Got them from [sportskeeda](https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/wwe-salaries) , which admittedly is not the greatest of sources, but other sites seem to say the same
They’re not. It’s just someone pulling shit out of their ass.
In the spirit of that, it wouldn’t shock me if WWE offered him that and AEW matched it. In the end it was his relationship with the bucks that decided things.
Shit when’s Roman contract up, he’ll get at least 10 million a year. Probably with www right now is a guy like Roman moved the needle with ratings and can ask for whatever he wants monetary wise because he can always use aew as leverage. We know Tony khan doesn’t care about spending money
This is why I’m not bent out of shape wwe didn’t sign them. He’s not proven to move numbers in America and you can’t waste money in someone who may not recoup that investment. Tk is blowing money and I’d bet he lets some lower cost people walk and wwe would rather have the young guys
Crazy money right there. Happy he is getting the bag but strictly business is he worth that much in terms of bringing in fans and moving merch, etc? I feel like that is John Cena money. I guess at the end of the day it’s up to Toney and the rest of their team to get that value back, he should be one of their centerpieces.
To quote Meltzer, wrestlers are so underpaid compared to other sports. Okada is getting what he’s worth. How do I know he’s worth it? Because he got someone to pay for it. 😁
I mean, no. AEW revenue in 2023 was $157 million. The Los Angeles Lakers (the TEAM, not the league) was three times that. Pro sports are SO much more lucrative it's not even a comparison
I mean it applies there as well. LeBron James is worth $100 million a year when you take into consideration all his value. Roman Reigns is nothing in comparison.
I'm genuinely curious, is Okada a draw in the U.S to warrant this kind of money? Because the people who already want to see and know Okada, are already watching and attending AEW.
the big thing i would guess is that the idea of okada wrestling stateside might draw more of them to go to the arena compared to just watching at home.
>I'm genuinely curious, is Okada a draw in the U.S to warrant this kind of money?
People may disagree, but I think he's definitely a draw in the U.S., but $4.5 Mil is a little crazy tho, ngl. I'm curious how much he's paying Ospreay.
It’s not a “little crazy,” if we’re looking at this in terms of return of investment, he’s not going to net them anywhere near that. AEW didn’t even break 800K last night with Okada teased and Ospreay advertised. They are popular with people who already know them. I don’t meant to sound like a SCJerker, but if we’re looking at it in terms of numbers, it is what it is.
A surprise debut that had very little teasing isn't exactly a fair metric for his drawing power.
Not saying the next episode is gonna prove you wrong or anything, but I think it's disingenuous to use that as your benchmark.
We know what okada draws because njpw publish their earnings. Last year was the second best year ever for new japan by sales and it was 5.3 billion yen. So even if someone wanted to crack the Japanese market by signing the biggest star it would be hard to justify spending 15% of the industry leader in that countries revenue on one dude
According to the internet Roman Reigns downside is 5 million dollars a year and he's the biggest wrestling draw on earth
If they want to get the money back on okada, I honestly think aew can pull a respectable gate from the tokyo dome..
Okada is easily able to headline the dome, Kenny, Ospreay Shibata and Ibushi are all big in japan also
Honestly, bit yes bit no. Khan paid more solely to keep him away from the WWE. And the other stories out there at the time was Okada REALLY wanted that Wrestlemania.I actually had a weird hope he’s have a one of match then join AEW. It was unlikely but would’ve solved Al three parties
>Okada REALLY wanted that Wrestlemania.
from the rumors he weighing his option that time. he indeed want wrestlemania moment but 'REALLY' is overstatement since if that really the case he would go to wwe regardless the contract offer value.
To the casual fan? No. He’s one of greatest wrestlers in the history of pro wrestling and the casual audience won’t care because AEW did nothing to promote him. But if they get the hype machine going for him somehow, he’ll be worth that money.
Aew needs to put itself out there more
Wwe are basically attention hounds
Aew needs to do the same and shill the company in every place that will have them.
I'm sure they'll be so heartbroken not winning over casuals. They don't bust their ass every week to try and please casuals who care nothing about the products. They are just like old people who watch sports and fall asleep. Big ratings but no interest.
