Backstage Details On WWE Severance Changes As Employees Reportedly Worry About Cuts

"Fightful Select" has confirmed reports that TKO recently made big changes to its severance plan, and fans should know it could mean a lot for people behind the scenes.

On July 18, 2025, TKO gave employees an updated severance plan, and it's not sitting well with everyone. The changes, explained in a graphic sent to staff, focus mainly on two things: health coverage (COBRA) and how much severance pay someone gets after leaving the company.

Here's the breakdown: If a worker is laid off, they can still keep their health insurance through COBRA while they're getting severance. But—there's a catch. They'll still have to pay their share of the monthly cost to keep the insurance going.

To even qualify for this new plan, employees must have worked at TKO for at least one full year. After that, they get two weeks of severance pay for each year they've worked. That's a big change—before this, people used to get around a full month per year of service.

The updated plan also sets strict limits based on job titles. Senior Vice Presidents (SVPs) get at least 16 weeks, up to a maximum of 52 weeks, Vice Presidents (VPs) get eight to 36 weeks, and everyone below VP level only gets four to 24 weeks.

According to Fightful Select, many employees were not happy about these changes, especially those who've been with the company for less than five years. Some believe TKO might be preparing for upcoming layoffs, but that's just a rumor right now—nothing has been confirmed.

TKO executives also expect Vince McMahon back in the pro wrestling space, according to recent reports. 

If you use any info from this article, please credit "Fightful Select" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.