The top man in professional wrestling John Cena is forming the first ever wrestling union.
Even at the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the world’s largest professional wrestling federation, all wrestlers at independent contractors and must pay for their own healthcare and retirement.
Like many other sports, the time window to make money is very slim. Recently, WWE superstar Daniel was forced to retire because of multiple concussions. It is up to the WWE on how he may be compensated in the future. Only being 34 years old and only having been “on top” for 3 of his 14-year career, he didn’t make much money.
Wrestlers also must provide their own hotels and travel from city to city, besides airline tickets. The wrestlers must also feed and provide their own wardrobes.
John Cena, having recently been acting more for low budget Hollywood films wishes to introduce a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) type union for wrestlers.
“Wrestling is a very cut-throat business,” said wrestling expert Dave Meltzer. “There are no guarantees on anything in wrestling. And now with the WWE being the only main player in town, they have a monopoly and wrestlers must obey or be fired.”
While a few at the top can make millions of dollars, most wrestlers you see on TV and video games struggle to get by.
The WWE has been a public company since 2003 but wrestlers living standards have gone down since they bought their competitors WCW and ECW. Several smaller wrestling promotions run in territories of the US and around the globe but they are all based on short-term gigs, and if you get hurt, you can’t work with no safety net to rely on.
Recently, fans of particle wrestlers have started gofundme campaigns to help with independent wrestler’s medical bills.
Last week the WWE released 8 wrestlers. Some will be able to work in Japan or Mexico, but many will have to contemplate a new career.
At this point in time, the WWE generates enough money where a wrestlers union would be very feasible and almost a moral obligation for those who risk their lives to perform in front of millions.
Even though matches are predetermined, those who lose get paid less. And many wrestlers rely on selling merchandise to make a living. However, if they chose not to show people your merchandise, it makes it hard to sell.
John Cena is the only wrestler with enough stroke to devise such a plan that is infuriating Vince McMahon (CEO of the WWE).
Cena told The Wrestler Observer, “If it’s going to happen, now is the time. Wrestlers have been screwed by promoters for decades and it’s time for a change.
“The boys in the back sure as hell deserve it.”
The details are being worked out but the plan is to have union dues in place for January 1st, 2017.
