In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscribe here), Dave Meltzer reports that WWE has made a change to NXT contracts.
Specifically, they have changed the type of contracts that they are offering new NXT recruits.
According to Meltzer, new NXT signees are being locked into longer contracts than before. Here is what he wrote in the Newsletter:
“In another change, talent being signed to new NXT contracts are getting five-year deals instead of the previous three-year deals for beginners, trying to lock people in to where it’s a long time before they can test the free agent market. It’s one thing for someone like Mysterio to be able to get an 18 month deal because WWE wanted him away from the outside and he realized he had leverage to get what he wanted, and it’s another thing for guys with no experience to try and say they don’t want to commit to five years and only want three. But really that’s the case across the board at least WWE contracts guarantee significant money unlike some other company contracts that are out there where guys are making nothing and locked up in a marketplace where WWE wants to lock up anyone they see as marketable talent”
My Take: It makes a bit of sense. They likely don’t want to invest TV time into someone for them to just bolt to AEW or somewhere else. Still, what happens to all of the new recruits who don’t end up developing? WWE will have to pay them for those two extra years when they would usually just release them after 3.
On a related note, check out some of the biggest rumors floating around about WWE Super Showdown.
