Shovanist Pig Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 These figures were taken from Powerslam magazine a few years back. Don't know how legit they are but I'll post them anyway.  Steve Austin's first WCW contract, which he signed in May 1991, paid him $75,000 per year. In 1994, Austin inked a two-year contract extension with WCW, worth $275,000 per annum. It is estimated that ''Stone Cold' earned over $5 miilion per year in 1998 and 1999 when he was riding high as the WWF's premier babyface. Debra Marshall, Austin's ex-wife, claimed that he earned ''as much as $12 million per year'' from 1998-2001. If that figure is accurate, it would make Austin the highest paid wrestler on a yearly basis ever. Leon '(Big Van) Vader' White was one of the top 3 earners in pro wrestling in 1993. That year, he signed a four-year contract with WCW, worth $625,000 per annum, and an eight-match deal with Japan's wroked shoot UWFI, which paid him a not inconsiderable $25,000 per match.  Lex Luger, another muscle-bound star of the 1980's, earned $500,000 per year as WCW champion in 1991-Feb 1992. As c0-host of Vince Mcmahon's short lived World Bodybuilding Federation bodystars programme, also in 1992, Luger earned $350,000 per year. As a wrestler Luger made more then $350,000 per year for most of his 1993-1994 run in the WWF - and earned in the $500,000-a-year range from WCW when he returned to the league on his first episode of Monday Nitro on September 4, 1995. Luger's annual WCW salary rose to $750,000 a few years later and then leapt to somewhere in the region of 1.25 million by 2000.  David Arquette recieved $20,000 from WCW from WCW to performa suprise run-in on the Buff Bagwell vs. Kanyon match at the New Blood Rising pay-per-view on August 13, 2000. No one cared....  Paul ''Big Show'' Wight, earnt in the region of $1 million as a WWF/WWE wrestler. Mcmahon offered him a ten-year-contract in Feb 1999, with a $950,000-per-annum downside guarantee. The WWE renegotiated the terms of his contract earlier this decade after trimming two years of the deal.  Randy Savage earned approx $1 million during his first reign as WWF champion (March 27, 1988 to April 2, 1989). 'The Macho Man' would pocket a similar salary as an ageing WCW headliner in 1998-1999.  Paul Heyman signed a five-year contract with the WWF/WWE in spring 2001. Which him a basic salary of $250,000 per annum. When he acted as the on-screen manager of Brock Lesnar and Big Show, Heyman was paid a talent salary ($60-$80,000) in addition to his basic.  After Brock Lesnar won the 2000 NCAA heacyweight wrestling title, lesnar became somewhat of a bidding war between the WWF, WCW and New Japan. With three seperate parties competing for his services, lesnar was able to to drive his price tag up to $250,000 per annum: the deal he inked with the WWF remains the largest developmental contract ever offered by the company. When he split from the WWE in 2004 to pursue an NFL career, Lesnar walked away from a $1 million.  WCW then- Chicago Bull's superstar Dennis Rodman $1.5 million in 1997 to make several appearances and wrestle in one tag team match (with Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. The Giant and Lex Luger) at the year's Bash At The Beach PPV.  Mike Tyson received the princely sum of $3.5 million for his handful of appearances and his enforcer role at Wrestlemania XIV.  Clueless weightlifter Mark Henry was resented by WWF wrestlers when he signed a ten-year, $250,000-per-annum guaranteed with the federation in 1996. Only a handful of wrestlers had been offered guaranteed /downside contracts by the WWF at that point.  Marcus ''Buff'' Bagwell was paid $600,000 per year by WCW in 1999-2000.  Torrie Wilson earned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Pretty interesting. One of ones that sounds really far off the mark is Angle earning $3 mill in 2000. Looking at what he did on PPV in 2000, then theres no way that can be true. If it was, then Triple H must have made $10 mill that year. Also hard to believe that in 2006, any wrestler was getting a $1 mill downside from Vince. Â Dont know why they are so harsh on DDP, either. Especially since they bring up people like Luger's and Nash's salary from the same era. When people like Stevie Ray and Shane Douglas were on $500k+, then its not exactly that crazy. Â Â Actually, WCW's finances from 98-01 would make for really interesting reading. Not just because of the insane money the headliners were making, but more so for what all the lower talent were earning. Anyone got any good titbits? As said above, Im sure Shane Douglas was on a $666k a year deal, wasnt he? Any other crazy lower-card salary stories? Â Also, what is the story about the Iron Sheik Im trying to remember? Didnt WCW pay him $100k a year to not show up, or something silly like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moofasa Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 My favourite finance stories are Kevin Walchotz he reportedly choked Vince out for only paying him $8000 for his Summeslam 92 match with Virgil. And then Nailz was still under contract after his one ppv appearance at Slamboree 93 and collecting an annual salary when WCW folded. What a guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members JNLister Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 Iron Sheik was one of the earlier guys they kept forgetting to cut which meant his contract rolled over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Up Chuck Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 Crazy to think that Lesnar could've ended up in WCW. Not that it would've changed a whole lot. In fact, he might have ended up in WWE even earlier than he did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ColinBollocks Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 The timing of Steve Austin blowing up must have made him the highest paid guy ever. What with WCW willing to pay him daft money and Vince paranoid of losing his biggest ever draw (as well as making WWE so much money). