MVP Explains Why So Many Ex-Wrestlers End Up With Day Jobs After TV Fame

MVP is keeping it brutally honest when it comes to what life looks like after the spotlight fades in pro wrestling—and he’s got a message for every internet troll who thinks otherwise.

Speaking on his Marking Out podcast, the former WWE United States Champion explained how short-lived most wrestling careers really are—and how poor money management and unrealistic expectations leave many former stars struggling. MVP compared wrestling careers to another unforgiving industry.

“I’m very fortunate to say that I don’t know that [retirement struggles] firsthand. I’ve been so fortunate… I think the average WWE career is comparable to the average NFL career. I think it’s like five years. The average. You know, we think about the people like Miz, who you’ve seen on TV for 20 years… but then you forget about Deuce and Domino, right? You saw them pretty prominently… but it wasn’t for a long time.”

Even for those who enjoy short-term success on TV, MVP pointed out how that fades quickly once you hit the indie scene.

“For me… a lot of people, if you’ve had that television time, you can work the indies for a while and still get good money… but after a while, that kind of runs out. You know… right off the TV, you get hot money. Everybody wants to see you. But after you’ve been around the indies for a little while, that money starts to go down… life kicks in.”

And when the money dries up, real life comes fast—sometimes in the form of a day job.

“If you’re a single guy… you don’t have all those expenses. But you got a wife, you got some kids… there comes a point for a lot of people where wrestling’s not paying the bills anymore… and you gotta get another gig. I have friends… former colleagues that are in that position now. They were huge stars, and after TV… they worked the indies for a while… but little by little, things kind of transition to a point where… they’re not a wrestling TV star anymore.”

MVP didn’t just speak in hypotheticals—he gave real examples.

“A lot of guys I know are car salesmen. A lot of different gigs, man. You do what you gotta do. I know Charlie Haas is doing well for himself these days selling medical equipment… but I think he still takes some indie bookings here and there.”

He credits his own ability to avoid that fate to smart choices—and that Royal Rumble return that reignited his WWE run with the Hurt Business and now the Hurt Syndicate. The conversation shifted to financial literacy, with MVP explaining how easy it is to lose it all when fame hits people who never had money before.

“Everybody doesn’t get rich and famous. Lots of people, due to financial literacy, make a lot of money… and spend a lot of money. Especially when you come from a place where you were broke. No one ever taught you what to do with money. You get money… and right away, you wanna buy the cars, the jewelry, the clothes, the trips… You don’t plan for the future because some people think it’s gonna last forever.”

As for the haters calling ex-wrestlers “washed up,” MVP didn’t hold back.

“You could say whatever you want. ‘Oh, you’re a has-been. You’re washed up.’ Motherfer, you never were. I walked down that aisle. There are action figures of me. You? No one knows who you are. You’re talking st about… ‘They’re washed up… a one-hit wonder.’ You never had a hit. You know what it takes to have a hit? And those one-hit wonders? They’re still eating all these years later… and you’re still punching the time clock for your boss.”

MVP’s take is blunt but real—wrestling careers are short, money disappears fast, and the ones still standing years later are the ones who figured it out.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.