Remember when professional wrestling was actually about the wrestling? It might seem like an alien concept today, but not too long ago, professional wrestlers were valued on nothing more than their in-ring abilities and nothing more.
The reason I bring up this point is because today professional wrestling is more of a business package rather than a test of skill. It is a popularity contest, more than anything else. The primary reason that this is now the case is because of a little thing called merchandise sales.
Merchandise has quickly become one of the most important parts of the wrestling business. It allows indy wrestlers to supplement their income and lead comfortable lives without ever working for a huge company like the WWE. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are prime examples of this.
For those who have made it to the WWE, on the other hand, it is a barometer of their worth to the company. The more stuff of yours that sells, the more important you are in the grand scheme of things. So, which wrestlers sell the most? Well, that's what we're here to find out today.
So, without any further ado, let's get into our list of 5 superstars who sell the most merchandise for the WWE:
#5 The New Day
The New Day – comprising of Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods – is a marketing machine for the WWE. Not only do they act as ambassadors for the company like when Kofi and Big E came down to India, but they are also the 5th highest for merchandise sales.
T-shirts, replica titles, drinkware, toys, you name it, they've got something for you with their own personal brand attached to it. It's easy to see why as well. The trio are so over with WWE fans from all over the world that there is always a huge demand for their products.
If you think they held the WWE Tag Team Championships for a record number of days at 483 just for their in-ring abilities, you are sorely mistaken. They were raking in so much money for the company that they were kept on top of their division in order to milk that cash cow.
#4 The Hardy Boyz
Incredible, isn't it? Less than two months into their return to the WWE at Wrestlemania 33 – after years on the independent circuit – The Hardy Boyz are straight into the top 5 for merchandise sales like they were never away from the company.
It makes a lot of sense when you look at it, really. Jeff Hardy has always been over with the fans – both casual and hardcore – while Matt's new Broken gimmick has elevated him into the stratosphere.
These sales have obviously benefitted because of the nostalgia factor of seeing the two brothers back in the WWE and for the company to use that to their advantage as much as possible. Either as singles competitors or as a tag team, Matt and Jeff Hardy will always sell a lot of merch.
#3 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins is a bit of an anomaly on this list. What I mean by that is he is someone whose style of wrestling and promoting is more geared towards the smarks of the professional wrestling world rather than the casual fans.
Despite this, he is one of the most over superstars of the past few years. Even during his run as a heel and as the man who destroyed The Shield from within, he has always garnered universal praise for his work.
His recent switch over to the side of the light coupled with some sweet merchandising decisions have put Seth Rollins firmly into the top 3 for this list. Expect these numbers to keep going up as he gets back into the main event picture soon.
#2 Roman Reigns
Surprised that someone who is so widely despised as Roman Reigns makes this list at number 2? You shouldn't be. What a lot of us fail to realise in our hatred for Roman Reigns is that there is a very clear thinking process behind how he is booked. And, that thinking process is "Roman makes us a boat load of money."
Reigns is beloved by the younger members of the audience as well as most casual fans. He looks like the perfect wrestler and he is constantly booked to defy the odds and emerge victorious. You think an eight-year-old cares about booking decisions? Hell no.
Regardless of the hate he receives from the hardcore wrestling fanbase, he is a human ATM for the WWE and there is no way they're ever jeopardising that anytime soon.
#1 John Cena
Take everything I just said about Roman Reigns and multiply that by about a million and you get John Cena and what he means to the WWE. He has been Super Cena for well over a decade now and is one of the most well-liked members of the roster.
With his commitment to being a role model coupled with his now mainstream success, it is hardly surprising that The Face that Runs the Place is first on this list. The man is a money printing machine for the WWE even though he barely appears for a few months every year at this point.
There is no John Cena heel turn. There is only the massive amounts of cash he generates through his merchandise sales.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