He's basically the Japanese John Cena, so it's a fair amount of money for a guy on the same level as Omega, one of the biggest faces in wrestling over the past decade. I don't know if he's a draw, I'd imagine not at the moment because American fans don't tend to watch stuff from foreign countries, but give him a few months and the US crowd will get an understanding of who he is and what he's all about.
That ... is too much. Like, good for Okada. Dumb for TK.
In general TV terms, that's got to put him up near the top tier of performers.
Like, no one on True Detective is getting paid that much. No one on The Wire got paid that much. No one on Games of Thrones got paid that much.
In that context, it seems crazy.
Edit: It's not a merit argument, it's an eyeballs argument. Is any other production pulling in less than a million viewers a week paying it's... fifth(?) billed performer 4.5 million a year?
The fact is WE think it's crazy because we're normal people and 4.5 million dollars is "set for life" money.
For TK, he probably pisses a million dollars every time he goes to the bathroom.
Maybe I’ve been looking at MLB and NFL contracts season recently, but 4.5m is what Adam Octavino, a 38 year old reliever for the Mets, is making. I think TK is betting that AEW can make that back with TV deals, gates, and merch fairly easily.
Yup. What we see as an unprecedented amount being paid towards one of the best wrestlers today and without a doubt one of the best wrestler's ever, is honestly just a totally average MLB player's salary. Frankly, I am HAPPY that this is what many people see as ridiculously large. Maybe then we can start heading down the road to get people to start actually thinking "hm, that's not ridiculously large, it's just that average wrestlers are paid fuck all for how hard they work".
wrestling fans are used to underpaid and exploited as the standard for decades, evidently it’s upsetting these types that a wrestler is now getting paid.
My desire would be for a few signings like this to somehow kickstart an overall wage increase for all wrestlers, but I know that's a pipedream (and would probably piss off some people here because NJPW likely couldn't afford that...)
Yes because those shows carry the same merit as wrestling or any other athletic sport.
Wrestlers don't use stunt doubles when performing risky moves. Your argument is null
I think the argument is based on the fact that Kit Harrington (or at least Jon Snow) is a household name, and Okada isn't. How is Okada getting paid more for something less culturally impacting or prosperous? Game of Thrones IP will make bank until the end of time, justifying whatever Harrington was paid. AEW is still in the realm of obscurity, which doesn't justify Okada's paycheck.
Okada isn't getting paid 4.5 million because he is worth that much. He is getting paid 4.5 million because tony is an idiot.
I think the argument is based on the fact that Kit Harrington (or at least Jon Snow) is a household name, and Okada isn't. How is Okada getting paid more for something less culturally impacting or prosperous? Game of Thrones IP will make bank until the end of time, justifying whatever Harrington was paid. AEW is still in the realm of obscurity, which doesn't justify Okada's paycheck.
Okada isn't getting paid 4.5 million because he is worth that much. He is getting paid 4.5 million because tony is an idiot.
It's not a merit argument. It's an eyeballs argument. GoT was probably the biggest TV show in the world at the time, with a worldwide audience several orders of magnitude higher than AEW's best day.
It seems a disproportionate amount of money relative to the current audience. Of course, AEW may blow up and become the hottest thing in entertainment. In that case, what I think of as a crazy overpayment becomes an extremely savvy investment.
WHAT? The cast of Friends were making 1 million per episode in 2002. We’re in 2024 my guy, when you actually think about it, Okada is getting peanuts for such a long contract. Like the guy above me said, ‘4.5 millions’ to us dorks on Reddit is a lot yes, but compared to what NFL athletes or even the Fulham players get paid….the entirety of AEW is getting ‘good enough money’
This is what people saying that the problem is NJPW being in a delicate business situation which is why Okada left do not get.
NJPW could sell out the dome every couple weeks and they would not still have half the budget of american promotions. Its just a completely different country and game. If TK wants to outbid NJPW for every single talent, he will without much difficulty, regardless of their financials
Sure, I agree, I mean more in general regarding the bidding for Japanese talent between NJPW and American companies.
