03-01-2005, 09:53 AM
Covering pro wrestling in my salad days was always a shocker when it came to pay-outs.
Wrestlers are private contractors so they get a base salary, a "downside guarantee" in the lingo, plus a percentage of the gate, plus a percentage of their merchandise (T-shirts, foam fingers) sold, plus a percentage of the Pay Per View buyrate.
At WrestleMania 17 in Houston, (A paid crowd of over 59,000 with a gate near $4 million US) The Rock and Steve Austin, both with annual downsides of $1 million, made roughly $500,000 a piece... for one nights work.
Start lifting weights.
Wrestlers are private contractors so they get a base salary, a "downside guarantee" in the lingo, plus a percentage of the gate, plus a percentage of their merchandise (T-shirts, foam fingers) sold, plus a percentage of the Pay Per View buyrate.
At WrestleMania 17 in Houston, (A paid crowd of over 59,000 with a gate near $4 million US) The Rock and Steve Austin, both with annual downsides of $1 million, made roughly $500,000 a piece... for one nights work.
Start lifting weights.