10 Reasons WWE Feels UNDERWHELMING in 2026

8. Silly Workers, Money Is For Shareholders!

The former New Day sent shockwaves through the industry when they walked out of the WWE earlier this year, as the duo once rated by the company themselves as its greatest ever tag team chose to seek pastures new.  Once the pair's non-compete period was finished, Kofi and Austin Creed made a big splash in AEW before proceeding to make an even bigger splash in the headlines by revealing that WWE wanted them to take a pay cut of more than 50%.

This is an ongoing trend throughout the company - Sheamus left after being similarly lowballed, and even lesser lights like Karrion Kross aren't immune - and it's one that WWE's current owners are perversely proud of. Mark Shapiro recently assured investors that "...[TKO] did resize our fighter and superstar pay composition" (via PWMania), just in case any of them were worried about workers receiving adequate compensation.

As anyone who's read Bret Hart's excellent biography knows, WWE has a long history of mistreating its wrestlers. But the open glee with which its current owners brag about screwing over their talent is especially tasteless, particularly when a wrestler's perceived worth can be sent plummeting by lazy or malicious booking (if New Day's stock dropped, it's only because WWE completely screwed up their heel turn). 

OK, enough discussion of the financial reasons behind WWE's diminishing appeal. After all, there's so much to say about the creative side of the company...