Felix Upton on May 4, 2026
WWE’s latest round of roster cuts after WrestleMania 42 is raising serious questions—and not just because of the names involved. The bigger issue is how little protection talent actually has, even when they think they’re locked into long-term deals.
The company released a wide range of performers across the main roster, NXT, and developmental, including Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Kairi Sane, Santos Escobar, Zoey Stark, and the Motor City Machine Guns. That list alone makes one thing clear—tenure, momentum, or star power doesn’t guarantee anything.
During a discussion on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer broke down how WWE contracts actually work behind the scenes, and it’s not what most people think. The conversation focused on the gap between what talent believes they’re signing and what those deals actually protect.
“You think you got a contract for five years… and then a year into it they cut you… it sucks. But it’s also something that you have to know when you sign that contract that they could do unless you sign a no cut contract.”
That “no-cut” clause is the only real protection—and it’s almost nonexistent. Meltzer made it clear that even among top-tier talent, that kind of security is extremely rare.
“And I believe that there may be one or two guys with no cut contracts in WWE, but it’s very, very few.”
It gets worse. According to Meltzer, even major stars have tried to negotiate that level of protection and still couldn’t get it written into their deals, despite being reassured behind the scenes.
“I know top guys who tried to get no cut contracts and they were told no… and they’re also told ‘we’re never going to cut you’… but they still wouldn’t put it in writing.”
That’s where the problem hits hardest. Verbal promises don’t mean anything if they aren’t part of the contract, and these latest cuts made that reality impossible to ignore. From longtime veterans to rising talent, everyone is vulnerable under the same system. If the company decides to make a move, the contract doesn’t stop it.
This isn’t a new issue, but the scale of these releases has brought it right back into focus. WWE contracts may look solid on paper, but in practice, they don’t offer the kind of job security most people assume they do. With so many names gone in such a short time, the message is clear—unless that rare clause is in writing, nothing is guaranteed.
Do you think WWE talent should push harder to secure no-cut clauses, or is this just the reality of the wrestling business today? Let us know your thoughts.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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