Vince McMahon Was “Vehemently Against” No-Cut Clauses in WWE Contracts

Vince McMahon ran WWE for four decades until his unceremonious retirement. While he was still in a position of power, the business mogul had his own way of running things that may not have been favorable for others. But McMahon liked to run things on his terms, believing it was good for business. Without a doubt, McMahon was instrumental in making WWE the gigantic pro wrestling company it is today. However, not everybody on his team was always on the same page with how he orchestrated things. Earlier this year in July, McMahon stepped down from his role as the CEO after news about him being involved in a “hush money” scandal came to light. 

Since his retirement, his daughter Stephani McMahon and Nick Khan have assumed control as CO-CEOs. His son-in-law Paul Levesque (Triple H) gained control of the Creative as the new Chief Content Officer.

WWE’s reputation was marred after McMahon’s scandals were unearthed and the floundering company desperately needed to be salvaged. But to everybody’s surprise, under the new management, the company has reached new heights it had never reached before. The new regime is conspicuously a far cry from Vince McMahon’s. 

Vince McMahon strongly opposed no-cut WWE contracts

In 2020, during the onset of the global pandemic Coronavirus, a huge chunk of the WWE roster was furloughed. After McMahon’s retirement, many laid-off superstars were reinstated courtesy of Triple H. While many more changes were implemented in terms of business conduct, there is one specific change that Vince McMahon was “vehemently against” during his reign.

According to Fightful Select, Vince McMahon did not want his talents to have the no-cut clause in their contracts. Suddenly, after his retirement, there is a visible change in the number of free agents on the market. 

“We’d reported last year that no-cut clauses have not been a part of any of the negotiations. In addition, Fightful had learned that Vince McMahon specifically was not in favor of adding a no cut-clause, but that others in the front office were. We’ve learned that many in the front office of WWE have heard that WWE President and Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan has sounded open to the idea.” Reported Fightful Select. 

As noted, while Vince McMahon was against the idea, others on his team were all for the superstars to have a no-cut clause in their contract. Ultimately, Vince McMahon had the final say. 

WWE talents are happier under Nick Khan’s regime than Vince McMahon’s

Fightful Select further reported that WWE talents had positive things to say about Nick Khan’s management. With the new regime in effect, it is observable that WWE’s mass roster release and attrition rates have plummeted except for NXT and NXT UK cuts.

Nick Khan working outside the confines of WWE traditions is much appreciated by the talents. However, a new report also suggests that Vince McMahon is reportedly thinking of coming back to power. The idea of his return has sparked a negative reaction backstage. It remains to be seen if Vince McMahon ever returns. 

“Most talent that we’ve spoken to have very positive things to say about Nick Khan and his method of management, specifically thinking outside of the box as compared to WWE traditions. Since Vince McMahon’s exit, there have not been mass main roster WWE releases, although there have been NXT and NXT UK cuts.”

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