WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash is speaking out about the wave of roster cuts that followed WrestleMania 42, and he isn’t mincing words about the company’s direction under TKO Group Holdings.
Nash recently addressed the post-WrestleMania 42 releases, calling out specific firings as flat-out wrong. The WWE legend also set his sights on the financial optics of the situation — pointing to the significant executive compensation packages at TKO while rank-and-file performers were being let go.
Nash Criticizes TKO’s Financial Priorities
According to Nash, the juxtaposition of TKO leadership raking in big paydays while wrestlers are shown the door doesn’t sit right with him. The former WWE Champion singled out Nick Khan and TKO’s reported financial growth as a backdrop to cuts that Nash believes were unjustified.
“It was wrong,” Nash said of the releases, per recent reports.
Nash’s comments come in the context of a broader wave of budget-tightening at WWE. TKO moved to cut costs through more than 24 releases and asked at least six talents to take pay reductions. Among those who reportedly declined a 50% pay cut were Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of The New Day — both of whom were subsequently released.
The Bigger Picture: TKO’s Budget Squeeze
The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer reported in early May that WWE asked some talent to renegotiate to lower pay, with NXT talent particularly affected. Notably, Roman Reigns was reportedly not among those asked to take a reduction.
Nash’s frustration reflects a sentiment shared by many in the wrestling community: that the business case for the cuts is difficult to accept when TKO’s executive class continues to grow its earnings while the locker room shrinks.
This isn’t the first time Nash has used his platform to hold WWE leadership accountable. The WWE Hall of Famer has long been one of the industry’s most outspoken voices on talent rights and business ethics inside the squared circle.
A Growing Chorus of Criticism
Nash is far from alone. The post-WrestleMania 42 cuts have drawn widespread criticism from current and former WWE talent, media personalities, and fans alike. The combination of high-profile releases, reported pay cut requests, and TKO’s focus on profit margin has made this one of the more contentious off-screen periods in recent WWE history.
As more former stars speak up, the pressure on TKO to address the optics — if not the decisions themselves — is only likely to grow.