On the 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff responded to Kevin Nash’s claim that WWE royalty checks have dropped dramatically since the TKO merger, and Bischoff unexpectedly revealed exactly how he treats his own WWE checks.
The hosts (Raj Giri and Conrad Thompson) explained that Kevin Nash recently said his latest royalty payment was: “Rotten.”
Nash noticed something new: WWE no longer provides a breakdown of exactly which items sold – instead bundling everything into a vague “intellectual property” line: “It used to say this many nWo t-shirts, this many ladies nWo shirts… now it just says ‘nWo intellectual property’ with no breakdown.”
Sean Waltman (X-Pac) reacted the same way Nash did – laughing because he’d gotten a similarly disappointing payout: “Waltman answered laughing, like, ‘Oh, you must have got your royalty check.’”
Bischoff startled listeners by admitting he never even checks for changes: “I haven’t noticed a change because I don’t look at them. They’re not significant enough checks. Once a quarter I’ll get 15–20 grand. I look at it… then throw it right in the garbage.”
Bischoff stressed it’s not arrogance – the checks simply aren’t part of his financial planning: “It’s mailbox money… it’s not budgeted… when it shows up I’m like, ‘Oh, wonderful.’”
When the host joked about Bischoff not getting the nWo merchandise cut he deserves, Bischoff chuckled: “That’s not a sore subject… I laugh about it all the time.”
Raj Giri disagreed: “Eric, I do think you should be getting that nWo royalty merch.”
Raj explained that every major technological or ownership shift changes how wrestlers get paid: “Every time there’s a shift in technology, change in ownership… things change.”
He notes DVD royalties are dead: “DVDs are almost extinct now… it’s just constantly changing.”
And because TKO is restructuring, wrestlers should verify their royalty statements: “If it’s a significant change… it’s probably worth taking a look at and making a call.”
Also Read: “We’re making more money than we were in WWE” – Recently Departed WWE Stars
