5 reasons why WWE is right in denying superstars their release

Disclaimer: This article is the opinion of the writer and doesn't necessarily reflect the views of Sportskeeda

WWE is the pinnacle of sports entertainment and the professional wrestling juggernaut. For close to four decades now, they've been the undisputed kings of wrestling, with only small periods seeing them face actual competition.

However, with the rise of other promotions and many viable options outside of WWE for wrestlers to make money today, WWE superstars have begun to realize that they don't need the company to do what they love. Especially in cases where superstars are creatively frustrated, the first thought is for them to have an exit.

There are options outside, but when you're a contracted superstar today and you request your release, there's a far higher chance of you being denied it than the company accepting it.

Just to get this out of the way - We don't agree with WWE not using talent at all when they deny them their release.

However, we do believe that from WWE's perspective, there is some justification as to why they shouldn't be granting release requests as easily as people would like. Here are a few reasons why the company is right.

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#5 They simply can't afford to lose talent all the time

The roster

The reality is that WWE needs its talent. Sure, it's a spinning wheel and some people might just be a cog in that wheel, but the talent makes up a very large chunk of those employed by the company.

Even if a superstar isn't a main eventer, the chances are that they're going to be of some use. The talent understands that there are roles for everyone and not every talent can be main event caliber. Either way, WWE is justified in denying a release when they know that they can't constantly afford to lose talent.

Talent will always come and go, but to let them slip through the cracks would be unwise.

#4 The company needs to set a precedent

Triple H

This is a very important thing that fans need to realize. Tye Dillinger was one superstar who requested his release this year and was granted it. Sure, he's doing a lot better now in AEW, but if you look at it from WWE's perspective, what message does it give to the talent if superstars are freely handed their release?

With the rise of AEW and other viable options, it seems to be more of a fact now that multiple superstars have wanted out of the company due to creative dissatisfaction. And then, there are situations like the one that happened in Saudi Arabia, with reports that many talents felt they were done with the company.

When such situations happen, WWE knows that they can't let every other superstar go. Luke Harper was one such superstar who requested his release, made a big statement about it and was then denied by the company, who allegedly extended his contract due to the injury period that he had last year.

WWE has to set a precedent and to do that, it requires the denial of talent who request their release from the company.

#3 The company wants a return in investment

Vince McMahon's office

What is honestly quite puzzling about what WWE does with certain talent is when they make them sit at home and pay them accordingly without utilizing them. That was something that we mentioned at the start, but it's not always the case.

Sure, many superstars spend long periods being underutilized, but with WWE, things are cyclical and talent gets utilized at some point or the other. Then, there's the biggest factor in all of this - the money they invest into a superstar.

When WWE signs a superstar, they have to invest money and time in them starting from the developmental aspect of the Performance Center. When they spend so much on each superstar that's training, the objective is that they'll eventually be main roster talent and will be considered as a return on investment, whether it's through merchandise sales, ticket sales or more.

From that perspective, you can't blame WWE. Why would they spend so much money on talent only to freely let them go at their will?

#2 To keep away the competition

Tony Khan

In reality, this is probably the biggest reason why WWE denies Superstars' release in the first place. The competition is heating up now with All Elite Wrestling making a huge splash this year.

It's clear that they come as a threat to WWE and the company has openly put out statements revealing that they consider AEW to be competition and will do what they have to in order to win.

WWE has always considered promotions outside to be competition to them and has done everything they possibly can to make sure that they have an edge over others. One such example of this is the women's division across the three brands.

When you compare them to AEW's Women's division, it's evident that WWE has locked in all the best female wrestlers in the world and will be especially careful to ensure that AEW doesn't get any of them.

The fact is that they want to keep the competition away and in WWE's perspective, denying a superstar their release is one such way to do so.

#1 The talent knows exactly what they're in for when they sign the contract

Sin Cara

We'll save the most important point for last because it's something that fans need to understand. Sure, circumstances can change and a lot of things can change over time, but when WWE superstars sign their contract, they know exactly what they're getting into.

Take a look at Dean Ambrose/Jon Moxley, for example. He was in the tail end of his contract and even before he returned from injury, he knew in the back of his mind that he wanted to leave.

As you probably heard on his famous Talk is Jericho appearance, he could have easily thrown a tantrum and sat the rest of his contract out, but he decided to take the high road and see his entire contract through till the last day.

That is the definition of professionalism and many superstars should follow suit. In the case of superstars like Sin Cara, it's hard to imagine WWE giving his release when he recently signed a multi-year deal with the company.

Perhaps it's a negotiation tactic, but it's one that never seems to work that well.