Top WWE Superstars allegedly earning $30-40 million per year
Former WWE Champion claims that several top stars in the company are now earning 30 times more than they used to five years ago.
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Top WWE stars salaries [via- WWE]
Over the past couple of years, WWE has signed several superstars to contract extensions with hefty salary raises. Amidst the ongoing boom period, the average salary is said to have increased to seven figures per year. Moreover, Chris Jericho recently claimed that main event talent are earning around the range of $30-40 million. In fact, Jericho took credit for how WWE’s salary structure changed since his departure from the company.
While speaking with Chris Van Vliet, the AEW wrestler explained that while he worked for WWE, Vince McMahon never handed out guaranteed contracts for more than $1 million. However, this changed significantly once he left for AEW. According to Jericho, midcard wrestlers earn $1 million now, while the top stars are making $30-40 million per year. Y2J further claimed that this wouldn’t have been possible without the inception of AEW.
While Chris Jericho‘s influence on this rise might be debated, there is no doubt that AEW’s introduction shifted the landscape. In 2019, McMahon reportedly extended several stars’ contracts, fearing a mass exodus. In the past five years, WWE has engaged in several bidding wars with AEW, even losing out on names such as Will Ospreay and Mercedes Mone. As per reports, the latter became the highest-paid woman in the industry.
Meanwhile, the Stamford-based promotion acquired the likes of Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer. For years, many within the industry were under the common belief that wrestlers had been underpaid. Needless to say, this fierce competition ultimately benefits wrestlers, who have been long overdue such high salaries.
Chris Jericho turned down returning to WWE in 2022
In 2019, Chris Jericho left WWE after citing creative frustrations. Following his run in NJPW, Jericho joined the newly formed All Elite Wrestling (AEW), becoming the biggest star in the promotion. Three years later, Jericho’s contract expired as rumors at the time hinted at a possible WWE return. However, Jericho ended up re-signing with AEW.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Jericho explained why he turned down a return to WWE. The former AEW World Champion revealed that the Stamford-based promotion wanted him to return with “The List” gimmick.
I didn’t want to go back to WWE and do The List. Which I knew they wanted me to do, and this is three years later and the List was not a thing for me back then.
Chris Jericho via Chris Van Vliet
Jericho rejected the idea of returning as a nostalgia act as he felt he had more to give to the industry. Moreover, he underscored the importance of evolving in the business to stay relevant. Fast forward three years, Jericho is the reigning ROH World Champion and one of the promotion’s top stars. Unfortunately, opinions of him within the wrestling community have become more polarized.
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Vansh Shah
(1118 Articles Published)