WWE's Top Earners

EdK

Dunno if this has been posted before and i know its slightly old but its interesting none the less to see how some midcarders make alot more than others

Below is the World Wrestling Entertainment talent roster payroll that was taken from October of 2004 until February of 2006. The shown dollar amount beside each wrestler is the grand total that they earned from World Wrestling Entertainment in a one year period (downside guarantees, bonuses, and merchandise shares). Some wrestler's were given special privileges and bonuses in their contracts which can also be seen beside their total pay. All wrestler's contracts begin and end at different months of the year, there for each shown amount is what that particular wrestler earned in a 365 day time period between October 2004 and February 2006 (or however long they have been with the company). All dollar amounts were rounded up/down (Example: $244,766 would be $245,000)

- Ashley Massaro: $131,000
- Batista: $813,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Big Show: $1,000,000 (Base salary)
- Bob Holly: $217,000
- Booker T: $375,000
- Candice Michelle: $64,000
- Carlito: $319,000
- Chavo Guerrero: $206,000
- Chris Benoit: $488,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Chris Masters: $253,000
- Christian - $396,000
- Danny Basham: $130,000
- Doug Basham: $126,000
- Eddie Guerrero: $372,000
- Edge: $704,000
- Eugene: $189,000
- Funaki: $124,000
- Gene Snitsky: $292,000
- Gregory Helms: $277,000
- John Cena: $1,743,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- John Layfield: $786,000 (Five star hotel accommodations paid for every week)
- Jerry Lawler: $204,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Jillian Hall: $52,000
- Joey Mercury: $134,000
- Johnny Nitro: $143,000
- Jonathan Coachman: $175,000
- Kane: $ 851,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Ken Kennedy: $133,000
- Kid Kash: $62,000
- Kurt Angle: $1,023,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Lance Cade: $118,000
- Lilian Garcia: $90,000
- Lita: $286,000 (Mostly downside paid due to lack of wrestling)
- Maria: $41,000
- Mark Henry: $300,000 (Base pay)
- Matt Hardy: $322,000 (Missed over $70,000 of pay due to firing)
- Matt Striker: $43,000
- Melina: $155,000
- Mickie James: $72,000
- Nunzio: $186,000
- Orlando Jordan: $145,000
- Paul London: $177,000
- Psicosis: $122,000
- Randy Orton: $711,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Rene Dupree: $289,000
- Rey Mysterio: $414,000
- Ric Flair: $508,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)
- Rob Conway: $186,000
- Rob Van Darn: $220,000 (Only received downside and royalties due to injury)
- Rosie: $105,000
- Shawn Michaels: $1,045,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Shelton Benjamin: $366,000
- Simon Dean: $132,000
- Stacy Keibler: $178,000 (Only downside paid during absence)
- Steven Richards: $94,000
- Torrie Wilson: $260,000
- Trevor Murdoch: $48,000
- Triple H: $2,013,000 (Allowed the personal use of company jet (10) times per year. First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Trish Stratus: $618,000 (Receives 20% of all Trish Stratus merchandise sold)
- Tyson Tomko: $127,000
- Undertaker: $1,811,000 (First class flight tickets, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation paid for every week)
- Val Venis: $210,000
- Victoria: $275,000
- Viscera: $130,000
- William Regal: $225,000

EdK

According to Test he used to spend between $60,000 and $70,000 a year on hotels, flights, car rental and food in a year and if thats true how can guys like Murdoch afford to live on $48,000

Even if its not true wrestlers must spend a lot and that would eat into his earnings

Fozzy

Murdoch didn't sign with WWE until after 2004 though I think, so that probably doesn't count for all the money he would have earned if he'd been working for the full amount of time the stats cover

EdK

He signed in 2005 so it was a years earnings almost for him he might have spent awhile in developmental, change eg to Lilian Garcia then who is around full time and doesnt wrestle I know but still

And the difference between Edge and Christian

rossie1977

trips, taker and show earing $5 million between them a year, the world is indeed a crazy place :eek: some of the women seem rather poorly paid, maria on $41,000 e.g.

mick foley mentioned somewhere that he never pays more than $60 a night for a hotel room, i guess many WWE stars stay in cheap motels while on the road

AARRRGH

Considering how many of them die young, I don't think the pay is worth it!

