Nick LoPiccolo has a blunt warning for professional wrestlers counting on WWE and AEW to keep bidding against each other: stop waiting, because he believes that war is dead.
The talent agent unleashed a series of posts on July 15, 2026, arguing that wrestlers can no longer depend on competition between two promotions to drive salaries and create career leverage.
“To every wrestler reading this, stop waiting for a wrestling war to create leverage for you. It’s over. TKO knows it. Wall Street knows it. The media companies know it.”
LoPiccolo named Ari Emanuel, Nick Khan and Mark Shapiro while claiming Tony Khan and AEW are being overwhelmed by executives operating at a much higher level of the entertainment and media business.
“Ari Emanuel, Nick Khan and Mark Shapiro know it. I come from their world. You don’t. Tony Khan doesn’t. Whether Tony has the self-awareness to admit it or not, he’s being run the fuck over while this fake war takes talent down with him.”
He said he has warned wrestlers for years that television competition is not the same thing as lasting institutional competition. AEW signing wrestlers away from WWE may have created temporary bargaining power, but LoPiccolo argued that talent could never depend on two companies raising offers forever.
“I told you television competition wasn’t institutional competition. I told you another billionaire signing wrestlers wasn’t a sustainable labor market. I told you your leverage couldn’t depend on two wrestling companies bidding against each other forever. I was right. I am right.”
LoPiccolo also warned wrestlers against confusing access, creative promises and positive relationships with management for actual power. He argued that talent becomes dangerously dependent when one employer controls salary, television exposure, outside opportunities and perceived market value.
“This stupid fake wrestling war is going to take you down with it unless you stop confusing access, creative promises and proximity to the cool table with actual career leverage.”
“Ask yourself one question: Do you want to be represented by your employer? Because that’s effectively what’s happening when one meaningful buyer controls your salary, television exposure, creative opportunities, outside approvals and perceived market value. If your entire strategy is keeping management happy and hoping another wrestling company eventually offers you more money, you don’t have leverage. You have permission.”
According to LoPiccolo, wrestlers need to build value outside the wrestling bubble through film, television, publishing, music, brands, production and ownership. He believes those opportunities can make talent harder to release, harder to underpay and less dependent on one wrestling company.
“Your leverage comes from outside the wrestling bubble. Film. Television. Brands. Publishing. Music. Sports. Production. Ownership. Pop culture. Real opportunities that create value for you and your employer at the same time. That makes you harder to cut, harder to underpay and more valuable to WWE, TKO, UFC, AEW or anybody else.”
LoPiccolo said that philosophy is why he created RARESTNDRD, which he described as an independent bridge between talent, Hollywood, brands, capital and ownership.
“Stop waiting for the wrestling war to save you. It’s dead, and you’ll be the last to know unless you start creating real leverage now.”
LoPiccolo’s message was aimed directly at wrestlers who still believe WWE and AEW will continue driving each other’s contract offers higher. He believes talent must stop relying on wrestling promotions for every part of their careers and start building value that exists beyond the ring.
Do wrestlers need opportunities outside WWE and AEW to create real leverage, or can competition between the two companies still protect talent? Leave your feedback in the comments.
