Manik Reveals Info On His Salary

[Papa Pillman]

TJ Perkins AKA TNA's Manik, who maintains a very active and honest ask.fm account, recently responded to a question about his TNA salary:

http://ask.fm/MegaTJP

My contract was started midway thru the year last year but altogether with salary+appearances I was on pace for roughly $75,000-$84,000 for a year period. That’s if my schedule is as busy as it was last summer/fall. Also that’s only counting TNA. I’d make a lot more if I kept up with other bookings outside but I just don’t. I’m also guaranteed a huge chunk of that regardless of if I wrestle or not. So it’s pretty ok considering I do what I love.I’m on the low end on the roster too. Most guys do way better than me.

Seems like making over $80,000 a year when getting regular bookings, as a lower midcard newcomer on your first contract with the company while maintaining the freedom to supplement that amount with additional indy bookings, is quite a solid deal to me. Throw in that the company also covers talent travel expenses, and it sounds like potential for a pretty nice living while doing something you love.

Thoughts?

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

I honestly have a very hard time believing that's an accurate number. I think people in general, but especially those perceived to have "cool" jobs, carry a certain pride and don't want to admit that they aren't doing well financially because they live such a public life. I have what many would consider to be an enviable or cool job (not wrestling related) but I can tell you that while I'm getting emails from people asking me how they can get work like mine, I'm probably making a lot less than they are in the job they hate.

Just recently Jesse Neal said he makes more working at Wal-Mart, and it was reported sometime back that the Knockouts were making in the ballpark of $600 per TV appearance, they also cut Jesse Sorensen after his neck injury presumably because they couldn't afford to continue paying him. Even if TNA is paying travel expenses, have you ever had to do extensive travel? Dealing with airport security, layovers, hotels, car rentals, time changes, fan requests, etc. It's fun for a bit, but after a while it's absolutely grueling.

I try not to be down on TNA because, even though I find most of their product unwatchable these days, their in-ring product has stayed enjoyable for the most part, but I can't imagine they are long for the world. Anyone in a business like wrestling should be making 100K+ minimum just for the toll it takes on the body and mind, it might be okay to make that kind of money for a while when you're trying to make it, but if that's the TNA salary for someone who has "made it" that's really sad, especially if that number is actually inflated as I suspect it to be.

 

[Papa Pillman]

I honestly have a very hard time believing that's an accurate number. I think people in general, but especially those perceived to have "cool" jobs, carry a certain pride and don't want to admit that they aren't doing well financially because they live such a public life.

If this was just some random report, then I'd be with you. But coming straight from Perkins' mouth(well keyboard) I trust it. The guy is notoriously brutally honest with this account, to an embarrassing level sometimes.

Also Perkins was one of the top acts on the Indy scene for years and could almost name his bookings in the US, Mexico, or Japan. So it would have taken a solid offer from TNA to get him to sign on the line. I believe that he got that deal and being forthcoming about it.

Just recently Jesse Neal said he makes more working at Wal-Mart

TJ was subsequently asked about Neal's claim too. His response:

"Maybe he does, he probably does. But who is the joke on? I mean, he accepted that deal in the first place, right?
No one forced him to accept it. It's an assumption that his experience is indicative of everyone's."

Anyone in a business like wrestling should be making 100K+ minimum just for the toll it takes on the body and mind

Tell that to the largest majority of WWE's developmental workers. They're signed to the World's premiere wrestling company. So they've presumably "made it" right? Yet most of them who never get a call-up to the main roster will never make from WWE what Perkins makes from TNA. And they also possess far less freedoms. Not to mention TJ admitted that he could make much more by keeping up with indy bookings on the side- something NXT talent don't have the option to do.

it might be okay to make that kind of money for a while when you're trying to make it, but if that's the TNA salary for someone who has "made it" that's really sad, especially if that number is actually inflated as I suspect it to be.

Again TJ is in his twenties and on his first full time contract with a national company, has he made it? He admits in the initial quote that he is "on the low end on the roster" and also that "most guys do way better" than he does.

 

[Stormlor]

For a wrestler 80k a year is low. I make 80-100k a year as a Director of IT. The difference is I get to sit down for the majority of my work and use my mind. Manik on the other hand is doing physical labor / work which means he needs to be compensated as a dangerous job category.

It doesn't matter how old he is, he should be making more for the stress and pressure he's putting on his body, mind, and emotions. It's not easy.

As for others, I remember reading this a long time ago that Raven was making 1.2 million a year from WWE to basically sit on the bench. If Manik is sitting on the bench a lot and still making 80k a year, I would suggest TNA release him and use that to pay another wrestler who is more deserving of TV time.

For a mid card wrestler, it's low. And also Jesse Neal is no way making more at Wal-Mart than TNA. Like all Wal-Mart's he works 20-25 hours a week. Wal-Mart doesn't like to pay benefits and he's getting a low wage of about 8-15 an hour depending on the state. He was making a lot more in TNA.

 

[TDFG]

It sounds as if Manik is happy enough on that salary & can live within it considering he states that he doesn't keep up with other bookings.

Bottom end of the roster, earning $75,000-$84,000 on a decent schedule sounds alright to me.

