The WWE is one of the biggest companies in the world of sports right now, generating nearly $700 million in revenue last year. As such, some of their top performers are contracted the company with pretty impressive salaries, which they earn from episodes of Monday Night Raw, house shows, merchandising, and pay-per-view events.
The highest-grossing wrestlers in the company may surprise you, though. Some are obvious, as they are the athletes who appear on screen every week and who will have a match in just about every pay-per-view. Others, though, only appear a handful of times a year, yet they are so legendary and are such major draws that they make more in a few nights than the other superstars make all year.
As of July 2016, thanks to reporting from Forbes, Celebrity Net Worth, and more, here are the highest grossing wrestlers in the WWE.
1. John Cena â $9.5 Million
John Cena is arguably the most well-known face behind the WWE right now, and that translates into a pretty hefty salary. Forbes reports that Cena is taking home roughly $9.5 million per year.
In addition, Cenaâs net worth is about $35 million, according to Celerity Net Worth. On top of his wrestling salary, Cena brings in some additional income via his acting career, starring in films like The Marine and Fred: The Movie and making cameos in comedies like Trainwreck andSisters.
Heâs been with the WWE since 2001, and Cena doesnât appear to be slowing down anytime soon. He missed a few months of work early in 2016 due to a shoulder injury, but he still showed up at WrestleMania 32, where he teamed up with The Rock. His official return occurred in May, and he actually ended up coming back four months earlier than expected. Most recently, Cena is engaged in a feud with A.J. Styles and The Club.
2. Brock Lesnar â $6 Million
It might be surprising to see Brock Lesnarâs name so high on this list, as he only makes appearances in the WWE every few months. Despite that, he is being paid roughly $6 million a year, and Lesnarâs net worth is reportedly $16 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He is just that good.
After an eight year absence, Lesnar returned to the WWE in 2012, and although he only shows up every now and again, his matches are consistently some of the most significant of the year. At WrestleMania XXX, Lesnar ended The Undertakerâs undefeated streak in one of the biggest wrestling events of 2014, and he has headlined many pay-per-views since then.
Lesnar will be appearing at the upcoming Summer slam pay-per-view, where he will fight a mysterious opponent who has not yet been revealed.
3. Triple H â $2.8 Million
Triple H, after years of performing as a pro-wrestler for the WWE, now works for the company in a more behind-the-scenes capacity, serving as the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events, & Creative for the WWE and the senior producer of NXT. He is pulling in about $2.8 million per year.
According to The Richest, Triple Hâs net worth is $25 million.
Triple Hâs most recent in-ring storyline took place earlier this year, when he was the winner of the 2016 Royal Rumble, defeating Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. Triple H held the title for 70 days before it was reclaimed by Roman. WWE fans should expect Triple H to play a major role in the upcoming brand split, especially because many NXT stars will reportedly be joining the main roster. The WWE draft will take place live on SmackDown on July .
4. Randy Orton â $2.7 Million
Randy Orton is currently on hiatus from the WWE due to injury, but he is expected to be returning soon. Orton reportedly makes about $2.7 million with the WWE, although Forbes notes that this is down from $3 million due to the time Orton has missed. Ortonâs net worth is roughly $15.5 million.
During an October 2015 match in Chicago, Orton sustained a rather serious shoulder injury, which was exacerbated by the fact that this shoulder had already been injured years earlier. It sounds like his return is right around the corner, though, and he is reportedly going to the WWE Performance Center next week to begin training again. Itâs rumored that he could be Brock Lesnarâs SummerSlam opponent, although nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
5. Seth Rollins â $2.4 Million
Coming in behind Orton is another performer who missed a significant amount of time in 2016Â due to an unfortunate injury. Seth Rollins is said to rake in about $2.4 million per year with the WWE.
Rollins was forced to take time off from wrestling after he injured his knee during a show in Ireland in November 2015. He had to undergo surgery, and as a result, Rollins vacated his title and it was soon claimed by Roman Reigns. Rollins took back the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank, but his reign didnât last long, as Dean Ambrose immediately cashed in and stole the belt for himself.
