Jesse Neal on Food Stamps?

[JJohns]

I don't know if this is telling on the direction that TNA is heading, but recently, Jesse Neal tweeted that he was able to get onto food stamps and was looking into his VA benefits. You really have to feel for the guy, he sacrificed for his country, was built up by TNA as a Real American Hero.....and they don't pay him enough to be able to eat or get health benefits.

What the fuck people? TNA is supposed to be the "number 2" promotion in the US, yet they can't pay guys a living wage and bring in people like Hogan, RVD, Anderson and Sting who they are probably paying more than they are worth to the company. Yes, folks, this is WCW all over again. I really do hope that things turn around for Jesse, because he really doesn't deserve that hand that TNA has given him.

 

[klunderbunker]

1. Who in the world is Jesse Neal that he should get paid like Hogan, Sting, Anderson or RVD? Neal is pretty weak in the ring and I've never looked forward to a match he's in. Can't say that about any of the other four guys.

2. He signed the contract knowing what he would be paid. No one held a gun to his head and said "sign this or die." He knew what he was getting into when he agreed to work for TNA. Not their fault that he didn't read through it/know what he was getting into.

3. This is actually the EXACT OPPOSITE of WCW, where the stars had medical insurance through Turner Sports and were paid obscene amounts of money for their performances or lack thereof in various cases.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

Jesse Neal is probably on pay-by-appearence contract. If he doesn't appear on television or at House Shows, they don't pay him, and I haven't seen him in quite a while.

And it isn't like he'd be getting a ton of money anyway. Who was Jesse Neal when they signed him? He was a guy with a good story, so TNA sent him to be trained by the Dudley's and next thing you know he has a mohawk and is standing beside some guy muttering on about dilligaf.

Don't be shocked by all this, I highly doubt others like say, Robbie E exactly get paid in truck loads either. Last time I heard, according to Jim Cornette, the average wage a week when he was in TNA was $200.

 

[JJohns]

Never said he should be paid like Hogan, RVD, Anderson or Sting, I said he should be paid a living wage. You know, one where he can.....afford to eat.

As far as WCW was, the lower card guys were paid shit. As WCW wasn't a part of "Turner Sports", he didn't get the Turner Sports benefit package. In fact, very few WCW wrestlers had contracts with Turner Entertainment, most of them had contracts with WCW. That's why when WWE bought them out in 2001, the majority of the main talent DID NOT come over. DDP was the only "Warner" contracted talent that did, and that was after he bought out his contract. That's why Flair, Mysterio, Sting, Nash, Luger and Jarrett didn't appear on WWE TV during the invasion.

Pro Wrestlers are independent contractors, and more often than not the only health coverage that they get from their promotion is to treat major injuries that are suffered while they are wrestling.

And as far as talent is concerned, Anderson is a shit wrestler. RVD (and I'm an RVD fan) is a shit wrestler. Hogan brings nothing to the table in TNA and Sting is no longer a main event caliber wrestler, even though he has the main event reputation.

 

[Constipated Badger Bottom]

Never said he should be paid like Hogan, RVD, Anderson or Sting, I said he should be paid a living wage. You know, one where he can.....afford to eat.

Then he should get another Job, when he signed that contract he should of known that stuff like this could happen and it has so he has 2 choices, leave and hope that he can get a better pay package in another promotion or he could suck it up till his contract his about to expire

 

[Zeven_Zion]

Relax, dimwit. This rumor was confirmed to be false. Neal himself Tweeted that these rumors were bullshit. He just recently signed a new contract, he's not going anywhere and from what he said - he's happy in TNA. Here come the *****!

@TheJesseNeal
Jesse Neal
Plz guys don't feed into the rumors, I have no plan to leave Ink Inc. I have just started my career and very grateful for what I have.

and

@TheJesseNeal
Jesse Neal
Rumors r nothing but made up stories and lies from idiots!! Don't believe them.
27 minutes ago via UberSocial

Stop believing the freakin's dirt sites, people! Think for crying out loud. Do some research. Look at the source. Wow ... I mean wow ...

