During a recent episode of Ryback TV, Ryback spoke on his personal experience negotiating his contract with the WWE. Here’s what he had to say:
Well, I always did three-year deals. It was Nexus as well and I was on developmental, still, with Nexus. I stayed on that one with my injury. They just kept me on that, where I went in a hole and I owed them all this money. When I came back, they weren’t paying me. I was working off the money I was paid when I was injured for a year-and-a-half. Then, we re-did the contract as Ryback once, and then, two was when I walked out. That was for another three-year deal on that, but I’ve signed multiple contracts over the years because of developmental or the two different stints in developmental. So, I think there have been four or five in total. Maybe four and then, the fifth one was where I turned it down and walked out.
Yeah, that was where I walked out on. They put the IC Title on me and literally, that week, brought me in to negotiate my contract. Literally, they do things for a reason. The money was super low. I think it was a $50,000 a year raise from what I was already at. We went back and forth on figures and whatever it was – it ended up being $1.65 million for three years. That wasn’t horrible, but I wanted way more still. That was when they wanted to sign over everything I already trademarked. I said no because I knew what I was getting already and I wanted to do the supplements and the feedmemore.com. That’s where I quit talking and walked out.
Credit: Ryback TV. H/T 411Mania.