WWE Rumors: Company Has Reportedly Contacted Several Released Superstars About Returning

WWE released and furloughed several superstars and backstage employees on April 15. Since then, others have been let go as part of the company’s cost-cutting measures during the coronavirus pandemic. However, according to a new report, the promotion has reached out to several performers about potentially returning.

Citing Wrestling Observer Live‘s Bryan Alvarez, WrestlingNews.co reported that WWE has offered some former superstars their jobs back, but there’s a catch. According to Alvarez, they won’t be paid as much money as they were making prior to their releases.

“There have been people who have been released from WWE and they have been offered deals to come back and the offers for them to return are a fraction of what they were making.”

Alvarez didn’t mention which superstars WWE has reached out to, but it’s already been confirmed that Kurt Angle has been talking to the company about coming back on a full-time basis. The WrestlingNews.co report highlighted how he turned down an offer to manage Matt Riddle on Friday Night SmackDown, but he may still return in a new role, depending on how much money he’s offered.

Drake Maverick has also been pushed on NXT in recent weeks. While he was originally supposed to work on the show until his release took effect in July, the support he’s received might have encouraged WWE management to change their mind about letting him go. He’s currently in the final for the Cruiserweight Championship tournament, and the company has posted promo videos to hype him up.

However, some of the released talents might potentially be heading to Impact Wrestling. As The Inquisitr recently documented, the rival promotion has teased the imminent arrivals of Maverick, Eric Young, Rusev, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Curt Hawkins, Mike and Maria Kanellis, and EC3 during a promo package for the upcoming Slammiversary pay-per-view in July.

Alvarez went on to say that all of the wrestlers who featured in the Impact Wrestling video could join the company. Most of them have worked with Impact in the past as well, which is why their likenesses were used on the aforementioned teaser clip.

“The offers that I’ve seen, we may be seeing a fair number of people showing up at Impact. I don’t know that but I just know that based on what I’ve seen – some renewal offers – there are definitely people that would definitely go to Impact Wrestling.”

WWE’s decision to reportedly reach out to the released superstars may be an effort to stop them from joining a notable competitor, but it remains to be seen where the performers will end up.