Of all the things that WWE tries to keep secret, keeping information related to WWE contract is near the top of that list.
Over the last few years, however, details of such contracts and even some wrestler’s salaries have started to leak onto the internet thanks to social media. In this article, we take a look at some of this leaked information and some of the worst aspects of a WWE contract and some of these clauses may shock you.
10: Wrestlers are considered independent contractors
The biggest inconsistency of a WWE contract and one that has irked WWE Superstars through the years is the fact that wrestlers are considered independent contractors. How can wrestlers be considered independent contractors if they’re signed exclusively to the WWE? Fans and critics have been asking this question for years.
Even though the wrestlers are considered independent contractors, they don’t get any of the benefits that being an independent contractor brings and things get even more confusing when you see that WWE pays things like health insurance and airfare.
Wrestlers like Jesse Ventura have been outspoken against this in the past. Ventura, for his part, tried to create a wrestler’s union but he was fired after Hulk Hogan spilled the beans.
9: Experience matters more than talent sometimes
This one is upsetting to both fans and wrestlers alike. How can the likes of Mark Henry and the Big Show, whose drawing power is long gone, make more money than the Superstars of today like Kevin Owens and The New Day who are selling merch and getting fans into the building every night.
Loyalty and experience is an important factor but wrestlers who aren’t an important part of the show anymore getting paid more than fan favourites like Owens who are integral cogs in the WWE machine is ridiculous.
8: Wrestlers have to pay for their own ring-gear and props
This is one of the aspects of WWE contracts that surprised me. WWE doesn’t reimburse wrestlers for expenses regarding ring-gear and props and the wrestlers have to pay for them out of their own pockets.
As a multi-million dollar company, the least that WWE could do is pay wrestlers for the stuff they need as part of the show. Maybe this is why John Cena still wears baggy shorts and Luke Harper wears old jeans.
7: Wrestlers must pay for their own travel and lodging
Like ring-gear and props, WWE doesn’t cover its wrestler’s lodging and travel expenses (other than international tours and air fare).
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule like Brock Lesnar and Triple H who have perks in the contracts like first class travel but most of the roster don’t have this luxury.
6: Wrestlers pay for their training
Wrestlers on the WWE main roster have to find their own way to train and stay fit while they are on the road as the WWE doesn’t cover these expenses. This is why we often notice that different wrestlers stay fit and train in different ways – Seth Rollins uses CrossFit while others like John Cena do weight-training.
Things are a little different for talent signed to WWE’s developmental system though as they get to make full use of the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Centre in Orlando.
5: WWE retain the rights to some wrestlers ‘characters’ and can sell a wrestler’s merch after they’ve been released
Ever wondered why WWE often changes wrestlers’ personas and names when they come into the company? This is done so that the WWE hold exclusive rights to the name and likeness of the character that the wrestlers portray during their time in WWE programming.
This way, if the wrestler becomes popular and leaves, the WWE can still sell their merchandise for a period of up to 90 days after the release and this period is called the “sell-off period”.
4: WWE sometimes takes money from independent projects
The WWE encourages Superstars to take part in independent projects outside the WWE. Sometimes this isn’t just because the WWE has the wrestlers’ interests at heart – apart from the publicity the WWE receives, they sometimes also keep a portion of the money the wrestler earned from the project.
Under the common WWE contract language, these earnings which are handed over to the WWE from independent projects are shown as administrative costs. This payment only takes place if WWE’s administrative cost is more than 10% of the wrestlers earning from the project.
We now know from Ryback’s recent revelations, that WWE sometimes stops wrestlers from appearing on things like magazine covers.
3: Wrestlers cannot sue WWE for injury
Another important clause in every WWE contract is that wrestlers can’t sue WWE about injuries sustained on the job, even career-ending injuries.
Pro wrestling is a physical sport and injuries are common. The likes of Hideo Itami, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor have been out with serious injuries recently, with Balor’s being the most recent occurring the night he won the WWE Universal Championship.
2: Winners make more money even though matches are predetermined
This is another WWE contract clause we learnt from Ryback after his less than amicable spilt with the WWE. Ryback started during a Tumblr rant that even in the pre-determined world of the WWE, winners made more money than the losers.
Ryback made a good point when he said that in pro-wrestling, the winner couldn’t win unless the loser had allowed for him to go over.
1: WWE aren’t liable if a wrestler dies in the ring
One of the most important clauses in every WWE contract states in BOLD that the WWE cannot be sued if a wrestler dies in the ring, even if there is negligence on the part of the WWE.
However, an important point to note that this clause in the contract didn’t work when it came to the death of Owen Hart who passed away after a tragic fall during the Over The Edge PPV in 1999. Hart’s family were eventually awarded $18 million after a long court case.
