Marc Mero had a front-row seat to one of the most explosive eras in wrestling history—and the financial payoff years later wasn’t exactly life-changing.
Mero was part of WWE from 1996 through 1999, a stretch that coincided with the peak of the Attitude Era. During that run, he shared the ring and television time with several of the company’s biggest stars, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H.
Over the years, WWE has revisited that era extensively, producing numerous documentaries and retrospective projects. Mero has appeared in several of those releases through archival footage and video features highlighting the Attitude Era boom period.
However, Mero revealed on social media that those appearances didn’t translate into much in royalties. According to Mero, he received a royalty check in 2019 totaling just $71.47 for his video appearances.
Along with the photos of the royalty check statements from WWE (see below), Marc Mero attached the following statement:
I’ve been asked many times what wrestlers actually make in royalties from the WWE, so let me give you a real example.
I left the WWE years ago, and more than 20 years later, in 2019, I came across an old royalty statement. When you look at how much money many wrestlers help generate versus how little they’re actually paid, it’s honestly hard to believe.
On this statement, even after being out of wrestling for over two decades, I was still partly responsible for $39,590.81 in revenue.
My royalty payment for that?
$71.47.
That’s the reality for a lot of wrestlers. We helped build the brand, the characters, and the moments fans still watch today, yet the compensation rarely reflects the value that was created.
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I’ve been asked many times what wrestlers actually make in royalties from the WWE, so let me give you a real example.
I left the WWE years ago, and more than 20 years later, in 2019, I came across an old royalty statement. When you look at how much money many wrestlers help… pic.twitter.com/AKy5330YXv
— Marc Mero (@MarcMero) January 22, 2026
