Cody Rhodes has watched wrestling money explode, and he says the guys sitting at the very top of WWE are now getting paid on a level that would have sounded insane to previous generations. According to Rhodes, the days of wrestlers being globally famous without getting major-sports money are disappearing fast.
Speaking on the Flagrant podcast, Rhodes was asked about WWE’s current pay structure and how much the wrestling business has changed financially. His answer was pretty simple — there is a lot more money floating around now, and having multiple places where wrestlers can work has changed the entire economy.
“The wrestling economy is different now because there’s other places you can go wrestle. The best way to put it, the money in wrestling and sports entertainment is very good.”
Rhodes said the numbers would probably shock wrestlers from his father Dusty Rhodes’ generation, especially now that guaranteed contracts have become the norm at the highest levels.
“I feel like if you were my dad or any of these wrestlers we talked about on that list, you’d be shocked. My mom didn’t get it when I said, hey, X amount. Now the contracts are guaranteed. All that means to me, it’s like, that’s a huge responsibility.”
The conversation then turned to what someone entering WWE might make today. Rhodes admitted he doesn’t know the exact developmental pay scale, but he made it clear nobody is exactly scraping together gas money.
“I don’t know what our developmental, I mean everything is six figures.”
Rhodes then pointed to WWE President Nick Khan, who he said has a way of breaking down the different earning levels inside the company. Some talent will do well, some will do very well, and then there is another group making money Rhodes believes now belongs in the same conversation as traditional professional sports.
“You know what, I’ll actually defer to Nick Khan, because Nick has a great quote about these guys are going to do well, these guys are going to do really well, and then these couple guys, he named a few guys, they’re going to do next level.”
That “next level” is where Rhodes says things have really changed.
“That next level pay is now comparable with sports.”
For Rhodes, that is a big deal because wrestlers have always had the fame, travel schedule and worldwide visibility of major athletes without necessarily seeing the same money show up in their bank accounts. Rhodes credited WWE’s current TKO era and Nick Khan with closing that gap.
“That’s the part that I’m so proud of being a wrestler because when you hear baseball contracts and NBA contracts and you know as a wrestler that you go all over the world and be known and seen but you weren’t on that level, you were on the level of penetration but not that level of income.”
“Now, modern TKO and Nick have made it that you are.”
Rhodes is obviously speaking from near the top of WWE’s food chain, but his larger point is hard to miss. Wrestling has always created massive stars, but now he believes the biggest names are finally getting paid like the major sports figures they are constantly compared to.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
Do you think WWE wrestlers should be earning money comparable to top athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB, or is pro wrestling still a completely different business? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