And as far as talent is concerned, Anderson is a shit wrestler. RVD (and I'm an RVD fan) is a shit wrestler. Hogan brings nothing to the table in TNA and Sting is no longer a main event caliber wrestler, even though he has the main event reputation.

You clearly have some issue with TNA, an issue that as far as I can see blinds your common sense and you can't think straight. Please keep your meaningless opinions to yourself. Especially when they're based on a thick layer of crap.

But, you know me, I can't just sit here and not scorch your ass for being ignorant.

1. Anderson is not a "shit wrestler". He's not good in the ring, but as a whole package he's one of the better ones out there. Not saying he's great, not saying he's bad. Not a shit wrestler.

2. Van Dam is also not a shit wrestler. Again, your biased opinion is making you overexaggerate and sound like a 12 years old moron, which I'm sure you are, mentally. I can name 15 TNA and WWE guys off the top of my head who couldn't come even close to his level of in-ring ability, and a lot of them are headlining their respective companies and brands. He's not as bad on the mic as some people make him out to be, but outside the ring, he's pretty "blah". Not a shit wrestler, though.

3. Hogan brings his name recognition to TNA. That's not nothing. To quote someone from TNA, Hogan can walk into any radio station or TV station on the planet and get an interview. He's influental and makes TNA seem credible in the eyes non-wrestling fans and potential business partners. As a businessman, would you rather have Hulk Hogan market your product or Dixie Carter? Stop ten people on the street and ask them who Hogan is. Then ask them who AJ Styles is, or Dixie Carter or even Eric Bischoff. That's what he brings. Like I said, it's not "nothing". Once again, wrong term. "He doesn't bring anything on TV that anyone else on the roster would" - that's the right thing to say and is 100% correct.

4. Right now Sting is better than he has been since his debut in TNA. People left and right who work in TNA are saying that Sting has this fire in his eyes that he hasn't had in a long time, and it shows in his performance. Sting is 52 years old and he's not showing one bit of rust or anything age-related in the ring or on the mic. Sting is a tremendous performer and at this very moment he's one of the most entertaining people to enjoy on Impact Wrestling. He's not Main Event material anymore? You're adorable. I bet he would be if he was working for the WWE, right? And yes, I am assuming that you're prefer the WWE over TNA. It's the whole "I like RVD but he's a shit wrestler" line that I believe gave you away. "RVD's great, I love 'um, but not in TNA". That sort of deal. If not, then I was wrong. Maybe your a ROH fan, which is way worse.

 

[sislater69]

First off, the rumors to begin with were not 'Jesse Neal getting food stamps', it was his wife/g-f who was recently made unemployed that 'apparently' was eligible.

Secondly, as previously stated, at some point he must have signed a contract. If said contract was pay per appearance then he knew the risks.

TNA may not pay well compared to the WWE for example, but then TNA isn't isn't selling out 15,000+ seats in arenas each week. TNA talent agree to get paid what they do. If it isn't enough then, hell, maybe they aren't good enough and should look at other forms of employment.

 

[JJohns]

http://twitter.com/#!/MichaelManna/status/81047132496338944

Apparently, Stevie Richards saw this tweet and commented on it. With twitter, you can delete posts. It's not that difficult.

 

[Zeven_Zion]

http://twitter.com/#!/MichaelManna/status/81047132496338944

Apparently, Stevie Richards saw this tweet and commented on it. With twitter, you can delete posts. It's not that difficult.

Even if it's true (and I'm sure it is for some people), you signed a contract, you agreed to that contract's terms and you're obliged to deal with it. As you can see, the entire roster is dealing with it and I don't see any of them complaining on Twitter. If someone's unhappy with what TNA pays him them step your game up. Show them that you should be shot up the ranks and that'll lead to more money and a better contract. If you don't want to go through that then go ahead, leave TNA, try going to the WWE and make some dough. Whatever makes you sleep at night. Don't blame TNA for not being able to pay you enough. It's 50-50. The company should produce a cool product that will generate money, and the wrestlers should bust their ass to make it even better and make the company some cash.