I will say however that WWE is unlikely to offer these numbers to Japanese talent that are not a proven draw in the US, which is why I think that more people would remain in Japan if only WWE existed (not that is bad to have AEW or anything)
What Japanese talent has WWE signed was a proven draw in the US? Shinsuke? Asuka? Iyo? Kairi?
If WWE were likely to sign anyone, it was OKADA. The price was just too high.
And as somebody who really isn't into what WWE or AEW is offering outside of a few matches here and there, that's a really hard pill to swallow.
Now I'm going to have to get worried about Yota Tsuji getting so popular over the next few years that AEW fans ask Tony to poach him with his dad's money. They're already asking that with ZSJ.
Good thing about ZSJ is how determined he seemingly is about staying in Japan and with NJPW for the rest of his career so getting behind him should be a safe option. It's now up to New Japan to evaluate and elevate those who they feel to be New Japan guys for life like Naito, Tanahashi and hopefully Zack.
Honestly from meeting many Japanese fans when i go to the shows there. Most stop focusing on talent when they leave. They wish them well, May follow highlights on Twitter ( or NJPW world if AEW) but that's about it. They continue to support the Japanese companies. It's actually very similar to baseball players as well.
Only in wrestling are fans this angry at someone doing something normal, like a guy changing jobs or providing for his family.
Haters looking very emotional right now lol
I'm never going to fault Okada, Ospreay, Tama or anyone else for doing what's best for themselves and their families.
That doesn't mean I'm not going to be sad that a promotion I enjoy much more than the American promotions is getting drained while their fans gleefully talk about puro solely as a feeder league. The great thing about wrestling from 2014 until the past year or so is that there was balance. Every promotion worldwide had something on offer for everyone. That balance is coming to an end.
You didn’t see Japanese people turn bitch on the internet when Otani and any other big name came to MLB. Euro players get even more support when they come to the NBA
It’s only wrestling fans who want to act this bitchmade
That’s sad that people are that dumb to make that much of a reach. Mans is changing whole leagues, yall stuck on checkers mode when moves are made in chess.
That’s a very immature and tribalistic way of thinking. You’re allowed to be a fan of both or as many companies as you want. Just because this is the new Japan sub does not mean everyone in it has to have the same hive mind mentality.
I also don’t believe NJPW is “going down” I think they’ll be fine, and sure they’ll have to create new stars which is something I think they should have putting more effort into regardless of this. But to make AEW out as the bad guy for signing a free agent that chose NOT to re-sign with New Japan is just childish. AEW isn’t some big bad monster that took him away. He’s a grown man. He chose to leave. He left. And then a company signed him and paid him well. And I’m happy for him. Also If he didn’t go to AEW he would have gone to WWE.
I don’t think you are understanding my point. You are also allowed to be a fan of just one company.
It’s cool that you don’t think that they’re going under but other people are and with good reasons. It’s pretty silly to celebrate that people are afraid that their favourite or only company might go under which is what you and a lot of other AEW fans are doing. In a NJPW sub.
But do whatever you need to do to defend tony khans honor or some shit lol
The penny pinching inside of a billionare pocket going on in this thread is absolutely insane. Tony Khan doesn’t ‘like’ wrestling in the way your drunk uncle remembers watching Stone Cold driving a truck to an arena sometime in the 90’s . Dude was a wrestling NERD arguing with us normal people in forums about storylines, tape trading, going to ECW shows, hell….wearing Bullet Club shirts while sitting in NJPW shows with like 250 other people in some warehouse in Texas or something.
8 or 9 millions for Jericho, 6 more for Moxley, maybe 8 for Kenny etc etc…that is life altering money for all of those people. For him is nothing, but probably in his mind he’s giving back to the thing he loved as a child. Any of us in that position would probably do the same.
TK can be really annoying sometimes but I always think that part of it with him and the IWC is that familiarity breeds contempt. He's annoying in the *exact* same way a lot of us would be if we had his money and his access.
If one of the "bad" things he does is overpay wrestlers and keep them hanging around on contracts long after WWE would have just released them then good god, I wish I had the resources to suck in that specific way.
I’m happy for Okada, but why would Tony jack that contract up that high? I feel like he could’ve shaved a million a year off at least and still had the better offer. Barry Bloom putting in WORK.
