A new report has shined some light on WWE‘s reported hiring pause.
As previously reported, WWE has had an unofficial hiring freeze in recent months, particularly since Vince McMahon returned to the company in January. This marked a notable departure from the first few months of the Triple H regime, when the company signed a number of talent to the main roster, including Dakota Kai and Karrion Kross.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports that, per WWE higher-ups, there has been an “effective hiring freeze” since the beginning of the year, even if the official name has not been used. Sapp notes that Nick Aldis had been told that WWE was interested in him, but the company wasn’t making main-roster hires due to the corporate moves that were happening.
However, a WWE high-up reportedly said that the company continues to talk to talent, and they hope to hire again soon. The company had contact with EJ Nduka and Jay White, and Triple H made it clear that he didn’t want details about the respective situations leaked. Per Sapp, it was said that “We haven’t been hiring people, but we’ve been talking to people.”
Likewise, WWE had some interest in NJPW stars Hikuleo and Tama Tonga, and in bringing Naomi back, but these moves didn’t happen. Furthermore, Sapp wrote that multiple free agents have said that WWE stopped responding to them. The report also noted that one WWE higher-up cited the progression of WWE’s looming sale, which turned into the Endeavor deal, as a reason for the change in the company’s rate of hiring.
WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.