You think AJ Styles was bringing home three tons of bacon back in 2002? Hell no. But he's still here, and is getting some good money out of it. How? He works his ass off. How much do you think HBK was making before he went to the WWE, or even when he was there? Same goes for any legend. They made money because they made the company money. Simple as pie. They can't do it on their own. If you came to TNA to make some big money, then I consider you to be an idiot. You want money - you go the WWE. You want money and you think you wanna live your boyhood dream - you go to the WWE and have that dream shattered. You love the business / you want to be a part of a growing entity / you want to work with actual wrestlers / you want to get noticed before going to the WWE / WWE fired your ass - you go to TNA.

 

[Rayne]

I'm going to ignore a lot of other issues in this thread that I don't particularly care about in order to focus on the whole "living wage" dispute.

A popular opinion being expressed is "well, he signed the contract". What this ignores is that as a professional wrestler, there isn't much competition between companies for services. There are, effectively, two companies bidding for services, and the employees don't have many options for leverage over their employer when it comes to negotiating a better wage. Wrestlers that have negotiating leverage are the exception rather than the rule. Top-tier performers in the WWE have their pay limited by what TNA/IW could afford to lure them away; all the WWE has to do is provide a slightly better package. Performers without widespread name recognition are forced into any deal they can take; you aren't going to build name recognition by working in high school gymnasiums. TNA can afford to pay them chump change, because if the WWE isn't biting, that's the only way you're going to get on television. (ROH fans- television that people can find.)

Is it right? I don't like it one bit, but it isn't going to change. It's one of the sacrifices you make to be a professional wrestler. But people shouldn't be acting like Soandso should just ply his trade elsewhere if he doesn't like the package one company is giving him; if you want to be a professional wrestler, there often isn't anywhere else to go.

There's also, in passing, the "if he was talented" line, and talent only gets you so far in professional wrestling. If it was a talent based industry, Chavo Guerrero would be a multi-time world champion. Oftentimes, it comes down to "does this guy I've met once like me?", and that could come down to if that guy thought your smile was sincere or not.

 

[sislater69]

I'm going to ignore a lot of other issues in this thread that I don't particularly care about in order to focus on the whole "living wage" dispute.

A popular opinion being expressed is "well, he signed the contract". What this ignores is that as a professional wrestler, there isn't much competition between companies for services. There are, effectively, two companies bidding for services, and the employees don't have many options for leverage over their employer when it comes to negotiating a better wage. Wrestlers that have negotiating leverage are the exception rather than the rule. Top-tier performers in the WWE have their pay limited by what TNA/IW could afford to lure them away; all the WWE has to do is provide a slightly better package. Performers without widespread name recognition are forced into any deal they can take; you aren't going to build name recognition by working in high school gymnasiums. TNA can afford to pay them chump change, because if the WWE isn't biting, that's the only way you're going to get on television. (ROH fans- television that people can find.)

Is it right? I don't like it one bit, but it isn't going to change. It's one of the sacrifices you make to be a professional wrestler. But people shouldn't be acting like Soandso should just ply his trade elsewhere if he doesn't like the package one company is giving him; if you want to be a professional wrestler, there often isn't anywhere else to go.

There's also, in passing, the "if he was talented" line, and talent only gets you so far in professional wrestling. If it was a talent based industry, Chavo Guerrero would be a multi-time world champion. Oftentimes, it comes down to "does this guy I've met once like me?", and that could come down to if that guy thought your smile was sincere or not.

I understand what you are saying, and I agree. But I think the majority of those (myself included) saying 'he signed the contract' aren't really saying, 'if you don't like it, try WWE or even ROH, or whoever to get a better deal'.

What I'm saying at least is, if you are good enough you will get good money. If you aren't, then either deal with it or apply a different trade.

 

[xXBigEXx]

And as far as talent is concerned, Anderson is a shit wrestler. RVD (and I'm an RVD fan) is a shit wrestler. Hogan brings nothing to the table in TNA and Sting is no longer a main event caliber wrestler, even though he has the main event reputation.

This is just off topic garbage. I mean really? Anderson a shit wrestler? He's half the reason why I watch it. He's the most entertaining that they've brought in from the outside. His latest deal with Sting was too funny. RVD is boarder line, I think he was used better before the Abyss thing but not really since then. But you're talking about 2 wrestlers that can still move and perform.