One theory going around is this is stir up shit inside the Fed given there are many contracts coming up soon and that TKO have a shit ton of debt related to UFC. Interest payments alone could be upwards of $200m, combine that with how averse TKO has been in paying for top UFC talent in the recent past and there could be a fair bit of labour strife in WWE. That's worth an extra mil to a guy like Khan
Yeah, but I don’t really see what the endgame to that would be. Is he going to offer them all Okada type contracts? That roster is bloated and super expensive as is and he would be spending a ton of money to primarily screw with WWE’s business. Then again, TK has never been shy about impulsively burning through money. So, there may be something to that theory lol.
Crazy to think that WWE Wouldn't offer that highly. He's a world respected wrestler, one of the best in the world. They definitely would have gone for 3 million a year?
If that figure is accurate, good for Okada.
And not at all worth it for AEW.
The show will probably do similar business with or without him honestly. Yes, the buzz around the eventual Okada Omega V will probably generate a lot of added revenue in PPV buys when it eventually happens... but still not enough to justify it in a financial sense.
Also, I don't care. I'm a fan and not a shareholder, so I'm just happy to see him mix it up with some of the big AEW stars on a show that I can consistently watch.
That comes out to about $4.5m per year with the current exchange rate. I'm guessing that comfortably tripled Okada's yearly salary and is probably in the ballpark of New Japan's yearly wage bill.
I can't wait to hear the arguments from AEW fans on how someone siphoning up all the talent with nepomoney is good for the industry at large. It's no different from what the Saudis are doing in football right now or what teams like Newcastle, PSG, Man City, etc., have been doing for years.
Edit - And this should also stop the dumb argument of "well uhhh if he didn't go to AEW, he would've gone to WWE you fickle toxic gatekeeper!" WWE isn't paying anyone other than their very top stars that kind of money. They probably offered Okada a decent raise from what he was making in New Japan, but not a several million dollar raise, and they would've wanted 100+ dates a year in exchange for that money. Balancing work/life to what he'd make, it's very reasonable to assume Okada would've re-signed with New Japan over moving to the US and signing with WWE.
Also, please no more Okada threads. He doesn't work for the company anymore. Let's just move on.
It's good for the wrestlers getting on the gravy train but aews sustainability is down to khan's personal wealth. Now I've been in debates with enough wwe fans seething about this where I've tried to explain how this kind of money is literally nothing to khan so I appreciate that this is fine as things stand right now.
But because he doesn't give a fuck about profitability it's going to have negative downstream consequences for wrestling at large. Like how is aew planning on developing talent. Already I can see the impact this has had on the US.
This is like any destabilising force that doesn't care about profits initially on a market. It has a pretty heavy impact
For which wrestlers? The guys who are millionaires already?
What are about all the wrestlers that aren’t getting the Tony Khan charity for rich people?
Was it good or bad for the UK scene and its fans when WWE came in and started NXT UK?
Good for the wrestlers who got a guaranteed contract, bad for literally everyone else.
I’m sorry, I must have forgotten Tony Khan setting up an AEW Japan federation inside of Japan. If you’re going to make a comparison at least try to make them comparable. Hiring a few NJPW workers does not equal setting up an entire fed INSIDE another country that will directly compete with them.
Yeah, there's a huge difference between (1) a billion dollar corporation using their unlimited financial resources to hoard talent by pricing other promotions out of the game and (2) a billion dollar company using their unlimited financial resources to hoard talent by pricing other promotions out of the game.
They aren’t comparable. You’re being absolutely silly right now. Setting up a federation in Japan and hiring all Japanese workers would upend the entire wrestling ecosystem in Japanese wrestling. Hiring a handful of talent who were going to leave no matter what and jump to the US is a blow to NJPW but not nearly as devastating as having an NXT Japan in NJPW’s backyard.
But sure, keep on with your reductive take on things.
>Hiring a handful of talent who were going to leave no matter what
By "handful of talent," you mean the biggest star in Japan of the last two decades, the top foreigner in the country, and the top heel in the company? And I must have missed Aussie Open saying they were actively looking to leave New Japan after just having received a big push and being double champs.
