Some WWE NXT stars aren’t waiting for a main-roster call-up to start collecting main-roster money.
Sean Ross Sapp addressed via Fightful Select Q&A how WWE handles contracts when talent moves from NXT to Raw or SmackDown, and the answer isn’t as simple as handing everybody a brand-new deal once they get called up. In some cases, WWE has already signed talent to contracts paying more than the company’s main-roster minimum before they ever leave NXT.
Sapp specifically named Jordynne Grace and Joe Hendry while discussing talent who entered NXT on bigger contracts. He also said he believes Ricky Starks and Ethan Page may have been brought in under similar circumstances.
“There are some people I know. Jordynne Grace is one of them. I know Joe Hendry was one of them. I suspect Ricky Starks and Ethan Page were among them as well. I know a couple of them were brought into NXT above the main-roster minimum of $350K a year.”
That changes the situation when those wrestlers eventually move to Raw or SmackDown. If WWE is already paying them more than the main-roster minimum, the company doesn’t necessarily need to tear up the NXT contract and replace it with another one. Sapp explained that WWE can simply keep those wrestlers on their existing deals.
“When they get called up, WWE doesn’t feel the need to offer them new contracts because they’re already making above the minimum of main roster. They wanted to get NXT value out of them for the CW Network, so they’re just kept on those deals.”
Jordynne Grace was used as a specific example. Sapp said she is roughly a year and a half into her current WWE contract and still has plenty of time remaining on it.
“Jordynne Grace is about a year and a half into her deal, and she’s got years left on that deal.”
Not every NXT wrestler gets that setup. Talent earning traditional NXT money can be offered an entirely new contract once WWE moves them to the main roster. That new agreement comes with more money and can also restart the contractual timeline.
“There are other talent on NXT that are called up and offered new deals for more money that replace their old NXT contract, so that sort of resets the clock.”
The takeaway is that a WWE main-roster call-up doesn’t automatically mean a new contract. Established names can arrive in NXT already making more than the $350,000 main-roster minimum, while others get the bigger payday and a fresh contract when WWE decides it’s time for them to move up.
What do you think about WWE paying certain NXT stars above main-roster minimum money before they’re even called up? Drop your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