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 I'm not believing he was earning $12 million a year. If Debra is the only source Power Slam are using, that has to be wrong. In 2000 he was out for the best part of the year and 2001, business was well down from the previous year. I can believe he was earning huge money in 98 and 99, but not 2000 and 2001. The Rock on the other hand earned a $5.5 million payoff from The Scorpion King, a one million bonus for his match with Austin, god knows how much on merchandise, television appearances and his seven figure downside. I'd say The Rock's 2000 and 2001 period was bigger than Austin's 98 and 99 period. The Rock was a massive star on PPV and outside the business. Â Dave Meltzer said this as far as money earned in wrestling alone (not counting TV and movies): Most money earned from pro wrestling is tricky but Vince would be No. 1 and Baba, Hogan & Austin would be the next tier. Rock, Undertaker, Flair and HHH would come next. Cena would be up there now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Kaz Hayashi Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 I agree with Debra clearly talking shite, but i imagine that Vince turned paranoid around 2000/2001 and paid up, in case he jumped ship. If Vince had 'any' idea of WCW's money problems, he may have wanted Austin to stay on bored, if Austin had jumped, WCW may have lived longer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ColinBollocks Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 I'm not believing he was earning $12 million a year. If Debra is the only source Power Slam are using, that has to be wrong. In 2000 he was out for the best part of the year and 2001, business was well down from the previous year. The Rock on the other hand earned a $5.5 million payoff from The Scorpion King, a one million bonus for his match with Austin, god knows how much on merchandise, television appearances and his seven figure downside. I'd say The Rock's 2000 and 2001 period was bigger than Austin's 98 and 99 period. The Rock was a massive star on PPV and outside the business. I doubt he was getting $12M a year too, but considering the way business was at the time (WCW were still doing good numbers in 98/99 and willing to throw stupid money at anything), you must think Vince was making extra effort to keep Austin happy. You seen what happened post-2001 when Vince started to treat Austin like everybody else, Austin had a bunch of hissy fits. Austin had a lot of leverage to negotiate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 If he did earn $12 million (or lower than that), most of that would have came from merchandise and outside endorcements. He was getting what he was earning, not what he was contracted to, so it wasnt Vince locking him to a mega contract. If Austin had broke his never during 1998, he'd have sat at home earning his downside guarentee and royalties. The highest downside guarentee for years was Bret Hart's $2.5 million or Hogan's daft contract. So Austin would never have went to WCW, because WCW couldnt have offered him anything close to what he was making in the WWF, because he was selling out buildings, PPV's and merch off the shelves. To go to WCW for a high downside when business was low would have been out of the question. Austin wasn't a Bret Hart. Bret Hart wasnt making what Austin was outside of his downside guarentee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ColinBollocks Posted January 23, 2012 Paid Members Share Posted January 23, 2012 If he did earn $12 million (or lower than that), most of that would have came from merchandise and outside endorcements. He was getting what he was earning, not what he was contracted to, so it wasnt Vince locking him to a mega contract. If Austin had broke his never during 1998, he'd have sat at home earning his downside guarentee and royalties. The highest downside guarentee for years was Bret Hart's $2.5 million or Hogan's daft contract. So Austin would never have went to WCW, because WCW couldnt have offered him anything close to what he was making in the WWF, because he was selling out buildings, PPV's and merch off the shelves. To go to WCW for a high downside when business was low would have been out of the question. Austin wasn't a Bret Hart. Bret Hart wasnt making what Austin was outside of his downside guarentee. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Austin ever considered it, but it doesn't mean Vince wasn't paranoid about losing his biggest ever draw and Austin didn't play that up when talking about his slice of the money WWE were making. Â As I said, in 1998/1999 WCW weren't in a total hole and Vince had lost big stars to WCW in the past and WCW made it work. Â Obviously, this is all speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 How was Nailz being paid in WCW up until it's closure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnum Milano Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Actually, WCW's finances from 98-01 would make for really interesting reading. Not just because of the insane money the headliners were making, but more so for what all the lower talent were earning. Anyone got any good titbits? As said above, Im sure Shane Douglas was on a $666k a year deal, wasnt he? Any other crazy lower-card salary stories? As reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter back in 1998/9:  Scott Norton $800,000 a year  Stevie Ray $750,000 a year  Davey Boy Smith $400,000 a year (on a 3 year deal)  Swole $400,000 a year  Wrath $350,000 a year  Rick Rude $300,000 a year (on a 3 year deal)  Raven $275,000 a year  Hak (Sandman) $245,000 a year (on a 3 year deal)  John Nord $150,000 a year  Kevin Wacholz $150,000 a year (worked either once or twice, only on House Shows)  Lanny Poffo $75,000 a year (multi year deal, only worked twice)  Symphony (Ryan Shamrock) $60,000 a year  Additionally the lowest level Luchadores (Damian, Villanos, Dandy etc) were on $95,000 a year, whilst the Nitro Girls (except Kimberly) were on $50,000 each a year. Jay Leno was paid $1 million for his PPV appearance, KISS were paid $500,000 to appear and play two songs on an episode of Nitro whilst Michael Buffer was paid $500,000 for his appearance in the Ready to Rumble movie and for the rights to use his phrase. Most mindblowing of everything is that Master P was paid $200,000 PER APPEARANCE, and persuaded WCW to also sign Swole, Chase Tatum and Teddy Reade to contracts far greater than what they were worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted January 23, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 23, 2012 Teddy Reade was there for ages to boot. Well, ok maybe not ages but at least a full year as he was with Supergreat Harlem Heat 2000 later on, and I think Chase Tatum was in WCW for a decent chunk of time as well. Â Good to see Johnny Nord make decent money for not much as I like John Nord, super nice guy which he is. He says on his shoot that he thinks one of the major reasons he got it is that he was one of the few people who were nice enough to humour Eric Bischoff as he'd show everyone his Karate trophies in the AWA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTXRussomark Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Swole $400,000 a year Fucking hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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