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Here's something I snagged from another board:



I snagged this from wrestlingclassics.com/.ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=138912

In the Ultimate Warrior thread, we were talking about wrestler salaries. To that end, I went back to old newsletters, mainly the Observer, to see what guys were making in the 1998-99 timeframe. There was very little regarding the WWF, somewhat surprisingly, especially given that the WWF's IPO occurred during this period. At any rate, here's what was found. Any incorrections are from the source material.


- Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Eddie Guerrero got new contracts around January of 1999, reported as three years for $1,350,000 ($400,000, $450,000, $500,000) apiece.

- Mikey Whipwreck and Hak (The Sandman) were initally reported as being in the $130,000 to $200,000 per year range. Hak's deal was later confirmed as $245,000 per year for three years, but WCW used a 90 day out cycle to release him in October 1999 when cost cutting was implemented and mass releases, including Whipwreck, and renegotiations of existing deals took place.

- Warrior wanted $2,500,000 per year in 1995 when WCW approached him. That money was considered outrageous and was a motivation for creating The Renegade gimmick with the guy getting a more reasonable $150,000 per year.

- Davey Boy Smith was making $400,000 per year when cut in April of 1999.

- Rick Rude, who had been working for the WWF and ECW without a contract, jumped to WCW in November of 1997 for $300,000 per year for three years from November 1997. He made $315,000 per year in his 1991-1994 stint.

- Goldberg was making $800,000 per year in the spring of 1999 as renegotiations occurred. I think he wound up getting something in the $3,000,000 or more per year range.

- Shane Douglas wanted $350,000 from the WWF but was told "no way". I'd forgotten they even talked given his bitter departure in late 1995. It wasn't made clear what WCW gave him.

- Scott Hall made $30,000 per week in mid 1999 which adds up to $1,600,000 per year, but WCW cut his pay by 50% during his lengthy spell on the shelf that year.

- WCW offered Chris Jericho between $425,000 and $500,000 to stay, but he turned them down figuring his WWF downside would be lower, but he'd make more with a push there that WCW wouldn't give him.

- It was written that Swoll got a one year deal for $400,000 in mid 1999. Fellow No Limit Soldiers Chase Tatum and Tank also got one year deals for undisclosed terms. All were said to have been eventually released.

- $900,000 for Karl Malone, $1,000,000 for Jay Leno, $2,250,000 for Dennis Rodman, $3,500,000 for Mike Tyson, and $200,000 per Nitro appearance for Master P. The Master P thing seems a lot crazier until you count up that he made maybe half a dozen appearances. Then his pay is still dumb, but more in line with the other celebrities.

- Jesse Ventura got $350,000 per year from WCW from 1992-1994.

- Lanny Poffo was getting $75,000 and wasn't even being used by WCW.

- KISS got $500,000 to play two songs on Nitro when The Demon debuted plus additional money for the wrestler's gimmick.

- WCW paid Raven $275,000 per year.

- Tazz wanted a $450,000 downside from the WWF, while it proposed $200,000. WCW offered more, but he went with the WWF after worrying about not getting pushed in WCW.

- Scott Norton got $800,000 per year before his deal either ran out in the fall of 1999 or he was flat out cut via a 90 day out cycle.

- Vampiro was getting $350,000 per year, but the contract had 90 day out cycles that WCW executed. WCW wanted him to take $175,000 in a new deal in October 1999, later increased to $200,000 per year with the chance to make money on outside merch, and a promise see about getting some extra money to him after the crisis ended.

- Wrath had $350,000 per year until November 1999 when a 90 day review cycle was used to renegotiate him downward.

- Stevie Ray got $750,000 per year until November 1999 when a 90 day review cycle was used to renegotiate him downward.

- Alicia Webb got $60,000 as of November 1999 to valet for The Maestro.

- DDP was getting $1,300,000 as of November of 1999 with two and a half years to go. Apparently with WCW approval, since it wanted to get salaries off the books, he used his contacts with Big Show and Big Bossman to see about WWF interest. The interest was there, but not at a guarantee for that kind of money, so he stayed put.

- Tank Abbott was getting $300,000 per year.


Here is the little I could find about WWF contracts.

- Jeff Jarrett made $428,000 in the WWF in 1998 on a $250,000 downside and topped his $350,000 downside in 1999 without an amount being mentioned. However, his WCW salary was not disclosed.

- Shawn Michaels, who didn't wrestle between late March of 1998 and late August of 2002, apparently got $780,000 from the WWF for at least part, if not all, of that timeframe.


And an All Japan tidbit.

- Vader was given a deal in mid 1999 calling for $14,950 per week while touring with that promotion and a guarantee that he could work every tour (sometimes certain foreign workers would be left off of tours). However, I'm pretty certain that money only called for the weeks when All Japan was touring. How many weeks would that have accounted for?