CM Punk Says WWE’s Bigger Paydays Could Backfire

WWE pay has been a punching bag for fans and pundits forever. Then CM Punk popped up on the Mostly Sports podcast and basically said: everyone is getting paid more now. The twist? How WWE pays out has changed in a way he thinks is both a win and a buzzkill.

Punk says the money is up, the incentives are gone

At 47, Punk has seen a few eras of WWE business. He says the company used to reward stars for headlining and packing buildings. Now, under the current regime, that bonus structure is out. Talent is largely on salary, regardless of where they land on the card.

"It is good and bad. We all make more money now. But my paycheck used to depend on how many people were in the building. When you are in the main event you got paid more money. Now, everyone is just kind of on salary.

It is good for the boys, but I do not think there is the same ambition. I always wanted to be in the main event because that meant more money. Now, I do not care if I am the opening match because I am still going to make the same."

That is the interesting part: a salary-only setup is great for stability and guaranteed paychecks, but it also removes the old-school, eat-what-you-kill motivation. Love it or hate it, that was a real thing.

So what does Punk make now?

WWE keeps contract numbers locked down, same as it did in the Vince era. Still, with the pay structure simplified, industry chatter has Punk in the neighborhood of $2.2 million a year. That lines up with his star power and, frankly, his ability to move interest even when he is not working every week.

The NXT number everyone is arguing about

On the other end of the roster, there was a flare-up about base pay for NXT talent. Former NXT performer Priscilla Kelly claimed some wrestlers make as little as $30,000. That set off alarms fast. Bryan Alvarez pushed back on Wrestling Observer Radio, saying flat-out that no one in NXT is making $30,000 and that entry deals start around $75,000 if you are actually on NXT TV.

Because WWE is allergic to publishing this stuff, there is no neat, official chart to settle it. But those are the two numbers getting tossed around.

• Punk on pay now: overall salaries are higher, but match-to-match bonuses are largely gone.
• Punk estimated salary: about $2.2 million annually.
• NXT base salary debate: $30,000 claim vs. $75,000 reported starting point for TV talent.

Where this leaves things

If Punk is right, WWE picked guaranteed money over performance incentives. That is great for stability, less great if you think hunger at the top of the card drives the whole machine. As for the NXT baseline, until someone puts a contract on the table, you are choosing which number sounds more plausible to you: $30k or $75k.