Steve Carrier on April 23, 2026
WWE President Nick Khan revealed a big number during a Senate hearing this week, telling lawmakers that WWE currently has more than 100 legend deals in place with retired wrestlers.
The comment came while Khan was speaking before the Senate about changes to boxing law and how other combat sports could learn from WWE’s business model. Lawmakers asked what parts of WWE’s system could help fighters earn money long after their careers end.
That’s when Khan pointed to WWE’s legend program and explained just how many former wrestlers are still getting paid through the company. While answering the question about long-term earnings for retired talent, Khan laid out the number clearly.
“Understood. So WWE, for example, has over a 100 deals with what we call our legends — our retired wrestlers.”
He then explained how those deals keep money coming in for former stars even after they stop wrestling, tying them into WWE’s merchandise and licensing business.
“So they receive compensation from us for years after their retirement from the ring because of their participation in our video games, trading card deals, merchandise deals, and action figures, and all of these other ancillary revenues.”
Khan used that example to take a shot at boxing’s system, saying fighters there don’t have the same kind of long-term opportunities tied to branding and merchandise.
To make his point, he named two of boxing’s biggest stars and said fans never saw the kind of products that WWE regularly produces for its legends. He followed that up by blaming the structure of boxing itself for the lack of those opportunities.
“Think about this. Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao — the two fighters of that generation — you could not buy an action figure of them.”
“You cannot buy a video game of them. It doesn't exist because of this broken system.”
The moment stood out because it put a real number on WWE’s legend system, something that usually stays behind the scenes. Saying there are more than 100 deals shows just how big that part of WWE’s business has become and how many retired names are still tied to the company.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Do you think WWE having over 100 legend deals is a good way to support retired wrestlers, or should more details about those agreements be made public? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
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