Think before you speak as this has nothing to do with Jesse Neal.

 

[wrestlemaniac]

WoW...I mean just wow. Someone made a thread on this...based of of bullshit info may I add...allow me to laugh. It was his gf who got stamps to try to help out...doesn't appear to me like he needs'em. He stated tna is helping him out....they are or were helping sabin. My guess is tna helping out just recently started to happen. So...get your fact straight next time before starting a thread, ok mr. Wow

 

[Macho_King]

No this is not WCW all over again because WCW was owned by a billionaire and they were able to pay all their wrestlers great incomes. WCW was much better than TNA even in the end.

 

[AntiChristDeicide]

To the OP, get the facts straight before posting. For satan's sake, dirt sheets are mostly untrue so don't take them seriously when they talked about WWE, TNA or even ROH. Anyways, i feel bad for Neal's girlfriend/wife and hope she gets another job quick. As for Neal, well yeah he signed the contract but that doesn't mean TNA has a right to treat him bad ( if they did because as i said dirt-sheets are mostly untrue).

 

[Rayne]

I understand what you are saying, and I agree. But I think the majority of those (myself included) saying 'he signed the contract' aren't really saying, 'if you don't like it, try WWE or even ROH, or whoever to get a better deal'.

What I'm saying at least is, if you are good enough you will get good money. If you aren't, then either deal with it or apply a different trade.

But that's not entirely true. Talent has very little to do with who becomes a big star in the world of professional wrestling; asskissing, or being one of the booker's boys has a whole lot more to do with it. That's not a universal, by all means, but "if they're good enough" doesn't even scratch the surface here. There are plenty of talented performers working at Home Depot during the week.

The money you get is only as big as necessary to keep someone from outbidding for you. For the Jesse Neals of the world, his stock isn't exactly in demand. You can pay him dirt and still be paying him more than the next company. As far as "dealing with it" goes, bringing pay disputes public has been part of contract leverage as long as there's been a press. It's a public strategy to shame a company into paying workers what they feel they deserve. Sometimes it works, although that part is rarely public. Sometimes it's ignored, and sometimes, it lands a guy out on the curb.

TNA/IW can afford to be paying their lower-card performers more at this point in their growth. After the hiring spree they went on last year, I have no doubt in my mind that they can afford to toss their guys a few hundred dollars extra a week. The reason they don't is because no one has made them. Considering that there are only a few hundred guys waiting to take your spot in TNA/IW (and then complain about the wages themselves), public shame is one of the few bars of leverage a performer has to get their employer to raise their pay.

 

[RJB1976]

Wow, this has to rank has one of the stupidest fucking threads in this websites history. Congrats JJohns, you're the Paul Roma of posters.

This is why some wrestlers have day jobs. Robbie E maintains his job as a Jersey School teacher while working for TNA.

Christ, someone really should moderate this post, and not let stupid ones like this make it through.

 

[Dizzy]

I don't know if this is telling on the direction that TNA is heading, but recently, Jesse Neal tweeted that he was able to get onto food stamps and was looking into his VA benefits. You really have to feel for the guy, he sacrificed for his country, was built up by TNA as a Real American Hero.....and they don't pay him enough to be able to eat or get health benefits.

What the fuck people? TNA is supposed to be the "number 2" promotion in the US, yet they can't pay guys a living wage and bring in people like Hogan, RVD, Anderson and Sting who they are probably paying more than they are worth to the company. Yes, folks, this is WCW all over again. I really do hope that things turn around for Jesse, because he really doesn't deserve that hand that TNA has given him.

Oh look, another attempt at a TNA is WCW thread.

I'm sick of people acting like Food Stamps means your poor. All it means is he is paying for his grocery with Food Stamps which means he keeps more money. In this economy , you can get paid 8,000 and still be broke and out of pocket.

Secondly, he's not even a high name or superstar. He's not. Get over it. If he hated it, he would have asked for his release along time ago. If he deserves better, he would go to ROH which is worse.

Thirdly, this was reported as false. Real or not, real applying for Food Stamps or working somewhere else besides wrestling doesn't mean he is underpaid.