 

[unknown6181]

The number figures might very well be true, but, 1. Is that his gross salary or net. 2. Independent contractors pay a boatload in taxes so if it is the gross amount his take home pay is much less. (Obviously the tax amounts depends on overall tax bracket, what state he files in, etc.)

 

[Rayne]

Anyone in a business like wrestling should be making 100K+ minimum just for the toll it takes on the body and mind

Let alone the latest TNA salary discussion, I saw this comment and it leaped out at me.

People do not get paid based on what's 'right'. People get paid based upon the value they deliver to their employers and the competition within their industry. If you have two people who are equally capable of doing a job, one person says he wants $100k to do it, the other says he'll do it for $50k- which one do you hire? Professional wrestling is a business, just like every other- someone at the top is running it because they want to make as large a profit from their investment as they can. Anyone who wants to knock this system can, just so long as they understand that when they go to work, they will be going to work for someone who thinks exactly in this same way. (Unless you work in government or the non-profit sector, but tell a teacher about effect of a competitive job market.)

So when I see a figure like what Perkins is saying here, it makes enough sense. It's not a mind-blowing sum; while I think TNA could probably find someone of his skills for slightly less money, maybe the folks at TNA feel differently. It's not a wildly out of proportion number.

 

[whoopin' ass]

Who knows? It may sound off but TNA isn't wwe so many that is right. He probably isn't running all over the country for shows so his expenses might be low. As for Jesse Neal, what is he doing at Walmart? If he is management then it is possible but if he is floor staff, not likely. They like to hire staff part time with no guarantee of hours so you could work 30 hours one week and 8 the next. Even if he is getting good hours, the pay isn't great. Unless he took done really crappy deal from TNA to begin with, I think he is still pissed they let him go and comparing them to Walmart makes them look bad.

 

[closet_fan]

Just recently Jesse Neal said he makes more working at Wal-Mart, and it was reported sometime back that the Knockouts were making in the ballpark of $600 per TV appearance, they also cut Jesse Sorensen after his neck injury presumably because they couldn't afford to continue paying him. Even if TNA is paying travel expenses, have you ever had to do extensive travel? Dealing with airport security, layovers, hotels, car rentals, time changes, fan requests, etc. It's fun for a bit, but after a while it's absolutely grueling.

This is what it really boils down to. Even if Manik is telling the truth about making, at most, $80,000, imagine how much of that goes into travel expenses? Plane tickets, motels, clothing repairs, food, rental cars.

Even if it was modest, that could be up to 60-70 percent of his pay.

If you want to skip plane travel and go buy car, imagine how much money these guys pay on gas and keeping their vehicles from breaking down?

Once all said and said, Manik's end of year profit isn't anywhere close to $80 grand.

Jesse Neal makes more because he has no other expenses to worry about.

 

[Madwheel86]

This is what it really boils down to. Even if Manik is telling the truth about making, at most, $80,000, imagine how much of that goes into travel expenses? Plane tickets, motels, clothing repairs, food, rental cars.

Even if it was modest, that could be up to 60-70 percent of his pay.

If you want to skip plane travel and go buy car, imagine how much money these guys pay on gas and keeping their vehicles from breaking down?

Once all said and said, Manik's end of year profit isn't anywhere close to $80 grand.

Jesse Neal makes more because he has no other expenses to worry about.

Not sure why you think he makes nothing after expenses. The company covers airfare and even covers hotel for big shows like PPV. They also cater food to all shows except house shows. So the wrestlers only have to cover rental car, food, and sometimes hotel and since they usually travel together that's often split 2-4 ways most likely.

Per day that's like $100 for rental car, $100 for hotel split at least 2 ways and probably $30 for food per day if there's no catering.

Perkins confirmed these figures on his ask.fm and says he probably spends $300 total per road trip. So assuming that's 1 road trip per week that's only $15,000 per year. Perkins also said since he owns his home and one of his two cars his cost of living per month is only $1000. So that's only $12,000 per year. $15,000+$12,000= $27,000.

So if we round in between his earnings and say $80,000, subtract what he spends $27,000 that means he pockets $53,000 after all travel costs and cost of living. If he even gives half of that away for taxes, that's still over $25,000 in his pocket after EVERYTHING is said and done. Many people don't even make that much. Stop acting like its nothing, that's a great amount to be pocketing at the end of the day.

All these figures are confirmed by him on his ask.fm which you could probably ask him yourself and he'd probably answer, he is pretty open.

So by comparison, a standard employee at walmart probably makes $20,000-$30,000 BEFORE they have to pay living expenses and standard taxes.

Perkins makes more than that AFTER all living and road expenses AND taxes are paid. And that's even assuming he gives a ridiculous 50% of his leftover earnings to taxes and utilizes no write offs(which self employed people are entitled to a TON).

Most regular working folk barely make $25,000 working horrible hours and still have to give most if not all of it to cost of living and taxes.

I'd love to be able to pocket $25,000 like Perkins does after it's all said and done.

Who wouldn't?

And if we are saying people should lay off Jesse for earning what he can....why does that not apply to a wrestler like Perkins who is both earning and saving more?