalties (he earns 30% on merch, which is huge), and special bonuses like appearances in Saudi Arabia. Plus, he earns a cut from ticket sales. All of this adds up to $15 million a year…. TKO is saying: Roman’s not around full-time. Why are we paying him so much? So, they want to renegotiate.

Other podcasters have spoken about the same issue, with everyone seemingly agreeing that Roman Reigns might not be safe from TKO’s budget cuts.