8 Ways TKO Has RUINED WWE

8. Releases Somehow Get Even Worse

The release process within WWE had gotten so brutal before the TKO merger that one of the worst days in company history for it became part of a recent grim lore. 

"Black Wednesday" became shorthand for just how little the market leader cared for talent, calling back to April 15th 2020 - the day hundreds of wrestlers and staffers were released or furloughed by a company simultaneously declaring record profits. 

The ills of the pandemic were at the heart of both these issues - the company had saved a fortune on costs in light of how little they could do, but talent being let go had hardly any options of where to go to work for the very same reasons. It showed a naked lack of humanity from the top down, particularly as people the world over grappled with very similar strains and stresses and were turning to pro wrestling and other hobbies like it for much-needed distractions. 

Half a decade later and the release of Luke "Ridge Holland" Menzies brought some brand new ugly conversations to the fore. Holland was injured while wrestling in TNA in September 2025 on behalf of WWE and earning "NXT money" (a sizeable cut from what he generated on the main roster), then revealed the company would not be renewing his contract when it expired in November. This, despite injury keeping him out of the game at least until early-2026. Historically, WWE has added times to deal in order to a) get every last cent from the talent and b) stop them going elsewhere, but Holland's reveal of this information allegedly expedited his exit, and with it, ended his pay sooner.

A rotten deal for the wrestler all the way around and horrific PR for the group, but that's never seemed lower on the agenda anyway...