Tag: wwe contracts

Jim Ross says WWE is ‘not stupid’ when it comes to talent contracts and out clauses

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Former WWE commentator and sometimes man for AEW in the booth Jim Ross recently discussed the cuts to the WWE roster following WrestleMania 42 this year. The former WWE Head of Talent Relations noted that while a lot of talents are signed to ‘5 year deals,’ these are not literally ‘you’re signed for five years’ deals, there is (by default) always a cut clause in them.

Speaking on the latest episode of his Grilling Jr podcast, JR would note: “I think probably most of them [the recently released talent] probably got a 90 day out, meaning they get paid for 90 days and they’re free to go where the hell they want. So essentially when you sign those five-year deals, a lot of them have outs, all of them have outs of some sort, and if they don’t? You’re stupid…and WWE is not stupid.”

Jim Ross on 5 year WWE deals

JR also clarified that these ‘5 year deals’ that a lot of talent reportedly signed back in 2024 don’t automatically mean you’re around for the full 5 years: “Just because you got a five-year deal, it doesn’t mean you got five guaranteed years to pay at this particular rate. If I’m a talent, I like the five-year deal, cause it gives me a little bit of security, but it’s not guaranteed unless you negotiate that in your deal, that “I got five years guaranteed and my contract ends in 2032 or something.”

Usually WWE releases have a 90-day no-compete clause if they were main roster contracted talent. NXT talent will usually have a 30-day clause where they cannot appear on another televised competing product.

New WWE contracts have lengthy non-compete if fired for cause or breach

Posted on by Joseph Currier

An update to WWE & TKO’s contract structure is what currently has Andrade on the sidelines after his AEW return.

Earlier this morning, our Bryan Alvarez reported that Andrade’s mysterious AEW absence was believed to have something to do with his WWE non-compete. Now, Alvarez has confirmed with multiple sources that it’s standard for new WWE/TKO contracts to have a clause where wrestlers have a one-year non-compete if fired for cause or breach:

We have it confirmed through multiple sources that the new TKO contracts have a clause where if you are fired, there is a one-year non-compete. The older contracts had this but it’s standard now. This is the hold-up involving Andrade. Very skeptical this would hold up in a legal battle, but it’s in the contracts.

Andrade returned to AEW on October 1, showing up in the promotion less than a month after his WWE release. He has not appeared for AEW since. It was originally believed that Andrade did not have a non-compete from WWE, with multiple wellness policy failures reported to be what led to WWE cutting him.

In addition to returning to AEW, Andrade worked a match for The Crash in Mexico on October 3. He’s been scheduled for upcoming dates for WWC in Puerto Rico and Mucha Lucha in Atlanta. The latter of those is no longer being advertised.

Santos Escobar becomes free agent as WWE contract expires

Posted on by Josh Nason

Santos Escobar is now a free agent after his WWE contract expired Tuesday at midnight.

That new report comes from Fightful Select who first reported Monday that it was likely Escobar would part ways with WWE after attempts to re-sign him were declined. Sources indicated to the outlet that it was more “creative dissatisfaction than it was about money” and that he was offered more money.

They also reported Escobar could appear at New York Comic Con this weekend.

The Legado del Fantasma member hasn’t been in the ring since appearing in trios matches on WWE SuperShows in Mexico July 26 and 27. He has wrestled just seven times overall this year with two of those appearances coming in battle royals.

The former El Hijo del Fantasma, Escobar signed with WWE in August 2019, got injured while training, and then started with NXT in February 2020 under his real name (Jorge Bolly) which was eventually changed to his current moniker after winning the NXT Cruiserweight title that same year.

He, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro were called up to the main roster in October 2022 where he has remained ever since. After splitting with the LWO, Escobar has been aligned with Los Garza.

He was relatively quiet on social media for September, but has began posting pictures of him in a suit from a photo shoot including the following which included an hourglass emoji (seen below).

The 41-year-old is both a former titleholder in CMLL and AAA and has also wrestled for TNA in the past. Given WWE’s ownership of AAA, a reunion would appear to be unprecedented.

WWE contract update for Bronson Reed

Posted on by Josh Nason

A new report from Fightful Select has Bronson Reed sticking around in WWE for years to come.

The outlet reported Friday that the 37-year-old re-signed with WWE “quite a long time ago” on a multi-year deal. The Australian native is currently part of The Vision along with Paul Heyman, Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed and possibly Brock Lesnar.

As of this writing, he does not have an opponent for next Saturday’s Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia — his first show in his native country as a main roster talent. He did list some of his dream opponents recently and said whatever he does at the PLE, it will be “impactful.”

Reed (Jermaine Haley) is in his second run with WWE, brought back to the company in 2022 by Paul “Triple H” Levesque after he was released in in August 2021 following three years in developmental.

In his first run, he was solely in NXT outside a June 2021 SmackDown dark match and a WWE Main Event bout that same month. Reed has not held main roster gold to this point, but was NXT North American Champion for 42 days in 2021.

June 9, 2025 Observer Newsletter: Several WWE wrestlers not returning, Money in the Bank & Worlds Collide previews

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: WWE

Dave Meltzer returns with the newest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

He leads off with a look at WWE bidding farewell to three veterans over the last week in R-Truth, Carlito and Valhalla as they chose not to renew their contracts.

He then looks at a very busy Saturday for TKO as WWE holds Worlds Collide and Money in the Bank followed by a UFC pay-per-view later that night.

All that and the rest of the news of the pro wrestling week awaits.

Click here to read (sub needed).

Johnny Gargano’s WWE contract reportedly to expire in December

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Johnny Gargano is the latest name in WWE to have their contract expiring soon.

Fightful Select reported this afternoon that Gargano’s contract is set to expire on December 3, 2021. WWE sources told Fightful that Gargano and WWE have not entered negotiations to renew the contract, but WWE is “expected to” in the fall.

Additionally, Fightful reported that this is not a situation akin to Adam Cole and Pete Dunne, where WWE was caught off guard by their contracts expiring soon. The company reportedly has reviewed many of the deals since the situation involving Aleister Black and his 30 day non-compete.

Gargano has been with the WWE since 2015, signing a contract the following year and mainly staying in NXT aside from a brief run on the main roster. He’s a former NXT Champion, North American Champion, and Tag Team Champion.

Kevin Owens is another name whose contract is expiring soon, on January 31, 2022.

Sting reportedly not under WWE contract

Posted on by Bryan Rose

According to a new report, Sting is not currently under a WWE contract.

Pro Wrestling Sheet reported this afternoon that Sting is not under WWE contract at the moment. The report says, however, that this doesn’t mean that the two sides couldn’t work out a possible new merchandising deal.

Speculation regarding Sting’s status with WWE was first brought up when The Major Wrestling Figure podcast reported that a Sting figure set for Mattel’s Legends Series 7 line was removed.

Mattel sent a statement to the podcast, saying “Due to circumstances out of our control Sting needed to be removed from Legends Series 7. We’ll look to include this figure in a future wave if he becomes available to us again.”

Sting joined the WWE in 2014 and worked a number of matches, including Triple H at WrestleMania 31. However, he retired from in-ring action following a neck injury at Night of Champions 2015. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the following year.