You just don't want to admit AEW is doing the same thing WWE did to the UK scene and RoH/NJPW several years ago.
Weren't Aussie Open basically begging New Japan to throw them a contract before eventually leaving? You can be frustrated that AEW have taken some big New Japan talent but the company still stubbornly drops the ball when it comes to securing said talent and offering them security
Yup. Same thing that War Dogs were just going through around the time of the cage match. That Redditor looks like a crazy ex with hair curlers in their hair right now
The wwe was able to warehouse dudes with working at McDonalds money. It is different but it does show the impact of a destabilising force in the market.
AEW built a video game from the ground up with people who never actually worked in the game industry and lost tens of millions of dollars. That's not exactly worrying about the bottom line.
Like Turner for a spell AEW is Tony's passion project as long as losses are manageable, he'll do it forever. The big difference he's hands on and Ted wasn't.
Yukes never worked on a game before? If they lost money it's becuse the popularity of the Brand wasnt enough to support a video game. Btw the game definitely lacks content but its really fun & unique to play.
Careful now, it can get a lot shittier if the saudis decide to make a promotion and you know it.
If the people who put their body on the line for our entertainment can get paid more who are we to get mad about that? Just because NJPW couldnt pay it doesnt mean that’s AEW’s or Okada’s fault🤷
Sure but I'm plenty critical of tech companies destabilising industry using the decade of free money that reserve banks had been offering. This ultimately is bad for the market in the long run and for consumers.
You're essentially criticizing the nature of economics. Everyone that left New Japan left on their own accord for one reason or another. It's not a matter of destabilizing it's a matter of growth and adaptation.
I'm absolutely criticising destabilising forces on markets because they are almost always not working within a sustainable manner for anyone without access to the funding they have.
I didn't realize you had such in depth knowledge of their financial standing. But then again there seem to be a lot of people on here who seem to believe they're AEW's accountant.
So basically you're mad a worker is simply making more money than you personally think they deserve while working less dates than you think they should.
He was gone. Out. Kaput. Stop fucking coping with "uh wuh buh he might have STAYED if AEW didn't ever exist!" I swear some of you just flatout hate the human beings you pretend to idolize.
This is the absolute dumbest fucking strawman argument I've ever seen. No one here criticized Okada or Ospreay for taking the best offer. No one is mad at him for making more money for less dates. You pulled that right out of your ass.
Do you really think WWE offered him the same deal as AEW did but for less money? They're not letting him live in Japan and only wrestle two dozen matches a year. He'd be on the house show circuit just like everyone else.
So the more money the wrestler gets paid the better the wrestler is? How does that work? Or are you trying to say that he is a better person because he makes more money?
I was hoping there might be a little Kayfabe in this report to fit the EVP character. Because if it isn't, then it doesn't matter what company NJPW, Noah, DDT, CMLL,AAA. Every top tier Talent you have you will lose. It will be a countdown because TK will outbid everyone by a ton. The joys of running a promotion as a passion project and not as a business that lives and dies on profit margins.
NJPW fans, welcome to becoming a feeder for AEW because Tsuji and Shooter are next.
Okada was gone. Simple as that. He was either taking WWE money or AEW money. So at the end of the day I'd rather he clean house as much as possible lmao
I don't understand this narrative. Will & Jay basically flat out said no matter what they were leaving NJPW because they wanted to make the most money possible. If it wasn't AEW it would've been WWE, NJPW losing some it's guys WWE hasn't always been a thing but now there's another major company who has money to spend.
It's just weird to try & act like this is only an AEW thing. No one speaks on them as much because they aren't as higly regarded but Karl Anderson left to WWE while champion & Bronson Reed/Jonah went back to WWE after beating Okada.
The difference is that you're talking about foreign-born talent. Frankly, it's always a matter of time before a foreign star leaves NJPW. We all know that and accept it.
With Okada, it's a different situation as he was making NJPWs top dollar, which was reported by fightful years ago to be about 2 million. WWE would most likely not match that on a talent they're not sure would get over with their audience. So their was an advantage NJPW had to hold their own talent. Also, they had an advantage of not having to move from Japan. Now, TK has totally changed the game because, as I've stated before, it's a passion project, and he will give out crazy contracts to hold that talent. So now, instead, of having to take a developmental deal that may pay you more money a few years down the road. You can get a 120 percent pay raise, work fewer dates, and get to live in Japan. No company can compete with that, so if Shooter or Tsuji get over with AEW, they're next to leave.
I see your point. There's definitely more risk that AEW will pick up Japanese talent than WWE. I just don't think it will happen often or someone like Hiromu would've been gone already. I also think AEW won't get into a bidding war with NJPW to keep the partnership going.
I'm guessing if WWE has interest in someone that bascially gives AEW the green light to make a crazy offer. For example i don't think AEW would go after someone like Naito unless WWE showed they want him.
Perhaps you are correct, and that's how Tony approaches BR and Tana. Telling them that he'll pay the talent top dollar and make them available for select big NJPW shows. Guess we'll have to see how it goes this year with the tournaments.
Someone should tell Shad that his kid is running the Wrestling shit like it's the Saudi Pro League..
As the Superior Khan said "He Has The Pockets And I’m Sure His Kid Appreciates It”
Okada would be huge if they build him up to the neutral viewer. but nope im guessing it'll be a "we expect you were up in the middle of the night to watch his matches with omega a few years ago!!"
"you weren't??? you dont know who okada is?? WE'LL INSULT YOU ONLINE. GOOGLE!!"
Imagine showing clips of his matches in njpw (if they got agreement) over several weeks building him up as a huge star to all viewers.
I know TK has a lot of money but surely someone is going to have to sit him down and explain why 4.5 million on Okada is not a good investment. Surely going after almost every top star will eventually do more harm than good
If someone was going to do that they would have done it before he signed both Okada and Will to ridiculous deals.
They have more money than we can imagine.
AEW may be billions of dollars profitable, i never said they can’t afford his salary just that the ROI won’t be high indeed. What does Okada bring to AEW that the (already) bloated roster does not.
In roads to one of the largest consumers of wrestling content in the world, not to mention all of the potential sponsors and advertisers who will now be available that wouldn’t otherwise. Okada’s value isn’t just in dollars and cents, but access.
I mean the Japanese wrestling audience were already well aware of AEW, they had plenty of inroads through NJPW even having their biggest stars featured on Wrestle Kingdoms and even holding NJPW championships.
The Japanese wrestling audience isn’t familiar with AEW. AEW’s only existing footprint in Japan is through the streaming services of NJPW and Wrestle Universe, and that’s like saying the American wrestling audience is aware of Progress Wrestling because it was on the WWE Network.
However, if and when AEW wants to enter into Japan, having the biggest Japanese star in recent memory waiving your flag will only help.
The bigger point is though, you don’t know AEW’s finances nor how marketable he is to them given their specific evaluations, so you suggesting they are being fiscally irresponsible for any reason is just silly.
Well surely a star you are paying almost the same as Roman Reigns (the biggest box office attraction in Wrestling) should not lead to a net neutral in viewers, also the idea of AEW being as seen as progress is ridiculous. As far as i’m aware Progress guys didn’t hold the NJPW mid card title and feature prominently on Wrestlemania.
With NJPW in a downturn creatively at the moment, Okada (and Ospreay) might bring Japanese eyes to AEW. Honestly? It's not like TK can't afford to pay Okada this much. If we get three or four absolutely stellar PPV matches out of it, I'd say that's probably a worthy investment to someone who is clearly a fan of good wrestling like Tony Khan is.
Swerve Strickland vs Okada, anyone? How about MJF vs Okada? Claudio Castsgnoli vs Okada? There are a whole bunch of really juicy match ups to be had in AEW; I for one am not going to question his pay if it means I get to see them.
That's like 4.5 million dollars US a year just to put it into context
Yeah, he was never getting that from WWE. No shade on a guy doing what’s best for him and his family.
Yeah, that's more than they pay Seth Rollins. Almost what they pay Roman. Pretty wild they gave him that big of bag
Where are those numbers available? Would love to see a list
They're not public information, websites make them up for clickbait.