Hulk Hogan gets paid a large amount of money and still does side gigs. I guess he must be underpaid and deserving of better too right?

Not every wrestler on the planet lives like a rockstar and gets treated like royalty. PLENTY of wrestlers in WWE or even TNA do other jobs besides wrestling.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

I feel for the guy because he's human, and as somebody who has lived in that position of surviving on food stamps I know life is incredibly difficult. But the man is chasing a dream, and that's the kind of life a lot of pro wrestlers have to live if they want to continue fighting the fight. TNA isn't the WWE. Hogan brings in a lot for the company (supposedly...), and it was a smart choice bringing him in. If Hulk Hogan showed up on your doorstep, you'd sell the car to make him stay. That's what you do in the industry...

TNA doesn't have the cash to be paying the 3rd stringers 6 figures a year. I'm sure guys like Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarret, Sting, and RVD are being looked after, but that's because they have put decades into the business and their name means something. Yes, there are Ring of Honor guys that make more than TNA guys, and yes I'm sure TNA could be handling business in different ways. But as I'm not privileged to the financial books of pro wrestling, I'm keeping my mouth shut.

There's also the very good possibility Jesse Neal is using food stamps when he really doesn't have to. The government will give them out to just about anyone who takes the time to do the process correctly. If he really did "fight for his country" than he could be doing just about anything right now. He made his bed, now he has to lie in it.

 

[Rayne]

I'm sick of people acting like Food Stamps means your poor. All it means is he is paying for his grocery with Food Stamps which means he keeps more money. In this economy , you can get paid 8,000 and still be broke and out of pocket.

$8,000 a year? That *is* broke. That's around $140 a week (doing speed math), and Good Luck trying to pay just rent on that. Before we even get to talking about feeding yourself or driving yourself to work.

Hulk Hogan gets paid a large amount of money and still does side gigs. I guess he must be underpaid and deserving of better too right?

Who was arguing that working side gigs means you're poor?? This is why I love debate on the internet, points don't have to have any relation to what the original poster said. Bill Clinton works as a consultant and still takes speaking gigs at a couple hundred g's a pop. On the other end of the spectrum, I have a side job besides my business, and I'm still scraping to make ends meet. It's not about working just enough to make a wage, but it's about making what money you can, where you can.

Not every wrestler on the planet lives like a rockstar and gets treated like royalty. PLENTY of wrestlers in WWE or even TNA do other jobs besides wrestling.

Name me one WWE wrestler who has a job on the side. I don't mean a business that someone else runs for them while they're on the road, I mean a regular job that they show up for on a regular basis. Because you're full of shit on this point, making up stuff to support your position. The WWE actually pays their performers, and while people like Joey Mercury aren't getting rich, they aren't working Tuesdays through Thursdays at a used car lot either.

 

[shattered dreams]

Food stamps in TNA vs starving in ROH vs dead on the Indies. The choice is yours. This is a dumb thread for a million reasons, some of which dizzy started to list. Personally I couldn't care less what someone else gets paid to do a job they agreed to. If you feel so strongly about this send him a fruit basket.

 

[CaptainZaltan]

Regardless of whether it was Jesse Neal or his girlfriend on food stamps, I wouldn't be surprised if Neal wasn't making much. I remember hearing something about some of the knockouts being paid very poorly a while back. Regardless, as many have said (minus the usual juvenile insults and posturing from the usual TNA super-marks), what Jesse Neal is experiencing is just the unfortunate nature of the wrestling business. Scratch that, it's the nature of the entire entertainment business.

Outside of the upper echelons, there are plenty of people willing to work for next-to-nothing in order to follow the dream and participate in the entertainment industry. And there are plenty of people out there willing to exploit that. If Jesse Neal complained about his pay, I'm sure there would be plenty of indie wrestlers out there willing to take his spot for even less pay, and therein lies the problem. Right now, Jesse Neal isn't bringing anything special to Impact Wrestling; he is filler. Therefore he has little to no leverage over the hundreds of wrestling school grads out there who would be willing to bust their asses for zilch just for a shot at the big time (and probably at a lower expense to Impact Wrestling). It sucks, but it's a reality of the industry. However, so long as Jesse is still on tv, he's still in the game, and he has a shot at making something of himself. I've worked in plenty of studios where plenty of unpaid interns have made the same decision that he's making; that it's better to sacrifice now and get your foot in the door than to sit at home waiting for a paying gig that likely won't come.

