Wrestling's NonCompete Clauses Might Be In Trouble

[Dead2009]

I just came across this on Twitter, and I'm not quite sure if it will affect wrestling as a whole or not whenever it passes

https://x.com/Dexerto/status/1782848373306933491

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news...ng-noncompetes

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dead2009

I just came across this on Twitter, and I'm not quite sure if it will affect wrestling as a whole or not whenever it passes https://x.com/Dexerto/status/1782848373306933491 https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news...ng-noncompetes

The thing about wrestling, these aren't "non compete clauses".

A non compete clause means once you're gone from a company you can't work for a company within that industry for a certain amount of time.

In wrestling, you're allowed to go wherever you want the day your contract is up. What people forget/don't realize is that when talent from WWE are released, the 90 day window is just a 90 day window until their deal is done. They're getting paid for every one of those days. It's like how companies want people to give 2 weeks notice before they quit. Except in this case, the company is giving you 90 days notice that they're releasing you and for those 90 days they're choosing to pay you while you sit at home.

IIRC, you can technically ask out before those 90 days are up (up to the company to grant you the release beforehand), but doesn't happen as often for obvious reasons (only reason you'd want out before is if you have a huge offer from another company that somehow the offer won't exist by the end of your 90 days, but if a company is that desperate to get you there asap and pay you so much more, it's probably for good reason which is why the company releasing you probably won't let you leave before those 90 days).

[Dead2009]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

The thing about wrestling, these aren't "non compete clauses". A non compete clause means once you're gone from a company you can't work for a company within that industry for a certain amount of time. In wrestling, you're allowed to go wherever you want the day your contract is up. What people forget/don't realize is that when talent from WWE are released, the 90 day window is just a 90 day window until their deal is done. They're getting paid for every one of those days. It's like how companies want people to give 2 weeks notice before they quit. Except in this case, the company is giving you 90 days notice that they're releasing you and for those 90 days they're choosing to pay you while you sit at home.

Err...I highly doubt that when WWE was doing their mass releases, that 20 peoples' contract expired the same exact day lol.

[EUBlink]

I’m not going to quote Majingir because Dead2009 already did, but you saying they don’t have non-compete clauses is wrong. If WWE opts to pay them during that ninety days, that’s good for the wrestler, but anyone can search online and find substantial evidence of WWE including these non-compete clauses in most, if not all of their contracts. It’s just an accepted fact within the industry.

I am pleased that this is being done away with, though having been done at a federal level is interesting. I imagine something in the corporate world caused such a topic to be discussed and then a law to be signed, but if wrestlers can benefit, that’s great.

I’m also seeing a growing discussion of wrestlers unionizing, which would be very interesting and could have a large impact on the industry. CM Punk’s attorney, Steve New, posted about it on his X/Twitter account recently. I’m not sure how I feel about it as a whole, as I believe there are positives but certainly many negatives to joining or establishing a union. It creates headache for everyone at the beginning.

Edit: Changed some wording. I’m sorry if I came off as aggressive toward you, Majingir. I reread what I wrote and it had that demeanor, so I made the edit. I meant nothing foul.

[Dead2009]

My understanding on how the noncompetes work in WWE is that you can still wrestle for other companies, they just cant be televised. Like for instance they release Roman Reigns, he cant wrestle on Dynamite or the ROH show, Impact, MLW or any other company that has a television deal.

CM Punk had one when he got fired from AEW, it's why you only saw him doing MMA stuff before Survivor Series.

[Majingir]

Quote: Originally Posted by EUBlink

I’m not going to quote Majingir because Dead2009 already did, but you saying they don’t have non-compete clauses is wrong. If WWE opts to pay them during that ninety days, that’s good for the wrestler, but anyone can search online and find substantial evidence of WWE including these non-compete clauses in most, if not all of their contracts. It’s just an accepted fact within the industry. I am pleased that this is being done away with, though having been done at a federal level is interesting. I imagine something in the corporate world caused such a topic to be discussed and then a law to be signed, but if wrestlers can benefit, that’s great. I’m also seeing a growing discussion of wrestlers unionizing, which would be very interesting and could have a large impact on the industry. CM Punk’s attorney, Steve New, posted about it on his X/Twitter account recently. I’m not sure how I feel about it as a whole, as I believe there are positives but certainly many negatives to joining or establishing a union. It creates headache for everyone at the beginning. Edit: Changed some wording. I’m sorry if I came off as aggressive toward you, Majingir. I reread what I wrote and it had that demeanor, so I made the edit. I meant nothing foul.

Quote: Originally Posted by Dead2009

Err...I highly doubt that when WWE was doing their mass releases, that 20 peoples' contract expired the same exact day lol.

Contracts expiring and being released are different things.

If your contract expires, you're free to do whatever you want, you could show up on a show asap if you wanted. Look at Mox. His WWE deal ended April 30th. May 25th is when he debuted in AEW.

Mass releases or releases like that like I said is just WWE terminating people's contracts in 90 days. You can look it up online, that's how it goes.

Quick google search brought up
"WWE's so-called no-compete clauses are actually 90-day notice periods, not restrictions on joining other promotions immediately. Wrestlers remain under contract with WWE and receive compensation during the 90-day period after being released."

The only "non compete" ones I can even think of are the Vince one recently (apparently he had one so he couldn't start a new company anytime soon) and Regal when he left AEW (it wasn't technically a non compete, he worked for WWE, he just couldn't appear on tv for a year).