WWE... Money? Contracts?

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

Has anyone else noticed the way that Triple H, Vince, and Booker T were tossing around the use of money to sign and keep stars within the WWE?

Booker T stated on Smackdown that winning as Tag Champs gets you more money, but losing means you go home with less money... This was during the Uso vs New Nexus match

Triple H stated on Friday that he had resigned someone on a big contract (Punk) but also brought out Morrison that he had also "resigned" to a big contract which he stated on Monday before Morrison attacked R-Truth

Vince also said he had offered Punk a lucrative contract to get him to stay in the WWE.. with more dollars, company jet, movie deal, first dibs on new diva's, other perks and blah blah blah to get him to stay....

Christians Lawyers had to get involved in the Orton/Christian feud in order to get Christian a better WHC title match contract.

Talks of Mark Henry being "sued" for attacking Big Show, Kane, and a sound guy

Many of us know this is a work in order to further story lines between superstars , but are we going to see more mentions of Lawyers, Lawsuits, and talks of Money/contracts between WWE Superstars and WWE Management in the WWE in order to make the stories more realistic?

 

[The Future Rises]

Well they did also mention Ricardo Rodriguez considering filing a lawsuit against The Big Show. I think all those stuff are for older audiences to be entertained from. The Punk contract angle. The Mark Henry violence rage and him being sued for it. Christian's lawyers. Triple H always talking business. There's no way the kiddies would understand all those things. So the WWE does those kind of angles to keep us the older fans tuning in.

The WWE actually care about equality in their fan base so being PG but still very edgy PG is a great choice right now. The kids are entertained. And the older fans get to enjoy it too. And it's also making the WWE more realistic as you stated.

 

[H33LTurn]

Stuff like law has always been integrated into wrestling to make a storyline more serious. WWE is in a phase of extreme transparency with what goes on backstage so I think that all the mention of lawyers and contracts only helps further the idea that there has been a huge change in power in the WWE. The mentions will subside once Triple H's role as COO becomes more regular.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

I could see the normal wrestling, and the characters being used to keep kids interested, and the themes that have been underlying these past few months there to keep the adults. Its just a big change from what were used to.

Wade Barrett also mentioned the pay out for a match at WM, and how headlining PPV's pays when he confronted Byran this past Friday on Smackdown prior to falling victim to the lebell lock.

I'm just wondering if due to the recent possibility of a NFL Lockout and the looming NBA Lockout if the WWE is trying to cash in on that concept to keep interest in the product among its older viewers.

 

[DeathClutch]

Well the money talk being a champion, I'm not sure if this happens now but back in the day and at least until Bret was champion, no matter the belt you held you got more money.

Honky Tonk Man stated not to long ago that when he was IC Champion, he'd get a cool 1 Million on top of his contracted amount, because he was Intercontinental Champion, and that Randy Savage should thank him for not wanting to job the belt to him, because being WWF World Champion equalled making a whooping might cool 20 MILLION per year if you were Champion, now I'm not sure if that is true but considering Hogan's long ass title runs it makes you think their is some truth to it.

WWE kicking the money out in storylines is a good thing, it makes being champion seem more of a big deal and not just a trinket on your waist.

 

[GameOver]

they are entertainers right? if they get a title it means on some level the company is putting more importance on them and consequently they would be required to work more and thus get paid more to cover travel etc., just like a bonus in a normal job. Could be wrong there but it doesn't matter.

Can't say if they win they get paid more, if they lose they get paid less. They know what's gonna happen 6 months in advance so pays are set b4hand . Obviously though everyone cuts a deal as to what they will get paid and sub points stating if this happens i get this and so forth and if i have to do x amount of hrs or do alot of appearances i get compensated. (base salary+bonuses for good work and drawing more money)

Like OP said, I think all the talk which isn't knew by the way it's just part of trying to make it more real. We know they aren't independants, we know they all have contracts and said contracts expire or require reworking, they just aren't hiding it anymore, wheras in years gone by they only talked of if you win you get paid the big bucks if you lose you get alot less, just like boxers for instance.

Do you remember MVP though , his whole gimmick was he was signed under a huge contract and had lawyers cutting a deal for him to make sure he got certain matches and that was years ago That's just one person

 

[darbare]

Actually they are independent contractors...theres no union in the WWE, they are responsible for travel for the most part...Technically this means they can decide not to change hair or appearance because it may not be in their contract....its not like the NFL where they travel all year together...you ever notice wha they wear in the ring? Thata because they get their equipment made themselves..boots, trunks, all that...also if you look at it, its like being your own boss in a way because many guys take whats given and excel while others might not...

