Grado says there was a point during his TNA run when he went nearly six months without receiving a paycheck.
The former TNA performer recently appeared on Jeff Jarrett’s “My World” podcast and reflected on his time with the promotion during the Dixie Carter era. Grado recalled Ken Anderson approaching him backstage and asking whether he had been paid.
“Ken Anderson came up to me and went, ‘Hey man, have you been paid? Have you been paid?’ And I went, ‘I’ve never been paid. I’ve been here since January. I’ve not been paid once.’”
Grado said he eventually received the money he was owed. At the time, however, he was still working for the fire brigade and was simply thrilled to be getting flown to the United States to wrestle.
“I was having the time of my life. I was still working in the fire brigade back then. So the wrestling for me was going to Orlando, getting the flights paid for me. [So] I couldn’t give a damn if I was getting paid or not, if I’m being honest.”
The payment issues continued, with Grado recalling another stretch of several months before he finally decided to speak up about the situation.
“But there was one time where I hadn’t been paid again for four or five months and I had the guts to kind of speak up.”
