How Much Do AEW Wrestlers Make? - Wrestling Attitude

How Much Do AEW Wrestlers Make? – The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) brand was founded in 2019 by Tony Khan and Shaid Khan. When established, the idea was to focus on action, unique storylines, and rival the WWE. Even though WWE has existed for over two decades, AEW is already regarded as worthy competition. AEW achieved this by providing fans unmatched wrestling content and onboarding some of WWE’s biggest names.

Today, several wrestlers who have moved to AEW earn significantly more than they did in WWE. Their income comes from ticket sales, online content, and sponsorship from various companies. Sponsors are often entertainment platforms and online casinos, which help athletes receive additional support and attract audience attention to their brands.

In this context, it is useful to check out https://nz-casino.online/ — a review that takes a detailed look at the features of online casinos, their apps, payment methods, and general platform capabilities. This will give you an idea of the casino market without having to jump straight into the games.

The list below gives you an overview of how much more some stars of AEW earn than wrestlers in the WWE.

Jon Moxley (fka Dean Ambrose) – $6 million
Chris Jericho – $5 million
Mercedes Mone (fka Sasha Banks) – $5 million
Kazuchika Okada – $4.5 million
Kenny Omega – $3 million
Neville (PAC) – $2 Million

“Wrestling is a sport where the more you put in, the more you get out.” – Cael Sanderson.

Jon Moxley – $6 Million

Jon Moxley, who was renamed Dean Ambrose when he was in the WWE, is the highest-paid star of the AEW. He signed a five-year contract in 2022, becoming the face and main star of the brand. When he was in the WWE, he earned around $2 – $3 million, making the switch a major upgrade. He also gets earnings from pay-per-view main events, appearances in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and merchandise sales.

Chris Jericho – $5 Million

Chris Jericho is reputed as one of the pillars of the AEW, using his experience and fame to attract viewers and also mentor other wrestlers. There are no exact values for how much he earned at WWE, but he earned up to $100,000 for a short multi-man match in 2018.

Mercedes Mone – $5 Million

Popularly known as Sasha Banks when she was in the WWE, Mercedes Mone moved to the AEW in 2024. She earns a huge AEW contract salary of $5 million annually, making her the highest-paid woman in wrestling history. When she was in the WWE, it’s reported she earned around $500,000 – $550,000. The salary bump at AEW is one of the biggest ever recorded.

Kazuchika Okada – $4.5 Million

Although not from the WWE, Kazuchika Okada was popular for his time at New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He became one of the highest-paid wrestlers in the AEW when he signed a three-year contract in 2024. Kazuchika Okada became untouchable by the WWE when he signed the offer.

Kenny Omega – $3 Million

Kenny Omega is one of the top stars at AEW, earning an annual salary more than some wrestlers in the WWE. He is a former AEW World Champion, and his star power has helped him land high-level contracts. Kenny Omega doesn’t just earn from AEW; he’s also involved in video games.

Neville (PAC) – $2 Million

Neville (PAC) has come a long way in wrestling, starting out as Adrian Neville in WWE. He was well-known in the WWE NXT and was reported to make about $800,000 per year. However, he signed with AEW in 2019, where he’s reported to be making about $2 million. At AEW, he’s a former All-Atlantic Champion and World Trios Champion.

Does AEW Pay More than WWE?

While the AEW poses as a strong competition for WWE, it still has a long way to go in terms of revenue and earnings. The AEW is not yet as big as WWE, where the latter pays its top stars $10 million or more. For instance, Roman Reigns, the highest-paid in the WWE, earns up to $15 million.

Cody Rhodes earns up to $10 million. The WWE has more fans, views, merchandise, and is more globally accepted. However, if AEW reaches the level of WWE, there’s no doubt the promotion will probably pay its top stars more.

Final Thoughts

“I wanted to create a place where wrestlers could thrive creatively, and fans could believe again.” – Tony Khan.

The WWE has existed and evolved for over fifty years, generating more revenue to pay its stars. However, the AEW is already on the right path, attracting WWE’s stars with bigger paychecks and getting an increased fanbase. In the next ten years, the AEW might just surpass the WWE in every aspect.

How Much Do AEW Wrestlers Make?

- / 5

Thanks for voting!