 

[ShawnBronald]

And don't forget Wade Barrett's promo on Smackdown before he was interrupted by Daniel Bryan. He said when he left England to come here and compete, he did it for the money but had lost track of that with Nexus and The Corre. Honestly, when he cut that promo, Kevin Nash immediately came to mind. Anyway, the talk of money lately has been interesting, but I doubt it's leading to anything in particular (the story of WWE Creative's existence).

 

[Stein Lager]

They're trying to break the fourth wall (and succeeding). As I've heard people calling this the start of the 'reality era' it defiantly seems to be heading that way. It will be like the attitude era without the sexual inuendo and cuss words imo

 

[kizarny]

money and contracts have always been big thing in wrestling. from a kayfabe stand point wrestling is supposed to be legit fighting sport. like boxing, wins and championships = more money. you need that in there or else, again from a kayfabe point, it would seem silly. why would they be in the ring if they didnt get paid, or care about winning if it didnt mean more money?

i can think of countless examples of money and contracts being important in the wwe. for example, during the brand extension austin had a "clause in his contract" that made him a free agent. orton used lawyers to say he has that mental condition, allowing him to punt owners in the head. it's not out of the norm and has nothing to do with the new realistic style of wrestling IMO.

 

[Kizzani]

Million Dollar man gave away money, Hall Vs 1-2-3 kid for 25k match for extra money, Godfather pimpin hoes...kinda like money. Money is a big part of it, as much as it flaunted for the audience they do it because they can. So when they head to RoH to snag up some talent those guys have an Idea of what the WWE can offer. But it isn't just WWE, TNA ran the MEM those guys wanted the money, Ric Flair Limousine riding private jet flying etc he always brags about the price of his suits. Hall and Pac in TNA talking about fat money contracts. Now Austin Aeries talking about how he is there for money.
It is just a slap in the face to Indy wrestlers trying to get paid, this way whoever can brag the most can consider or make themselves the top spot giving others something to shoot for.

 

[bigbootydaddyV]

one thing i didn't get was, why did Jomo need to be re-signed? wasn't he just injured? Since when did that require being re-signed? idiots! aside from that I can see them mentioning "the business" more as a way to further storylines, it's something that personally drives me nuts. I feel like too much mention of "the business" breaks a wall from kayfabe that I personally do not enjoy. I will admit, I am a bit of a hypocrite in saying this because I have thoroughly enjoyed Punk doing it the past few weeks, but the rest of the time people talk about "the business" it ruins the atmosphere i feel wrestling was known for. Growing up, it was all about guys coming in to either feud with someone, or win the title, there was never mention about being in the business or anything like that. In that situation it was easy to believe that guys were actually plumbers, mad russians, milllionaires, arrogant pricks, all americans, etc. Now, it just seems like everyone is playing a character and playing their role in "the business." They are trying to blur a line between reality and fantasy too much and most of the time it does more damage than good, the reason Punk stood out was because he Successfully blurred that line.

 

[Wade's Public Transit Bomb]

I think all those stuff are for older audiences to be entertained from.

So, how old are we talking? I am twenty-four and I see no entertainment in rich people complaining about not having enough money.

The WWE actually care about equality in their fan base so being PG but still very edgy PG is a great choice right now. The kids are entertained. And the older fans get to enjoy it too. And it's also making the WWE more realistic as you stated.

Are the kids really entertained? I've said it before, and I will say it again, most of the WWE's audience are trained from a young age to think every other form of wrestling that isn't WWE sucks. In the past 3 years (which is how long the PG Era has been), John Cena has been the WWE. Cena has never whined about "boyz in da back" stuff. And the kids' confused faces as Punk or someone else rambling on about that shit is more telling of this than anything.

Again, what is the age minimum to enjoy watching rich people complain about money problems? Oh, the realistic route. Okay, do you watch SportsCenter or games to hear about contract negotiations? I don't. I watch to see highlights or to yell when the team I am rooting for fuck up.

I really hope we aren't headed for a "realistic" era. That would be fucking stupid. You don't watch a movie for the actors to whine about the director of the movie. So, why watch a fake fighter whine about not being booked right? That and most of the voices rooting for this shit are John Cena Boo Birds.. Meaning they have deeper voices, there are less of them, and they MUST be heard 'cuz heaven forbid they let a bunch of 8 year olds with their friends/family idolize their hero.


