For several decades, WWE was owned by the McMahon family after initially being started as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation. Vincent Kennedy McMahon bought the company from his father, Vince McMahon Sr., in the early 1980s and transformed it into the global juggernaut we know today.
After Vince McMahon stepped down from his role as Chairman and CEO in 2022, the company underwent significant changes. In 2023, WWE was sold following a merger with Endeavor Group, which acquired the majority shares to form TKO Group Holdings.
Since the formation of TKO, the new management has overseen the release of several stars, with a staggering 57 talents having left the company just this year alone.
During the most recent episode of *Writing with Russo* on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, former WWE writer Vince Russo shared some insight from a recent conversation he had with David Otunga. Otunga, a former Nexus member and Harvard-educated lawyer, discussed the contracts wrestlers sign with WWE. According to Otunga, TKO has broad authority under these contracts to release wrestlers for almost any reason.
Russo explained, “David was going over these contracts today and he said in the contract, bro, they can release you for anything, like, you know, cause is cause. Cause can mean anything. So, they can get out of any contract they want at any time.” He continued, “And that’s why he said, ‘Man, if these guys just fought this, they wouldn’t have to deal with it.’ But until they do, there’s no reason for TKO to change the way they do business.”
This revelation sheds light on the harsh realities behind WWE’s recent waves of releases. Some notable names let go this year include former champions such as Braun Strowman, Andrade, and Dakota Kai. Interestingly, all three were re-signed by WWE just a few years ago before being released again recently.
The current structure under TKO Group Holdings appears to allow significant flexibility for management to make business decisions without much pushback from contracted talent. It remains to be seen if wrestlers will unite to challenge these contractual terms and possibly influence changes in how releases are handled.
*Credit: Sportskeeda Wrestling*
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