Earlier this month, WWE underwent a substantial workforce reduction, which included the release of over 100 employees and more than two dozen wrestlers. These actions were initiated following the completion of the merger with Endeavor, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has provided additional insights into these releases:

• It was always part of the plan to execute significant releases once the acquisition of WWE was finalized. It was anticipated that this move would result in cost reductions ranging from approximately $50 million to $100 million on WWE’s side. The majority of the departures were attributed to roles that overlapped with existing positions within Endeavor.
• WWE and UFC will continue to operate largely independently of each other under the Endeavor umbrella. However, some departments will be managed by a joint team as part of the Endeavor framework. For instance, WWE’s Analytics team experienced substantial changes, with approximately 85% of its employees being let go. This decision was driven by the fact that Endeavor already possessed a robust analytics team that would now extend its coverage to WWE. It is important to note that this adjustment should not be interpreted as a diminishing importance of analytics to WWE.
• The criteria for releasing certain talent revolved around wrestlers who were receiving main roster compensation but had no current or foreseeable utilization on Raw or Smackdown. One insider explained to the Observer, “It’s about balancing the time spent versus the monetary investment versus the return on investment.”