Does Jesse deserve better in his life? I don't know, but I'd like to think so. Ultimately though, he's got to make that decision for himself. He has to decide just what sacrifices he's willing to make for a shot at the big time, how long he's willing to make those sacrifices for, and just how likely he is to succeed. The entertainment industry isn't for everyone, and if it's not likely to pay off for Jesse Neal than he should get out of it while he's still young, and still able to pursue another career. I'm sure you've all heard about the Pope going to law-school while wrestling for TNA; that's a smart move, as the Pope is giving himself a backup plan just in case the whole wrestling thing doesn't work out. Jesse Neal should be doing the same.

 

[Dizzy]

$8,000 a year? That *is* broke. That's around $140 a week (doing speed math), and Good Luck trying to pay just rent on that. Before we even get to talking about feeding yourself or driving yourself to work.

I actually meant week not year.

Who was arguing that working side gigs means you're poor?? This is why I love debate on the internet, points don't have to have any relation to what the original poster said. Bill Clinton works as a consultant and still takes speaking gigs at a couple hundred g's a pop. On the other end of the spectrum, I have a side job besides my business, and I'm still scraping to make ends meet. It's not about working just enough to make a wage, but it's about making what money you can, where you can.

No shit. Tell that to people in the IWC. They believe if you have a side job, you are not making enough or being underpaid. They could careless if that job was a hobby, something you loved or anything else.

Robbie E being a teacher = he's underpaid and has to look for another job.

Things like that is what I'm talking about.

Name me one WWE wrestler who has a job on the side.

The Usos and Yoshi.

I don't mean a business that someone else runs for them while they're on the road, I mean a regular job that they show up for on a regular basis. Because you're full of shit on this point, making up stuff to support your position. The WWE actually pays their performers, and while people like Joey Mercury aren't getting rich, they aren't working Tuesdays through Thursdays at a used car lot either.

Just answered your question. I've met the Usos in real life. They must have been a pile of shit pretending to be them right?

 

[Rayne]

I actually meant week not year.

If you're making $8,000 a week and you're still broke, that's because you have no idea of how to manage money then. That's $400,000 a year, and while I do know people that have pissed through that in a year, it's not because they were having trouble making ends meet and having to live out of pocket; it's because they spent their money on a Lexus which they totaled and dropping their money on blow.

The Usos and Yoshi.


Just answered your question. I've met the Usos in real life. They must have been a pile of shit pretending to be them right?

I am going to say that I'd like a bit more specifics on this. I can name wrestlers too, the idea was to connect a wrestler to a place of employment outside of the WWE. Saying "The Usos" is nice and all, but what employment do they have outside of the WWE? Trevor Murdoch has his own restaurant (T. Murdock's), but he doesn't operate it himself (currently). Lending your name to a project which you have a financial interest in doesn't really count as "another job"; the purpose of the question was to connect the performers to a second job they regularly show up at. Even taking all that into consideration; I'd hardly refer to three performers as "PLENTY", which implies that the practice of working two jobs in the WWE is widespread.

While I'm sure there are people here who'd geek out at the idea, shoving a shirt in front of a wrestler as they do the post-show millabout and asking for an autograph doesn't really count as "meeting" a wrestler.

 

[X]

Just wanted to make a quick comment that Zeven Zion's entire post is utterly false, and he took a couple of completely unrelated tweets and applied them to a different situation. Both Neal AND his girlfriend Christina Von Eerie confirmed in SEVERAL tweets that they applied for and were told they were accepted for a food stamp program through Jesse's VA benefits. If I need to I'll go ahead and actually seek out the Tweets themselves individually and post all the links to them.

It's actually not that big of a deal. I believe under his benefits package if he makes less than $24,000 a year he can apply for food stamps, so it's not like the guy is living off of a $500 paycheck each month or some shit.