• WWE’s Mid-Carders Aren’t Getting Rich
WWE has been reporting major profits ever since the TKO takeover in 2023, which also gave Triple H full creative control and eventually led to Vince McMahon completely parting ways with the company.
While business is booming and the promotion’s biggest stars are cashing in, WWE President Nick Khan says the same can’t be said for the talent in the mid-card.
Speaking to Ring Magazine, Khan spoke about the reality of WWE’s pay structure and made it clear that the company rewards star power, not positioning alone.
“It’s a meritocracy. If you make it to the top and you’re marketable, you get paid. That’s how any job should be.
In WWE, if you’re Roman Reigns, if you’re Brock Lesnar, if you’re Cody Rhodes, all the guys at the top of our game, CM Punk – they’re getting rich.
If you’re in the middle, you’re not getting rich, but you have a really good life.”
Also Read: Nick Khan Reveals The Truth Behind “Green Shirt Guy’s” Front-Row Seats
• John Cena Explains Why His Heel Run Failed
John Cena shocked the pro wrestling world at this year’s Elimination Chamber. After winning the Men’s Elimination Chamber match, The GOAT aligned himself with The Rock and unleashed a brutal attack on Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, officially turning heel.
But the heel run didn’t last long. Within a couple of months, Cena was back to being a babyface, and many fans criticized WWE’s handling of the turn. They felt that the company didn’t capitalize on the new direction, delivered a lacklustre WrestleMania 41 main event, and failed to give Cena compelling matches during the run.
Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, the 17-time World Champion admitted that he simply didn’t have the time needed to fully build the heel persona fans were expecting.
“I think a lot of people were wondering what would happen if John Cena turned heel. And then when I did, it left a taste in people’s mouth that they didn’t like it. They wanted other stuff. ‘I wanted a music change. I wanted a uniform change. I wanted him to act like this.’
I got 11 months to do this. 36 TV appearances. It takes 5 years to get a guy over, regardless. If you turn them, it’s gonna take a year or two on television for it really to sink in, especially if you really want to get into it and then be able to flip and then get a guy to get a nice flip on the other side when it’s time to turn again.
I don’t have the time to tell the right story, but that’s besides the point, because I’m told we’re going with this story. We sure are. I’m gonna do the best I can.”
John Cena also admitted that his retirement tour hasn’t been perfect and revealed that he wanted to work 220 dates during his final run, but WWE only wanted to book him for 36.
“‘Hey man, 36 dates must have been easy this year.’ I did too many jobs. I was in Budapest, flying to Indy, do Indy, fly back, land, go film. Doing that until post-WrestleMania. Back and forth to Morocco, Budapest, all these crazy places that weren’t easy commutes.
You think you can do it, ‘I’ll sleep on the plane.’ You don’t. It doesn’t happen. Then, you get upside down and you’re super fatigued. I threaded the needle just enough.
The plan, originally, was to do a full year. This goes to show my ignorance of the business. I wanted to do 220 dates.
Just take the year off from everything, hop on a bus, do a full WWE calendar, and totally say goodbye.
Thank goodness the business isn’t like that anymore. I’d be done. They only needed me for 36.”
