Special Guests Received “Seven Figure” Payments For WWE Saudi Shows

It is being reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that special guests at the WWE Saudi Arabia shows received seven-figure paydays.

Goldberg took on the Undertaker in quite possibly the worst match of 2019, but getting over $1million probably helped soften the embarrassment.

Writing in the Newsletter, Meltzer said:

If you’re wondering about the special guest Saudi Arabian payoffs, they are well into seven figures. At least Goldberg got well into seven for the match with Undertaker. Goldberg’s figure for the one match was considerably more than his one year contract when he came to WWE in 2003-04 ($1 million downside for eight dates per month), but less than his WCW contract ($3 million per year) when he was at his peak. I don’t know that Michaels or Undertaker did as well, but that would make sense to be a reason to come out of retirement, although Michaels seemingly has indicated no interest in wrestling anymore.

Meltzer also noted that Brock Lesnar is earning more money than pretty much anyone is history has done from pro-wrestling.

Lesnar likely got that and more since he’s earning more from wrestling per year than just about anyone in history ever has in their best years, which is why he never went back to UFC and there’s no amount of money they won’t pay to keep him from AEW.

AEW’s Chris Jericho mocked WWE’s “generosity” when it came to Saudi shows after he was paid $100,000 for being in the Greatest Royal Rumble for a few minutes.

“I literally was laughing,” Jericho said. “A – watching some of the guys f–k up their spots, and B – once again, how much money are they getting paid that they paid me to be in this thing to basically do nothing? Whatever.”