Marc Mero has shared a royalty statement from 2019 to illustrate what some midcard WWE talents have earned from archived content.
The former Intercontinental Champion took to X to share a document showing a quarterly payment of less than $72.
Mero stated that he released the figures to answer questions regarding what performers earn from the company after they leave.
He highlighted that the statement listed over $39,000 in royalty revenue attributed to videos that included his likeness, among many other talents. His “net royalties paid” for the fourth quarter of 2019 totaled $71.47.
Mero stated:
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.
The document identifies Warner Brothers Home Video releases as the primary source of the revenue. The largest line item appears to be The Evolution of WWE’s Women’s Division, which generated over $20,000 in WWE-earned royalties during that period. Mero’s cut for those specific line items amounted to approximately $32.
Other titles listed on the statement include The Attitude Era Vol. 1 and Monday Night War Vol. 1.
Mero performed for the World Wrestling Federation from 1996 to 1999 as “Wildman” and later “Marvelous” Marc Mero. During his tenure, he held the Intercontinental Championship once, defeating Faarooq for the title in 1996.
He also competed for WCW as Johnny B. Badd, where he was a three-time World Television Champion. He retired from in-ring competition in 2006.
