Throughout the year there’s been a lot of talk about WWE pay cuts as it’s been reported that the company has been offering certain talents restructured deals for less pay.
It’s been rumored that some names have accepted the pay cuts and continue to work for the company, while others such as The New Day (now The New Level in AEW) and Sheamus declined to take the pay cut and parted ways with the company.
Former WWE star AJ Francis recently took to social media to joke that he was asked to take a 100% pay cut when the company released him back in 2023. Luke Menzies then chimed in and noted that he may have been the first wrestler in the company to experience the pay cut situation when he posted the following:
“Honestly I think I may have been the first to experience the new TKO version of “contract Negotiations”
56% paycut…. OUCH!”
Honestly I think I may have been the first to experience the new TKO version of “contract Negotiations”
56% paycut…. OUCH! https://t.co/WHseg3MwVI
— Luke Menzies (@LDMenzies) September 3, 2026
Luke Menzies first signed with WWE in 2018 and went on to use the name Ridge Holland. He was called up to SmackDown in 2021, and infamously broke Big E’s neck during a match on SmackDown in March of 2022. He was then sent back to NXT in 2023.
In October of 2023, Menzies announced that WWE would not be renewing his contract and the company later terminated his contract early in November of that same year.