NavigatorFan Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) Whilst I completely agree that a first aider/paramedic should be in attendance for all shows that take place the cost is extremely high given the slim margins in wrestling. I enquired on behalf of a friend who wanted to use wrestling as part of a charity banquet and the cheapest quote we had was £800 and that was St John's Ambulance. In fairness this was a 10 hour event and although the wrestling was only to last 2 hours my friend thought it made sense to have them there for the duration since he was expecting over 500 guests. Without the wrestling element it went down £100 and if there was to be no alcohol it would have decreased another £100. This was the charity price so I imagine a 4 hour wrestling show would be at least £500, which is 50 tickets at a tenner and probably more than an outlaw mudshow pays the talent in total. It also bizarrely increased the cost of insurance in my friends case as the insurers saw it as a higher risk if you needed professional first aiders! We didn't shop around though as the insurance was already in place and we only mentioned it expecting it may have slightly reduced the price. For anyone interested the event took place without wrestling however 2 wrestlers were booked to do a meet and greet and a promo leading to a future bout (which unfortunately hasn't happened due to pandemic). St John's ambulance were in attendance and thankfully not needed and the event was well attended and made decent amount of money for charity. Upshot of this overly long post is although I totally support the need to have paramedics I can see why many shows go ahead without them and I think WWE is aware that their request makes it likely that their talent will not be booked. Edited June 8, 2021 by NavigatorFan Got a bit excited with spacing between paragraphs 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoptimus Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 12 hours ago, WyattSheepMask said: From what I recall, they could with the ones that WWE had partnerships with, so those were Progress, ICW and wXw l, and as @Joe Blogsaid, so long as there was a paramedic present. That little stip took a lot of promotions out of the picture as the vast majority of those wouldn’t have the funds to make sure they have a paramedic present Not gonna lie I actually had Joe Coffey go mad at me inside a DM for tweeting a picture of a paramedic vehicle outside a venue for an independent show he was booked on. Apparently I was highlighting it in public view that WWE were making it difficult for a promotion to book him so it was a bad look for him as he was well established within said promotion. He was like it's not his fault WWE are making the promoter do this. The way he came into my DM's was a bit over the top and a bit agressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 15 minutes ago, Hoptimus said: Not gonna lie I actually had Joe Coffey go mad at me inside a DM for tweeting a picture of a paramedic vehicle outside a venue for an independent show he was booked on. Apparently I was highlighting it in public view that WWE were making it difficult for a promotion to book him so it was a bad look for him as he was well established within said promotion. He was like it's not his fault WWE are making the promoter do this. The way he came into my DM's was a bit over the top and a bit agressive. So WWE doing (for once) the responsible thing of making sure that a show with talent that they work with has a paramedic on hand should something happen to said talent (or anybody else for that matter) was a bad look for him and the promotion? Or is he meaning a different promotion entirely? One that presumably would be up shit’s creek should he get a serious injury Did you or anyone else imply that it was “his fault” that WWE were making this, once again, very reasonable demand of a paramedic being on hand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted June 8, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted June 8, 2021 An increasing number of shows, in my experience, were starting to get parademics on site ahead of WWE demanding it, but WWE pushing it basically made it commonplace - it's not just that you need someone present to be able to use WWE talent, but that everyone else on the show benefits from it, and then are likely more reluctant to take bookings that can't provide a medic. There are a few who take bookings specialising in working wrestling shows. There are other restrictions for booking WWE talent, but they change all the time - restrictions on how they're booked, who they can face, whether you can use their footage, has all changed a few times, and obviously WWE always have the option to pull people from the card at a moment's notice. On the flipside, I've also known of WWE talent just taking bookings without telling them, or of managing to get bookings they wouldn't normally be "allowed" by just specifically going and asking for permission. But the rules have changed a bunch since NXT UK started, and I think now we're probably at the stage that they just won't be available for outside bookings at all any more. I haven't seen any NXT UK talent announced for upcoming indie shows this year, and while I imagine that's largely a Covid precaution, I could see them just sticking with that for the foreseeable future. It's pretty damning when even PROGRESS - the company co-opted by WWE, with the only conceivable benefit being access to WWE-contracted talent - no longer have access to them even when their shows are on the WWE Network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted June 8, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted June 8, 2021 Let's not forget that we're less than two years removed from a fairly big name dying in a UK ring, and the venue being specifically criticised for not having paramedics on-hand, or properly briefing their first-aider. If a promotion isn't doing that, they're taking risks for themselves and the venue financially, along with the risk to the performers. http://camdennewjournal.com/article/raft-of-safety-failures-on-night-mexican-wrestler-died-in-the-ring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members chokeout Posted June 8, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted June 8, 2021 What sort of contract are the NXT UK lot on. Is it the same structure as the main lads with a downside and a per show fee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB6937 Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Couple of packets of crisps a show and they get to hang out with Shawn Michaels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Your Fight Site Posted June 8, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted June 8, 2021 2 hours ago, Hoptimus said: Not gonna lie I actually had Joe Coffey go mad at me inside a DM for tweeting a picture of a paramedic vehicle outside a venue for an independent show he was booked on. Apparently I was highlighting it in public view that WWE