But back to topic, there have always been guys who are in it for the money. However, very few of them went along the lines of "The WWE sucks because I don't make enough money!" Like you dumb ass, you are are getting paid to be on TV. How much more do you want?

 

[radec]

its developement to a story, it helps with the fued. It bring attention from older crowds. Its a tool used by the story creators to draw attention to the storys.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

So, how old are we talking? I am twenty-four and I see no entertainment in rich people complaining about not having enough money.



Are the kids really entertained? I've said it before, and I will say it again, most of the WWE's audience are trained from a young age to think every other form of wrestling that isn't WWE sucks. In the past 3 years (which is how long the PG Era has been), John Cena has been the WWE. Cena has never whined about "boyz in da back" stuff. And the kids' confused faces as Punk or someone else rambling on about that shit is more telling of this than anything.

Again, what is the age minimum to enjoy watching rich people complain about money problems? Oh, the realistic route. Okay, do you watch SportsCenter or games to hear about contract negotiations? I don't. I watch to see highlights or to yell when the team I am rooting for fuck up.

I really hope we aren't headed for a "realistic" era. That would be fucking stupid. You don't watch a movie for the actors to whine about the director of the movie. So, why watch a fake fighter whine about not being booked right? That and most of the voices rooting for this shit are John Cena Boo Birds.. Meaning they have deeper voices, there are less of them, and they MUST be heard 'cuz heaven forbid they let a bunch of 8 year olds with their friends/family idolize their hero.


But back to topic, there have always been guys who are in it for the money. However, very few of them went along the lines of "The WWE sucks because I don't make enough money!" Like you dumb ass, you are are getting paid to be on TV. How much more do you want?

You may not care about rich people's problems but a LOT of people do. The NFL lockout dominated the sports outlets. Real Housewives of Anywhere is a popular show, Entourage is about a rich douche, Despirate Housewives was super over, MTV Cribs, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Gossip mags, rap songs, Paris Hilton, TMZ, they all only exist because a shitload of people care a lot about rich and famous people. So don't say it doesn't interest the general public.

Also, WWE guy on average aren't "rich". Wealthy yea, but how long does the average WWE career last? Not very long I'm guessing. So you make 200K a year for 3 years. Then you're back to 40K/year (if you're lucky) on the indies for a year or 2, then it's either time to get a real job or work for even less. Now, considering people with college degrees will generally make 100K+/year for the last 5-10 years of their career, some more, I don't consider that rich at all. The elite guys are but other than that, not really. Especially not without benefits and with what will likely end up being life-long health problems that also isn't paid for through benefits.

 

[The Future Rises]

So, how old are we talking? I am twenty-four and I see no entertainment in rich people complaining about not having enough money.



Are the kids really entertained? I've said it before, and I will say it again, most of the WWE's audience are trained from a young age to think every other form of wrestling that isn't WWE sucks. In the past 3 years (which is how long the PG Era has been), John Cena has been the WWE. Cena has never whined about "boyz in da back" stuff. And the kids' confused faces as Punk or someone else rambling on about that shit is more telling of this than anything.

Considering you still see kids in the crowd every week cheering for their heros(Cena, Mysterio, Kofi) then yeah I think they still enjoy it. Plus what Punk is doing isn't just demanding more money. His purpose is to get everything he wants and piss Vinny Mac off. He wanted more than money. He wanted a private jet. He wanted his face on every thing. He wanted Vinny Mac to apologize. Hell even for comedy sake he wanted the return of the WWE ice cream bars.

I'm pretty much sure a lot of adults tune in every week just so they can see where this angle with Punk is going. You might not like the contract stuff. But I'm sure you enjoyed the CM Punk shoot and rivalry with Cena and Vince that resulted in a great match in Money in the Bank. And Mark Henry attacking the audio technician area was one of the most entertaining things to every happen on Smackdown ever since the draft took place. Plus most of the older fans and I'm talking about the ones that are not playing hard to please are entertained by Punk's contranct signing. You might not like it but you gotta admit Punk was gold in that contract segment with Vince and Cena.

And the WWE don't actually tell the kids that every other wrestling form sucks. I'm not even sure that all of these kids even know that there are other wrestling companies. Like I said things like Punk's angle was something for adults to enjoy. All the kids did was cheer John Cena. I bet they get confused everytime someone starts a "CM Punk!" chant in the crowd.