Vince McMahon and WWE have threatened WWE Superstars with punishment should they continue to engage ... [+]
WWE has issued an edict demanding that its Superstars no longer engage with outside parties as the promotion looks to reinvent itself. Per a report from Wrestling Inc, Vince McMahon reportedly sent a letter to talent—following a call last Sunday pertaining to WWE’s reinvention—ordering them to stop engaging with third-party brands by October 2.
Violations will reportedly result in fines, suspensions or termination.
This news comes in light of former presidential Candidate Andrew Yang calling out Vince McMahon and WWE over its questionable classification of WWE Superstars as independent contractors despite being able to control which platforms they appear on such as Cameo and Twitch. This has long-since been a sticking point within the the company.
WWE went on to release an official statement regarding the edict, likening itself—and its intellectual property—to Disney.
“Much like Disney and Warner Bros., WWE creates, promotes and invests in its intellectual property, i.e. the stage names of performers like The Fiend Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Big E and Braun Strowman,” read the statement.
“It is the control and exploitation of these characters that allows WWE to drive revenue, which in turn enables the company to compensate performers at the highest levels in the sports entertainment industry. Notwithstanding the contractual language, it is imperative for the success of our company to protect our greatest assets and establish partnerships with third parties on a companywide basis, rather than at the individual level, which as a result will provide more value for all involved.”
After being named as “the straw that broke the camel’s back” by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lana has since taken to Twitter to denounce these claims. Lana, who previously brokered a deal with Bang Energy, is very active on social media currently as the only WWE Superstar with over one million followers on TikTok.
WWE’s latest edict is sure to stir up controversy across the entire industry as Vince McMahon is notorious for ruling with an iron fist. Throughout the modern era, WWE has prioritized marketing its brand over individual talent, which has allowed major shows like WrestleMania to sell out before a card is even announced. On the other hand, it could be argued that WWE’s brand-first mentality has inhibited growth from individual talent, who seem to always run into a ceiling under this model regardless of how much they’re pushed.
WWE’s continued struggles to replace John Cena serve as something of an indictment on its shortcomings in promoting individual transcendent talent.
With talent now limited in how they can promote themselves, they’ll face yet another handcuff in within a flawed system often criticized for micromanaging its talent. Though WWE endured record-low ratings throughout the pandemic, numbers have risen amid the launch of the ThunderDome and major storyline developments such as the debut of RETRIBUTION and Roman Reigns’ heel turn.
WWE’s latest edict will only lead to more questions regarding the fairness of the independent contractor designation as the promotion once again demonstrates the level of control it has over where its independent contractors can appear.