Bubs101

Trish was earning an absolute packet. Also, why was Kane being paid so much

MikeHoncho

Bubs101 wrote: »

Trish was earning an absolute packet. Also, why was Kane being paid so much

Because he is a loyal company man through and through. Kane is a great asset to the WWE roster too. He is the kind of guy who can sit in the mid card comfortably but can be moved up and down as needed. He has always been a real workhorse for them and he was rewarded with his movie role and obviously his paycheck too.

Rjd2

Mark Henry gets payed?:eek:

LegacyUser

EdK wrote: »

- Chris Benoit: $488,000 (First class flight tickets paid for every week)

First class ticket to hell:p:p:p

kyp_durron

EdK wrote: »

-- Danny Basham: $130,000
- Doug Basham: $126,000

Danny managed to haggle an extra $4000 out of vince, o/\o Danny.

Gerard.C

Jesus, Eddie was on a low wage considering he was a main eventer.....

Fozzy

Gerard.C wrote: »

Jesus, Eddie was on a low wage considering he was a main eventer.....

He was probably on the same basic contract that he signed when he returned to WWE. Plus he wasn't alive for the full period that the stats are from

pingu_girl

EdK wrote: »

- Matt Striker: $43,000

Maybe matt should have kept his teaching job?

Fozzy

Striker's another guy who only signed with WWE in the middle of the period taken, and he didn't really start appearing on Raw regularly til late 2005, so he'd really be earning more money than that if a full year for him was taken

Bazuki

Man, sucks to be Doug Bashem.


-Seán

fatal

benoit and flair werent making anywhere near what i expected them to be making.Triple H is the real winner in that list.
I guess that the bottom line for aspiring young wrestlers is,don't try to get into pro wrestling because of the money but rather because you love it.Its a tough business to get into and it seems that even when you reach the top wrestling company,things dont get much easier.
ALso why for JBL only does he get 5 star accommodation paid for as opposed to standard accommodation ?

EdK

fatal wrote: »

ALso why for JBL only does he get 5 star accommodation paid for as opposed to standard accommodation ?

True low does he go from being a bare midcarder to being a superstar i still dont see how it happened he's a good heel but still he didnt deserve it anyone can get heat mocking peoples kids and nationality

Kid Nothing

EdK wrote: »

True low does he go from being a bare midcarder to being a superstar i still dont see how it happened he's a good heel but still he didnt deserve it anyone can get heat mocking peoples kids and nationality

Yeah but apparently Vince loves him, probably to do with him being able to talk business with him.

EdK

Carlito pulling in over $300,000 thats pretty good for him

EdK

Shelton Benjamin taking in almost as much as Eddie Guerrero did i know Eddie died in November but still

The Great One

kyp_durron wrote: »

Danny managed to haggle an extra $4000 out of vince, o/\o Danny.

Well they werent actually brothers so i guess Danny was just the more talented singles wrestler of the two.

_JOE_

It must be remembered this this is merely a basic wage, and furthermore many of the wwe superstars would be raking in alot more due to merchandise, promotions, films, sponsorship etc...
I suppose though your percentage would depend on what kind of negotiating skills you've got coming up against Vinne Mac...

Fozzy

_JOE_ wrote: »

It must be remembered this this is merely a basic wage

It says that the figures are the "grand totals" each person made, counting bonuses

_JOE_

From my understanding is their wage merely not a calculation of income for that particular year, in the case of the aforementioned figures dating from 2004-2006 which can be said to be outdated somewhat.
I know that there will be some fluctuation but considering that many contracts are negotiated on a yearly basis it could be gleaned that they are getting some sort of rise following new contract...
Take Cena for example...now I doubt that the above figures would fairly represent his current income...
Or even Viscera in his new role...I would say that he has a substantial increase in wage...

Bubs101

Surely RVD would have earned more?

EdK

As it says beside it RVD was injured for alot of it so he only got his basic pay no PPV bonuses etc