Kingston says proposed reduction was more than 50 percent
Summary
– Kofi Kingston says WWE wanted him and Austin Creed to take a pay cut exceeding 50 percent
– Kingston confirmed compensation played a major role in their decision to leave WWE
– He says creative fulfillment and feeling appreciated mattered even more than money
Kofi Kingston says the pay cut WWE wanted him and Austin Creed to accept was even larger than previously reported.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Kingston was asked about reports that WWE wanted the longtime tag team partners to take approximately a 50 percent reduction before they ultimately left the company.
Kingston did not reveal the exact figure, but he confirmed the proposed cut was greater than 50 percent.
That adds more context to previous reports about contract restructuring under TKO, in which some WWE talent were reportedly approached to accept significantly reduced deals.
Kingston and Creed were among the names linked to those negotiations before deciding to leave WWE rather than agree to the proposed terms.
Kingston acknowledged that compensation was an important part of the decision, especially given the large reduction being discussed.
However, he said the bigger issue was being able to pursue wrestling the way they wanted while also feeling appreciated for what they still brought to the table.
That explanation aligns with Kingston and Creed previously discussing their desire to remain active wrestlers and to compete somewhere they felt tag team wrestling would receive greater emphasis.
Their departure meant walking away from substantial guaranteed money. Still, Kingston indicated that staying under terms they did not believe reflected their value was not the direction they wanted to take.
Kingston stopped short of revealing exactly how far beyond 50 percent WWE wanted the reduction to go.
Still, his confirmation that the number exceeded half of their previous pay offers a clearer picture of why he and Creed were willing to leave after spending so many years with the company.
Kofi Kingston says WWE's offer would have cut pay by more than the reported 50%:
“It was more than 50%. More than a lot of people know.
The compensation is a big part of it, for sure, but the bigger part is being able to go out and live your dream the way you want to live it… pic.twitter.com/Yw4TPzyPGu
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 1, 2026
