How are WWE wrestlers paid today? Let's us explain you the new WWE's 'Bucket System'

Over the years WWE has emerged into one the biggest sports and wrestling entertainment on the planet. The company with its commitment towards entertainment, drama and action have amassed one of the profitable businesses. This has transpired into WWE superstars like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, The Rock amassing some massive fortunes over the years.

While it is well known that the top drawer WWE wrestlers make from a range of Million to $12 Million per year for the duration of their contracts. However there is little clarity of How WWE Wrestlers are paid? How is their pay structure distributed or How much bonuses do these wrestlers amass from each pay-per-view? If you’ve got those question then this articles explains how WWE superstars earn their buck through a complex system of payment known as the ‘Bucket System’.

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How WWE Wrestlers used to get paid in the past?

The Paysheet Structure

To understand how WWE Wrestlers are paid today, first we need to understand how WWE wrestlers used to get paid in the 90s and early 2000s. Retired WWE wrestler Maven on his YouTube channel revealed that back in the day wrestlers were paid a percentage of their pay-per-view events in the ‘paysheet’ structure.

In the paysheet structure wrestlers were paid a percentage of their pay-per-view events, house shows, merchandise sales and royalties. So wrestlers were incentivized to participate in more events back in the day. The more events you are participating in, the bigger the bag you’re taking home.

So what if a wrestler gets injured?

In the paysheet structure you only get compensated for the work you put in. Considering the volatile nature of WWE, if wrestlers get injured they lose a stream of income.

In such a scenario according to Maven, wrestlers were then put on the ‘Downside guarantee’. In this system the wrestlers were paid a guaranteed amount at the end of each week. Once, a wrestler returned from injury they would want to be back on the paysheet as they could earn triple the amount of their downside guarantee.

How are WWE Wrestlers paid today and what is the new ‘Bucket System’?

As revealed by former WWE wrestlers Mansoor and Mason D Madden, WWE wrestlers now earn their bucks through what is called a ‘Bucket System’. In the Bucket System, Wrestlers get paid a fixed amount at the end of each week.

According to Mason, while the paysheet system used to incentivize wrestlers to fight even more the Bucket System does the opposite as even if you are sitting out injured you will be earning the same amount of Bucks.

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Do WWE Wrestlers earn Royalties under the Bucket System?

Unlike the past where the WWE wrestlers used to get a piece of the pie, in the Bucket System they don’t get royalties unless a threshold is reached.

Everytime you work a show you get an invisible payment that doesn’t actually go to your bank account. It goes to a metaphorical bucket - the top of the bucket is your downside guarantee.

For example if your downside guarantee is 125,000$ they make invisible payments of 1000$ every time you work a show. Now you don’t see that 1000$ until you make a 125,000$ worth of bookings on top of your downside. So anything above 125,000$ that you make is a bonus.

But according to Mansoor and Mason they revealed on Maven;s Youtube channel that They only get royalties if they sell merchandise that outperforms their downside amounts. And once a wrestler is close to exceeding that downside they start getting less and less shows.