6. Roman Reigns â $2.1 Million
If John Cena isnât the biggest name in the WWE, itâs probably Roman Reigns, the companyâs primary face over the past several years. Reigns reportedly takes in about $2.1 million annually.
That figure, however, will likely be down this year due to Reigns 30-day suspension. That might not sound like that long to be gone, for during the four weeks that Reigns is not permitted to perform at house shows or on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, he will be losing about $100,000 in revenue.
Luckily for Reigns, though, he will be back in time for the upcoming Battleground pay-per-view, and these PPVs wind up being extremely lucrative for WWE performers.
7. The Undertaker â $2.0 Million
The Undertaker is another one of those wrestlers who only shows up sporadically, but he has become such a legendary figure that these appearances alone are enough to earn him quite a bit of money. Forbes reports that The Undertaker takes in about $2 million per year. Celebrity Net Worth also reports that his net worth is about $16 million.
The Undertakerâs most recent storyline occurred earlier this year, when it was announced that Shane McMahon would fight him at WrestleMania 32. If Shane won, he would gain control ofRaw and The Undertaker would never perform at WrestleMania again. Luckily, The Undertaker emerged victorious, although Shane just ended up gaining control of Raw anyway.
We havenât seen him since then, but rumors are already beginning to emerge that The Undertaker and John Cena may fight at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.
8. Big Show â $1.5 Million
Though he hasnât done a whole lot in the WWE over the past few months, Big Show was rather involved with the company in 2015, when he took in about $1.5 million for the year. His net worth is reportedly $20 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
In 2015, Big Show took part in the Royal Rumble match, defeating five opponents before being eliminated by Roman Reigns. He also went on to win the Battle Royal match at Wrestlemania 31. He began a feud with Roman Reigns in the subsequent months, and then later with The Miz. So far in 2016, Big Show has turned face, helping his formal rival Roman Reigns go up against The Wyatt Family. He also showed up at the Royal Rumble at WrestleMania, confronting Shaquille OâNeal and eventually being eliminated.
His most recent appearance was on May 30th, when he appeared in a backstage segment onMonday Night Raw advising Apollo Crews. Itâs unclear what role the WWE has for him going forward, but assuming he pops back in at a few more pay-per-views, he should expect to have another lucrative year.
9. Kane â $1.3 Million
Kane has been wrestling for longer than many of his fans have been alive, beginning his career in 1992. These days, heâs another one of those legends who receives top dollar from the company despite not appearing on a regular basis, and Kaneâs salary hovers around $1.3 million per year. The Richest reports that his net worth is $7 million.
So far this year, weâve seen Kane partake in the 2016 Royal Rumble, during which he was eliminated by Braun Strowman. He also had a feud with the Wyatt Family, teaming up with Big Show and Ryback to go up against them. Kane also made an appearance in the Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, where he was eliminated by Baron Corbin.
Since then, weâve seen less of Demon Kane and more of Corporate Kane, the wrestlerâs more comedic persona in which he appears in a full suit and tie without his terrifying red mask. Since the announcement of the brand split, he has made appearances on Monday Night Raw, where he begged Stephanie McMahon to let him run SmackDown. She declined, saying that having a guy who doubles as a demon run a major WWE program maybe isnât the best idea.
10. Dean Ambrose â $1.1 Million
Currently the companyâs World Heavyweight Champion, the Lunatic Fringe takes in about $1.1 million per year with the WWE, although it would not be surprising to see that number increase a bit in 2016. His net worth is estimated to be about $6 million.
How long Ambrose will hold on to the title is unclear, but it seems there is a significant chance he will lose it at the upcoming Battleground pay-per-view. Reports have emerged that those behind the scenes at the company feel that Ambrose has been phoning it in since winning Heavyweight Champion, and beyond that, some of his cowokers have apparently raised concern for his physical health.
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