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PWINSIDER Q & A: PAY SCALES, JERICHO IN TNA, WWE AND ROH, MEDIA APPEARANCES AND MORE

How does pay work in WWE and other promotions? I've heard of the downside guarantee, but do talent get percentages of the gate and merchandise (and what are the usual percentages)? Generally, what does a first year talent make versus a proven vet? And what about referees? Is it just salary or do they get a cut of the gate too?

WWE pays guys a downside guarantee, then gives them a cut of merchandise, PPV and house show revenues.  WWE management decides what that piece of the pie is so we don't know what the percentage is.  It's really impossible to say what a general salary is since so many factors go into it.  I am not 100% sure on refs.  I know they have their deal.  I have never asked about whether they get percentages.  Last I heard, most of the TNA and ROH talent get paid on a weekly or per show basis.

Would Vince McMahon ever consider a working/developmental relationship with Ring of Honor? It seems to me like they've got people with great skills and work ethic, although not the WWE style.

I think one thing is pretty clear with Vince and the wrestling business and that is that he doesn't play well with others.  ROH is a totally different product from WWE and I can't see any reason, right now at least, that either would want to work with the other.  To Vince, ROH is a much smaller company.  To ROH, they know that their talents would end up being fodder for Vince's guys.  So, there is no reason for the two to work together.

Out of all the people involved in the pro wrestling industry to speak out to the media on the Benoit tragedy, who in your opinion has done the best job in terms of being honest and bringing up decent arguments? Also, who has done the worst job with the media?

I think that Chris Jericho and Lance Storm have done the best job because they have just stated the facts eloquently and haven't had any obvious agenda.  I would rather not say who has done the worst job.  Let's just say there are a lot of people up for that "honor".

OK guys, here is a hypothetical. We all have looked at how the ratings for TNA have risen, slumped, and stayed the course with the additions of Christian, Sting, and Angle. Could Jericho be the missing puzzle to boost the ratings at a level that would allow them to compete with WWE and if so, would he be getting the Sting paycheck, or bigger? What are your thoughts?

At this point, I don't think there is any one guy, other than maybe The Rock, who could put TNA on an anything close to an even playing field with WWE.  They have already gone to the star from the past in Sting, as well as the star from the present in Angle, and neither has vaulted them to that point.  I think Jericho would be a great signing (for Sting type of money, yes) and would make the product interesting.  I think he would add a tenth of a point or two to the rating.  But in the end, they just need to tell stories that will attract that casual fans and make them weekly viewers.  As history has shown, that is the way to increase an audience.

What do you think about changing TNA to TNY (Total Non-stop Yelling)? I don't know about you, but I think one of TNA's biggest faults is their announce team. They can single handedly ruin a match with their constant screaming. That being said, I know the chances are slim, but what do you think of an announce team consisting of Jim Cornette doing play-by-play and Kevin Nash color commentating?

I think that would be a pretty stupid thing to do.  I get your point, but that would be a dopey name change (yes, I got that you were being facetious).  I do think that Mike Tenay and Don West do yell too much at times and that should be cut back on.  But, they are also very good when given the opportunity to call a good match.  I would love to see Jim Cornette in the booth too because he has a great mind for the business and knows how to tell a story, and I am usually not a fan of a three man announce team.

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