Ryback's Dispute with WWE

As we have already reported, Ryback may not return to WWE due to a labor dispute with the company. One of the arguments given by the wrestler is that he does not understand why winners in a predetermined sport earn much more than the losers, as everyone who works for WWE "should be equally valuable".

Dave Meltzer, in the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer newsletter, commented on the issue.

"Of course, what Ryback said is ridiculous. Payment is not based on winning or losing, but on the position on the card. The loser of the main event will earn much more than the winner of the preliminary fight. When payments are determined, who won a fight is not even taken into consideration.

"There is certainly a correlation in the sense that people who earn more money also win more fights, but earning more comes before having more victories. So it is true that winners get more money, but it is not because they win more fights. Those who earn more money will be placed in better positions on the cards and will get more important fights.

"But there is discretionary judgment about who means more to the card. For example, in Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania, despite both being in the same fight, no one doubts that Undertaker earned more because he means more to the show. The biggest stars will be the highest paid."

Dave Meltzer.

"There have been discussions to change the payment structure thinking traditionally, with percentages of box office and PPV profits, but that is no longer possible in 2016, and certainly cannot be compared with the past, as PPV revenues have almost disappeared, while house show box offices depend more on the brand than on the advertised fights."

"One way to modify this is through guaranteed contracts, but this has not always worked, as in companies like WCW many wrestlers became lazy or faked injuries, knowing that they would earn the same whether they wrestled or not, unlike WWE, where the guaranteed payment established by contracts is not as high, but it can be multiplied by bonuses and merchandise sales."

"The issue is that it is ridiculous to say that everyone in the company is equally valuable, as the machinery works no matter what happens. WrestleMania set records even with John Cena injured and off TV. Currently, it is the brand that sells the most, which is both a blessing because it means the company is strong, and a curse because it limits its ceiling and prevents stars from emerging who can make the product truly of popular interest, as it was in its boom periods."