To clarify situations on WWE contract, as reported initially, WWE was fully aware of Kevin Owens' WWE deal expiring in January 2022.
WWE renegotiated several WWE contracts in 2019, adjusting them for higher guarantees. We weren't told the specific terms, but many wrestlers altered their deals.
We've been told more of the issues regarding confusion about contracts fell in NXT and the transition between NXT and WWE. After Malakai Black's contract only saw a 30-day non compete instead of a 90-day contract, WWE reviewed many of their deals to make sure nothing caught them by surprise. Unfortunately for them, Adam Cole and Pete Dunne's deals expiring in July caught most of the parties involved -- including Cole himself -- by surprise. We're told that there was significant heat in relation to people "falling asleep at the wheel" with the details and planning of NXT contracts. We've been told this isn't as much of an issue with the main roster, as several wrestlers had spoken with Vince McMahon directly about their deals.
We know that WWE was aware of Owens' deal, as we learned the news from a WWE employee earlier this Summer. This was not a case similar to Adam Cole or Pete Dunne, but the deal does end significantly sooner than previously publicly known.
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