Below are some top WWE news stories of the day, involving MVP and the Federal Trade Commission.
• Shelton Benjamin’s WWE departure in September 2023 didn’t sit well with MVP, and it ultimately influenced his own decision to leave the company.
Benjamin, who had celebrated 20 years in the wrestling business just months earlier, spent most of 2023 on the sidelines before WWE released him without offering a backstage role. For MVP, the way his longtime friend was let go felt disrespectful, and it played a key role in his decision to reunite with Benjamin and Bobby Lashley in AEW.
Speaking on ‘Huge Pop!’ with Donnie DaSilva and Jimmy Korderas, MVP made it clear that without Benjamin and Lashley, AEW wouldn’t have even been an option for him.
Here’s what the former United States Champion said:
“There wouldn’t have been a conversation. Bobby and I came to the conclusion that it was time to move on. I made it very clear that I was ready to go. I was able to convince Bobby to come with me.
Shelton, at that point, had already been released, unceremoniously. I thought it was… it left a bad taste in my mouth, how Shelton was just cut after all these years. Not even offered to be a trainer or a producer. Just, ‘See ya.’
I was like, ‘Bobby, let’s get the team back together and let’s go to AEW. We got one last ride.’ Fortunately, everything worked out and we were able to do this.”
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• WWE operates in a unique space where professional wrestling benefits from exceptions that other industries do not. This was evident during the pandemic when WWE was deemed an essential service, allowing it to continue operations while others shut down. These exceptions extend to contract policies, including the company’s use of non-compete clauses, which remain enforceable despite recent government intervention.
During a recent Fightful Select Q&A, Sean Ross Sapp was asked about WWE’s 90-day non-compete clauses in light of the government’s decision to ban most non-compete agreements. However, as Sapp explained, WWE’s clauses function differently from traditional employment contracts, which is why they are still in effect.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted on April 23, 2024, to ban most non-compete agreements, with the rule originally set to take effect on September 4, 2024. However, a federal court has since blocked its implementation, leaving the future of non-competes uncertain in many industries. Despite this, WWE remains unaffected and continues enforcing these clauses.
In WWE, released main roster talent typically face a 90-day non-compete period before they can work elsewhere, while NXT wrestlers are subject to a 30-day restriction. Since WWE’s contracts are structured differently than standard employment agreements, the company is still able to uphold these terms, ensuring that their talent remains bound by them even as legal debates continue.
