What do guys like JTG, Maddox and other "unused" talent do "

[TheMainEvent]

I've long wondered for guys that are on the roster but aren't used regularly in matches and/or only backstage segments what do they get paid regularly still and are they literally traveling all over just to sit in the backstage regularly?

Case-in-point: Guys like JTG and Comancho that are on the active roster, that never really gets any TV time and wrestles occasionally on the house show circuit. I'm sure they have a salary they are paid but I'm curious how much they are getting considering they aren't doing really anything. Do they travel to every house show, TV taping, and PPV just to sit in the back or if they aren't used they get to go home and chill until called to action?

Also guys like Greg Maddox and Vickie that are just on-air personalities that dont appear at alot of the house shows are they "off" during the week and only fly/drive to TV/PPV tapings for their 5 minutes of air time? It seems like such a lucrative job getting paid alot for virtually a few hours of work a week essentially. Just thought of this recently and was wondering.

 

[closet_fan]

Wrestlers who don't do anything don't get paid very much by what we would think considered "standard." I took this from Yahoo:

Currently, Low to mid card talent in the WWE make between 20 to 80k a year. During the WWE vs WCW days those same talents would have been paid 50 to 150k a year. The top 5% as in the main event talent of WWE's roster makes between 1 to 7 million per year.

$80,000 might seem like a lot to you and me. But don't forget the low-card guys have to pay for everything, from travel to food to hotels/motels.

I would think everyone on the roster goes to every show, every PPV and every house show. It's kind of like being in the reserves. You could be called upon any moment to wrestle someone if something happens to the original card.

I doubt the WWE would let someone like JTG sit at home and do nothing while getting paid.

Undertaker likely gets paid to sit at home until this time of year. But he's such an important commodity to the company, they can afford to pay him because so many fans want to see him.

 

[bxbigshow]

If I am correct, the "unused" talent get paid what is called a 'Downside Garuantee' or the bare minimum you can make by doing absolutely nothing. That is the $20-80k listed above and negotiated at the time of signing.

If you do house shows, that price is a little higher.
If you do house shows and tv (pretapes)... a little higher.
If you do house shows, tv, and Raw/Smackdown... much higher.

If you do all of that and PPVs...you get the much higher price and a pre-negotiated bonus.

You must travel everywhere the WWE goes..on you're own dime. Hotels/gas/food/tanning/gym all on you. Flights are paid by you but scheduled by WWE who deducts it from your check.

This was explained by Christian years ago when he jumped to TNA...I don't have a link because it was years ago. But Christian's beef then was he wanted to fly first/business class instead of coach but WWE said 'no' even if Christian was paying for it. The office didn't want to do that because it would look like favoritism because they book the flights.

 

[Charismatic Enigma]

In the case of many talents, just because you may not see them often doesn't mean they aren't really doing anything. For example Tensai is wrestling matches at the NXT tapings this week.

A lot of guys like Brad Maddox, in addition to being the Raw GM, also wrestle at house shows, and probably also make frequent trips to the performance center, autograph signings, etc. I think most people don't realize just how incredibly hectic even a low level talents life with the WWE is.

Most of these guys on an average week will have to fly roundtrip at least twice, rent a car, drive hundreds of miles, stay in multiple hotels, work house shows, do radio appearances, random autograph signings (I met Christian at a PetSmart in Tampa last year!), while also being very careful about their diet, squeezing in several workouts, and tanning. This is also while trying to maintain any of kind of friendships or relationships they have outside of the business. Their lives are absolutely exhausting and would probably reduce most normal people to tears after a week or two.

Most of the lower card guys probably only hang around hoping that a microscopic opportunity might present itself one day to get seen on a bigger stage, where the earning potential is incredibly high. Even someone like Zack Ryder likely made a lot of money during his popularity peak a few years ago with all of his merch sales.

 

[Reflection]

Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero have quite important roles in the form of General Managers, so we can't really call them 'unused'. Both are quite entertaining to watch, for the short period that we get to see them, and are playing their roles very well. If Maddox was wrestling instead of being a GM, he would be lurking somewhere in the lower mid card, overshadowed by the likes of Cesaro, Kingston, El Matadores and Xavier Woods; and then he wouldn't be getting even 5 minutes of air time.

 

[closet_fan]

Greg Maddox won't do anything, cause greg maddox isn't a wwe general manager, who is Greg?

I Believe you mean Brad Maddox, before you make a post please make sure to have the names right, how are we suppose to tell you about Brad if you don't even know his name correctly?

