How WWE pays it's Wrestlers (Contractually)

In this video I finally break down the part of WWE contracts everyone always asks me about. People hear terms like downside guarantees, live event bonuses, royalties, and pay sheets, but they rarely understand how those things actually work once you are under contract and on the road. I walk through the structure from the ground up and explain what a wrestler can really expect when it comes to their base pay versus the money they earn by performing.
I also get into the real world implications of these systems. What happens when you are injured. What it means when you stop getting called to TV. How unpredictable “promoter’s discretion” can be. Why royalties can save you or sink you. And how easy it is for a talent to suddenly go months without a check even though they are still under contract. These are the things no one explains to you when you sign your first deal.
To round it out, I talk about audits, pay disputes, and some situations I witnessed firsthand that show how uneven and confusing the system can be. My goal is to make this process transparent for anyone who has ever wondered how WWE talent actually gets paid. If there is a part of this world you want me to dig deeper into, drop it in the comments and I’ll cover it in a future video.

00:00 INTRO
00:17 “Minimum Annual Compensation"
02:03 “Minimum Annual Compensation"
03:54 Downside Guarantee for someone not being called to TV
04:41 Downside Guarantee for someone brought to TV
05:14 “Promoter’s Sole Discretion”
06:29 Example June 7th RAW
07:23 JTG
09:02 Pay Sheets explained
11:03 Royalites LPS
12:02 “Pro Rata”
13:21 “Pro Rata” of a top guy joining a group
14:41 I haven’t seen a CURRENT TKO Contracts
15:01 Current PLE Payments
15:14 NO EXTRA ROYALTY
16:02 Downside against Royalty on a talent who’s sitting at home
17:28 Making a guarantee on Paysheets in 6 months
18:22 You could be upside down on a mortgage
19:05 AUDIT
20:10 Informal Audit vs Formal Audit
20:37 Pay for the Audit
21:19 Can't sue for royalties after the fact
21:57 OUTRO