WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently addressed WWE contract structures.
Several names were cut from the WWE roster as part of post-WrestleMania 42 releases. JR explained that multi-year deals typically include performance-based exit clauses. He highlighted that contracts are not fully guaranteed unless specifically negotiated that way.
On his Grilling JR podcast, Ross stated that WWE includes protective measures in long-term agreements. He explained that even five-year contracts often contain provisions allowing the company to release talent under certain circumstances.
“I think probably most of them probably got a 90 day out, meaning they get paid for 90 days and they’re free to go where the hell they want. So essentially when you sign those five-year deals, a lot of them have outs, all of them have outs of some sort, and if they don’t? You’re stupid…and WWE is not stupid.”
The veteran commentator clarified that signing a five-year deal does not guarantee five years of employment at a set rate. Ross noted that talent must specifically negotiate guaranteed terms if they want full contract security.
“Just because you got a five-year deal, it doesn’t mean you got five guaranteed years to pay at this particular rate,” Ross explained. “If I’m a talent, I like the five-year deal, cause it gives me a little bit of security. But it’s not guaranteed unless you negotiate that in your deal, that ‘I got five years guaranteed and my contract ends in 2032 or something.’”
Ross’s comments provide insight into how WWE structures talent agreements and the importance of contract negotiations in professional wrestling.