Former Champion Reveals WWE's Financial Exploitation, Welcomes AEW Emergence

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the world’s most popular pro-wrestling promotion but since the emergence of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in North America, the former has been in for some bashing from ex-WWE stars. Jon Moxley, who was with WWE for eight years, was the first to give scathing views of Vince McMahon and now Ryback has spoken about how the wrestlers are financially exploited by the company.

Ryback spent many years with the WWE before quitting the company in 2016 and has since been competing on the international independent scene. He hosts a podcast “Conversation with The Big Guy” and recently revealed to Wrestling Inc. president Raj Giri about how WWE controls all aspects once the pro-wrestlers sign the contracts.

Apart from the wages, the pro-wrestler receives it was believed that they make a big chunk of their earnings through merchandise sales, but Ryback has revealed that the cut given to the wrestlers by the company is “horrible”. He says top talent like Brock Lesnar will get a good cut of the merchandise sales as he is in a position to negotiate a better contract, but Ryback says 90 percent of the athletes get little to nothing from merchandise sales.

The former WWE star says any attempt by the smaller stars to negotiate a better deal will see them being cut off the programming. The wrestlers will not be used in the televised or live events, which in turn will affect their merchandise sales.

"The numbers are in the contract and the numbers are completely screwed up, the numbers are horrible," Ryback told Wrestling Inc. "Now, outside of someone like Brock that negotiated a better deal and owns his name, trademarks, different things and was able to negotiate a better deal, 90 percent of the talent does not have the power to negotiate a better deal. And, they keep them in a position where they don't have any negotiating power. If you do question your percentages, they will just pick someone else.”

"The thing is a $30 t-shirt they are selling, you're making a dollar or under a dollar a shirt, somewhere in that vicinity. Wrestlers, as independent contractors should be able to negotiate. WWE will say anyone can negotiate, I can tell you first hand that if you do that, you're not going to make any money and you're not going to be used. So, everybody signs the contract and just goes along with it because that is what everyone else has done,” he added.

Ryback also praised the emergence of AEW and he is certain that if the new promotion provides a good product they will slowly but surely eat into the dominance the WWE currently possesses in the pro-wrestling market. He says if the new promotion treats its wrestlers better, they will be high in demand, which can hurt WWE in the long run.

“I’m excited, we got AEW here and I’m very happy for Cody and everybody involved in that. They have a huge advantage in wrestling right now because they’re starting fresh and and they can do it right and they can do wrestling better than WWE. Now are they going to come in and take over right away? Not right away. But if they put out a great product and they take care of the wrestlers, every pro wrestler will want to go wrestle there,” Ryback said during an interview with Chris Van Vliet.