were making it difficult for a promotion to book him so it was a bad look for him as he was well established within said promotion. He was like it's not his fault WWE are making the promoter do this. The way he came into my DM's was a bit over the top and a bit agressive. What a weird guy. Because someone’s going to see a picture of an ambulance and go, “Ambulance, must be mandated by WWE… oh my lord! It’s WWE’s doing and they’re making it difficult to book one-third of of a stable!” and not just go, “Oh, it’s a picture of an ambulance. At least someone’s here if something goes wrong”. Goes to lock down DMs on Twitter account… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoptimus Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 34 minutes ago, Your Fight Site said: What a weird guy. Because someone’s going to see a picture of an ambulance and go, “Ambulance, must be mandated by WWE… oh my lord! It’s WWE’s doing and they’re making it difficult to book one-third of of a stable!” and not just go, “Oh, it’s a picture of an ambulance. At least someone’s here if something goes wrong”. Goes to lock down DMs on Twitter account… That was the exact mentality. It's a bad look a fans taken a photo of an expense required to book me but if I wasn't contracted the promoter wouldn't require said expense onset cringe. Completely mental behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew "the ref" coyne Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 3 hours ago, chokeout said: What sort of contract are the NXT UK lot on. Is it the same structure as the main lads with a downside and a per show fee? My understanding is that they are paid X amount, and as part of it must be available to compete on nxt UK (duh) and cant accept bookings if WWE say no, or it's part of a blacklist. The amount is good, but they still need to work elsewhere / have a real life job to supplement it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSurgeon Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 1 hour ago, andrew "the ref" coyne said: The amount is good, but they still need to work elsewhere / have a real life job to supplement it. The amount is good, and because they do fuck all they have a real life job to not be bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted June 8, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted June 8, 2021 I know a few people at NXT:UK and, of the wrestlers, don't know any who have a "real life job". Maybe there are some, because it's not huge money, but it's certainly not "you need a second job to supplement this" poverty pay. When the brand started, it was reported that people were on about £25,000 a year, plus royalties and benefits. I know one person at least who has had their university education bankrolled by WWE, and I know at least one who's on considerably more than that £25,000 anyway. There have been other rules in place over the time the brand's existed, but they used to change them all the time. Initially you could work anywhere so long as it wasn't one of their blacklisted companies or on a streaming service or TV, but they started to get stricter when Pete Dunne got injured on an indie show. Last I heard, every booking had to be cleared through the office, and was dependent on it not falling within two weeks of an NXT UK booking, and WWE-contracted talent had to portray the same heel or face disposition as they did on TV, and you required special permission to book them to lose. But the specific rules changed all the time. As I said before, I imagine now you can't book NXT:UK talent at all, and I very much doubt they'll go back to allowing it post-Covid either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoptimus Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 42 minutes ago, BomberPat said: I know a few people at NXT:UK and, of the wrestlers, don't know any who have a "real life job". Maybe there are some, because it's not huge money, but it's certainly not "you need a second job to supplement this" poverty pay. When the brand started, it was reported that people were on about £25,000 a year, plus royalties and benefits. I know one person at least who has had their university education bankrolled by WWE, and I know at least one who's on considerably more than that £25,000 anyway. There have been other rules in place over the time the brand's existed, but they used to change them all the time. Initially you could work anywhere so long as it wasn't one of their blacklisted companies or on a streaming service or TV, but they started to get stricter when Pete Dunne got injured on an indie show. Last I heard, every booking had to be cleared through the office, and was dependent on it not falling within two weeks of an NXT UK booking, and WWE-contracted talent had to portray the same heel or face disposition as they did on TV, and you required special permission to book them to lose. But the specific rules changed all the time. As I said before, I imagine now you can't book NXT:UK talent at all, and I very much doubt they'll go back to allowing it post-Covid either. It's an interesting read that about the pay. £25k a year you are kind of scratching your head. WWE superstars are projected as big time stars. Larger than life. You do expect them to be paid more. If you take Impact Wrestling. I know that a number of the Impact Wrestling roster have day jobs which I find mental. The perception they give off is Impact Wrestling is a global brand and they have their stars be projected the same way as WWE. I couldn't believe it that Josh Alexander the current Impact Wrestling X Division champion is currently getting up at 4am to make the gym so he can start work in the morning for 8am then do gym after work see family a couple of hours then bed at 10pm every night. I'd have expected him to be making enough to have it being a wrestler is a full time gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 (edited) Impact wrestlers making bugger all isn’t anything new, and I’m not meaning that “haha, they’re well poor” way. Even when they were on national TV and had Panda Energy funding them, Taylor Wilde was working a second job (Sunglasses Hut?) while she was the Knockouts Champion. Gail Kim was another example of being on very low money ($500 per appearance I want to say) although I don’t recall ever hearing of her working a second job as I’m sure she still did the odd indie show. Wasn't there some guy on the roster who was living off Food Stamps too? I’m not surprised to hear that most of the NXT:UK guys are on very little. I reckon there are a couple of people on better deals though, guys like Walter and Tyler Bate I would imagine are on the same kind of deal that a guy on “regular NXT” is Edited June 8, 2021 by WyattSheepMask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted June 8, 2021 Paid Members Share Posted June 8, 2021 At Impact the Young Bucks were working ladder matches and their credit cards still bounced when they tried to buy a sandwich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts