Bishop Dyer, formerly known as Baron Corbin in WWE, has spoken out about the company’s contract negotiation tactics, alleging they deliberately reduce a performer’s television time to gain leverage in contract talks. Speaking on Jonathan Coachman’s Sirius XM show Off The Ropes, Dyer claimed the strategy is not a coincidence.
“When you get closer to your contract ending, ‘Hey, I’m six months from my contract being up and now I’m not on TV,’” Dyer stated. “So now when they present you the contract, they go, ‘Well, you haven’t been on TV in two months.’ Yeah, but I was for two and half years prior to this. So they low ball you.”
Dyer also addressed WWE’s use of performance metrics in negotiations, stating the company has “no answer to why you are paid what you are paid.” He recounted an instance where the company briefly brought analytics like social media and merchandise numbers to the table, but the practice was quickly abandoned.
According to Dyer, one wrestler on the roster challenged the data presented by WWE. “They had someone do some serious digging and they countered everything that was being presented to them with facts. And then they got a way better contract. But that was the last time they brought those things to the table.”
Dyer’s account closely mirrors the experience of Karrion Kross, whose WWE contract expired on August 10, 2025. In a public interview earlier this month, Kross described his own negotiations as “profoundly disappointing,” revealing that WWE was “unwilling to provide” performance data he requested to justify their offer. The company gave Kross a 24-hour ultimatum to accept their terms before rescinding the proposal.
These individual experiences align with reports on WWE’s broader strategy under the TKO umbrella, which favors letting contracts expire over mass releases. For talent the company does not see as top-tier priorities, the approach often involves delaying talks and presenting a final “take-it-or-leave-it” offer with a strict deadline.
Despite his criticisms, Dyer maintained a pragmatic view of the situation, saying, “Like, it’s a business — I get it. It is what it is. It’s the nature of the beast.” Since his departure, Dyer has begun working on the independent circuit, making appearances for MLW and Maple Leaf Pro.