Felt good to report you for being a huge dick bag.

But back to the "actual" conversation, I didn't think about all the signings and appearances even the lower-tiered guys have to go to.

 

[supernatural1981]

I'm gonna guess they have to travel to most PPV's and TV tapings just incase they are called upon at the last minute or to put people over in squash matches, (Ryback starting his streak of beating 1 then 2 then 3 jobbers at a time) for instance.

Then you have it where they run 2 or 3 house shows in different states on the same day. When WWE visit Europe they often will run 2 shows 1 in the UK on aswell as France on the same day so they need talent to make up the numbers.

Plus the autograph signings and media apperances they do all year round most of the locker room are in constant use 365 days a year.

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Regarding all the travel... well guys like JTG aren't making nearly as much as guys who are actually getting used regularly... you have to figure that they're making enough money after road expenses to at least make a decent living off of. Otherwise, there's no way a JTG could afford to stay with the company for as long as he has unless he just happens to be the biggest mark for the business ever created.

If it helps, here's a list of WWE salaries taken from 2012. It's obviously not a complete list, but you can probably figure where your JTG's, Maddox's, ect fall in (JTG having tenure, Maddox being featured on RAW every week)

Male Wrestlers

Alberto Del Rio: $675,000 downside/first class travel – 3 year contract
Big Show: $1,050,000 downside/allocated a personal touring bus/first class travel arrangements paid for, when bus travel is not an option – 10 year contract
Brodus Clay: $170,000 downside – 2 year contract
Christian: $595,000 downside/first class travel – 3 year contract
CM Punk: $1,220,500 downside/allocated a personal touring bus/first class travel arrangements paid for, when bus travel is not an option/receives an additional 3.25% bonus for high merchandise sales – 7 year contract
Cody Rhodes: $494,500 downside – 3 year contract
Daniel Bryan: $620,470 downside – 3 year contract
Darren Young: $80,145 downside – 3 year contract
Dolph Ziggler: $540,230 downside – 3 year contract
Jack Swagger: $319,000 downside – 3 year contract
Jinder Mahal: $75,000 downside – 3 year contract
John Cena: $2,750,000 downside/first class travel and accommodation/receives an additional 6.25% bonus for high merchandise sales – 10 year contract
Kane: $905,000 downside/first class travel and accommodation – 5 year contract
Kofi Kingston: $254,200 downside – 3 year contract
Mark Henry: $877,000 downside/first class travel – 10 year contract
Randy Orton: $1,600,500 downside/allocated a personal touring bus/first class travel arrangements paid for, when bus travel is not an option/receives an additional 2.2% bonus for high merchandise sales – 10 year contract
Rey Mysterio: $985,000 downside/first class travel arrangements/receives an additional 4% bonus for high merchandise sales – 5 year contract
Sheamus: $1,000,000 downside/first class travel arrangements – 7 year contract
Tensai: $520,000 downside – 3 year contract
The Great Khali: $974,000 downside – 5 year contract
The Miz: $712,000 downside/first class travel – 5 year contract
Zack Ryder: $135,050 downside/receives an additional 1.5% bonus for high merchandise sales – 3 year contract

Divas

Alicia Fox: $72,520 downside – 3 year contract
AJ Lee: $104,300 downside – 3 year contract
Beth Phoenix: $112,500 downside/first class travel – 3 year contract
Eve: $109,475 downside/first class travel – 5 year contract
Layla: $86,450 downside – 3 year contract
Natalya: $74,410 downside – 3 year contract

Announcers

Booker T: $477,375 downside/first class travel and accommodation – 3 year contract
Jerry Lawler: $500,000 downside/first class travel and accommodation/allowed to make independent appearances – 5 year contract
Matt Striker: $164,000 downside – 3 year contract
Michael Cole: $549,000 downside/first class travel and accommodation – 5 year contract

 

[GeneralKarim]

Man Cena's making 3million a year, probably even more with main eventing PPVs so much.
that's so much doe! And man the announcers make more money than a lot of wrestlers and Michael Cole + Jerry are one of the worst combos ever, and jerry is so past his prime, he is just there now.

At least the girls are making decent cash aswell.

But to the topic.

I think its quite clear that they must be there backstage, in case they are needed.They do house shows, interviews,autograph signing, other media appearances, radio shows, work out, diet.They do a lot of stuff no matter what we might think.

It must be disgusting to not have a high salary ( aka being a jobber ) and have pay for all your shit. I wonder how much heath slater was getting at the he was in feud with the legends.