Drake Maverick signed a new WWE contract on last night’s episode of NXT . The superstar was one of many to be released from their contracts on April 15, but Maverick inspired the company to perform a U-turn. Sportskeeda has learned details of the terms of Maverick’s new deal, and why the company decided to re-hire the superstar.
According to the report, Maverick will now be making less money than he was on before. This supports recent reports of released superstars being offered new deals for a fraction of what they made before, as the company is trying to cut costs to cope with the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.
At the time of this writing, Maverick is the only released superstar to officially sign a new deal. Kurt Angle rejected new terms earlier this week, but the Hall of Famer could still extend his stay if he’s offered the right deal.
The decision to keep Maverick on board was reportedly decided two weeks ago, as he’s arguably more popular than he’s ever been. Maverick gained some substantial fan support after posting an emotional video on social media following the news that he was being released. He was subsequently given a push in the NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament, and his performances impressed WWE officials enough to keep him around.
Kushida was originally slated to be given a substantial push in the tournament. The company planned on using Maverick as an enhancement talent until his release took effect in July. However, the organic fan support he received resulted in him getting to the final round of the competition.
Maverick will compete as a member of the NXT brand moving forward. The superstar has been a part of every company brand during his WWE career, but he was primarily used as a comedic enhancement talent and onscreen personality. His recent push on NXT shows in recent weeks, however, suggests that he’ll be a credible in-ring performer on the black-and-gold brand.
Sportskeeda ‘s sources compared Maverick’s fan support to Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan’s popularity, both of whom received major pushes after the crowd became vocal proponents of each superstar. While Maverick hasn’t received a main event push yet, his fan base is passionate and he’s gained even more supporters as a result of his recent push.
It remains to be seen which superstars will return to WWE, but Maverick’s return suggests that the company is having second thoughts about the mass releases.
