Report: Update On WWE's Hiring Freeze

While there have been conflicting reports about the situation in recent weeks, Fightful Select has reported that WWE higher-ups have reiterated an "effective hiring freeze" has been in place within the organisation since the beginning of 2023, regardless of if the official term has been used or not.

The hiring freeze appears to have been instituted due to the corporate moves within WWE and the company being put up for sale. One WWE higher-up pointed to the volume of signings between August and December 2022 and the dearth of talents brought in since then as a sign that things had changed within the company.

2023 began with Vince McMahon forcing his way back into WWE, bringing George Barrios and Michelle Wilson back with him, before the 77-year-old was elected Executive Chairman by a restructured board. WWE were put up for sale following McMahon's return and the company has since been sold to Endeavor and will merge with UFC under a new parent company later this year.

Despite the hiring freeze, WWE continued to communicate with talent they were interested in, telling them they hoped to be hiring again sooner rather than later. The company had been in contact with EJ Nduka and Jay White, among other talents, and WWE were interested in Hikuleo, Tama Tonga, and re-signing Naomi but didn't bring in any of them. Nick Aldis was also reportedly told WWE were interested in him but "corporate moves" meant no talents were being signed for the main roster.

Multiple unnamed free agents had been in talks with WWE since the beginning of the year but the company simply stopped responding to them.