Yesterday, yet another chapter was written in the lore of WWE chairman Vince McMahon.
Details of an internal WWE memo leaked onto the internet. Coming straight from McMahon, the memo explained that WWE wrestlers would have to stop engagement with third parties (presumably Twitch, YouTube, Cameo etc.). It stated that using their names and likeness in this way is detrimental to the company. Stars were asked to terminate these activities by 2nd October or face punishment in the form of “fines, suspension, or termination”. This comes after a meeting last week where wrestlers were reportedly told WWE not only own their character names but their real ones, too. All of this was announced under the guise of a “reinvention of the product”.
If that doesn’t rub you up the wrong way, it should. And for many wrestlers and public figures, it clearly has.
CM Punk, the outspoken ex-WWE star, had the following to say on Twitter:
Even former Democratic US presidential candidate Andrew Yang chimed in with a four-tweet smackdown on McMahon:
And in response to Yang, former WWE World Champion and Hollywood star Dave Bautista (clearly mindful of where he found fame) added this:
Perhaps the most alarming fact is that some have found this revelation surprising. Yet, it shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. WWE have tried to control every element of their performers’ careers for years. WWE contracts are notoriously one-sided. “Superstars” must sign as independent contractors. This means that despite breaking their bodies, they receive none of the benefits of an employee. No health care, no job security, no entitlement to retirement benefits. The best these guys and girls can hope for at the end of their careers (lest they end up like Randy ‘The Ram’ from 2008’s The Wrestler) is yet another contract, but under the guise of a ‘Legend’.
Arguments in defence of WWE
A defence being thrown around on Twitter is that the wrestlers aren’t forced to sign, it’s a free country.
I mean, come on. Delusions of westernised ideals aside – they aren’t forced to sign in so much as they don’t have a gun to their heads. But when you consider that pro wrestling stardom is a lifelong dream for many and WWE is one of only two major companies in the US, you must ask what freedom they have not to sign? This has been true ever since WWE monopolised the wrestling landscape in the 1980s and conquered WCW in 2001. The viability of a substantial living outside of the company has been near non-existent until recently.
Another argument being banded around in a pathetic attempt to vindicate WWE is that their wrestlers are well paid as international stars. Thus, their employment rights be damned!
Clearly, big-time WWE stars earn a significant living. Only yesterday I wrote about Brock Lesnar’s contract negotiations and the immense salary he’s able to command. As of 2019, Lesnar’s base salary was reportedly $12 million. Impressive, right? Well, the next highest earner for a full-time wrestler was Roman Reigns – earning a cool $5 million. Yet, as you look down the proverbial ‘card’, it becomes immediately clear that many aren’t earning as much as you’d think. Salaries around $1 million are common for bigger stars. Yet many are earning below $500k. When you consider WWE stars have finite careers and have to pay for their own travel, accommodation, retirement and healthcare, that doesn’t seem like much. Forbes reported that the average NXT (WWE’s third brand) salary is just $80k.
The worst part is – it’s many of these sub-$500k stars who will be looking for third party deals to supplement their income.
A history of questionable ethics
If this were the first time the morality of certain company actions had been called into question, fair enough. Hell, if it were the first time this specific issue of independent contractors vs. employees had been raised, I’d say give them a chance. But it isn’t.
This year, WWE infamously fumbled their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. It resulted in a significant number of stars contracting the disease. Renee Paquette (Young), who recently had COVID-19 and parted ways with the company last week, explained that she “didn’t really feel like anyone was all that concerned that I got sick”. What’s worse, their poor handling of the situation impacted the operations of AEW. Paquette’s husband, AEW Champion Jon Moxley, was forced to miss shows to avoid spreading the disease. Admittedly, AEW’s handling wasn’t perfect either, but was reported to be significantly more stringent early-on.
Looking back a little further and we have WWE’s shady history with Saudi Arabia. It began with the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. Since then, the company has run numerous large-scale shows in the oppressive country at the behest of the Saudi Crown Prince. Despite condemnation because of the country’s terrible record on women’s issues, the LGBT community, human rights, and the war in Yemen, WWE have continued regardless. Even the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi (and renewed condemnation from senior politicians and public figures) didn’t stop the company from running the 2018 Crown Jewel event. I mean, the world had to see DX vs. Brothers of Destruction. They only had a combined age of approximately 200. $50 million per show (as reported by Forbes) in blood money must’ve been too much to turn down.
In October 2019, more than 175 wrestlers and company employees were effectively held hostage on a plane at King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia. This was caused by a dispute between Vince McMahon and the Saudi’s over payments for the events. Given the history of human rights abuses in the country, many were reportedly scared for their safety. To make matters worse, WWE even issued a quickly disproven statement stating the delay was due to mechanical issues.
Ultimately, it may be a good thing that Vince McMahon issued this memo. It appears to have shone a light on an issue that has flown under the radar for far too long. As a company that has made its fortune outside of the mainstream, WWE has often gotten off far too lightly for the questionable morality of its decision making. Fans love to bow to ‘Mr McMahon’ as he comes out into arenas with “You’ve got… No chance! No chance in hell!” blasting out over the speakers. But what they need to remember is that for all his (supposed) genius as a promoter, there are real people paying the price of his wealth.
Will WWE talent get by without third party ventures? Maybe. But it’s not fair or reasonable to expect them to. It’s time for change, Vince.
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Featured Image Credit: WWE
