WWE Salary Cuts Prove Wrestlers Have Lost Leverage

TLDR

Talent agent Nick LoPiccolo argued in a series of posts on July 15, 2026 that WWE's roster cuts and lower contract offers reflect a broader reset of cost structure ahead of TKO's next media-rights cycle, rather than a reaction to TKO's $7.5 billion stock decline. LoPiccolo said WWE is acting without fear that AEW can absorb released talent or drive up salaries, suggesting wrestlers no longer have the leverage created by competition between the two companies. He warned wrestlers against relying on the assumption that another promotion will always offer a competing contract.