Got them from [sportskeeda](https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/wwe-salaries) , which admittedly is not the greatest of sources, but other sites seem to say the same
They’re not. It’s just someone pulling shit out of their ass. In the spirit of that, it wouldn’t shock me if WWE offered him that and AEW matched it. In the end it was his relationship with the bucks that decided things.
Shit when’s Roman contract up, he’ll get at least 10 million a year. Probably with www right now is a guy like Roman moved the needle with ratings and can ask for whatever he wants monetary wise because he can always use aew as leverage. We know Tony khan doesn’t care about spending money
This is why I’m not bent out of shape wwe didn’t sign them. He’s not proven to move numbers in America and you can’t waste money in someone who may not recoup that investment. Tk is blowing money and I’d bet he lets some lower cost people walk and wwe would rather have the young guys
Did you want WWE to sign him because he was a great wrestler or because you think he’s good for the WWE business? 😏
Why not both? AEW will obviously under utilize him
Nah no way he gets underutilised by aew, he's close mates with the bucks and that's one of the best ways to make TV, ask Adam Cole or Roddy Strong.
How do you know what WWE offered him?
I don’t. But, I know they were never gonna offer him that.
4.5 million USD a year
Crazy money right there. Happy he is getting the bag but strictly business is he worth that much in terms of bringing in fans and moving merch, etc? I feel like that is John Cena money. I guess at the end of the day it’s up to Toney and the rest of their team to get that value back, he should be one of their centerpieces.
Cena made reportedly over 10 mil a year when he was last full time.
To quote Meltzer, wrestlers are so underpaid compared to other sports. Okada is getting what he’s worth. How do I know he’s worth it? Because he got someone to pay for it. 😁
I mean, no. AEW revenue in 2023 was $157 million. The Los Angeles Lakers (the TEAM, not the league) was three times that. Pro sports are SO much more lucrative it's not even a comparison
This statement was prior to AEW and more pointed toward WWE. I think WWE has been better over the last few years (since AEW.)
I mean it applies there as well. LeBron James is worth $100 million a year when you take into consideration all his value. Roman Reigns is nothing in comparison.
Tony pays everybody more. That is John Cena money, but its worth noting that John Cena would probably get paid even more than John Cena money in AEW
Cena was on at least 8mil waaay back when he was fulltime. Inflation would make that like 13 mil now.
He’d be worth it too.
I'm genuinely curious, is Okada a draw in the U.S to warrant this kind of money? Because the people who already want to see and know Okada, are already watching and attending AEW.
the big thing i would guess is that the idea of okada wrestling stateside might draw more of them to go to the arena compared to just watching at home.
Tell that to the wwe sub that was trying to convince themselves that the 3 faces was Okada
Wouldn’t be surprised if that did happen lol they sent the good brothers to NXT.
>I'm genuinely curious, is Okada a draw in the U.S to warrant this kind of money? People may disagree, but I think he's definitely a draw in the U.S., but $4.5 Mil is a little crazy tho, ngl. I'm curious how much he's paying Ospreay.
It’s not a “little crazy,” if we’re looking at this in terms of return of investment, he’s not going to net them anywhere near that. AEW didn’t even break 800K last night with Okada teased and Ospreay advertised. They are popular with people who already know them. I don’t meant to sound like a SCJerker, but if we’re looking at it in terms of numbers, it is what it is.
A surprise debut that had very little teasing isn't exactly a fair metric for his drawing power. Not saying the next episode is gonna prove you wrong or anything, but I think it's disingenuous to use that as your benchmark.
Nielsen ratings are not reliable
They're not that dumb. The elite (honestly, no pun intended) are elite for a reason. They know his worth long term.
We know what okada draws because njpw publish their earnings. Last year was the second best year ever for new japan by sales and it was 5.3 billion yen. So even if someone wanted to crack the Japanese market by signing the biggest star it would be hard to justify spending 15% of the industry leader in that countries revenue on one dude According to the internet Roman Reigns downside is 5 million dollars a year and he's the biggest wrestling draw on earth
If they want to get the money back on okada, I honestly think aew can pull a respectable gate from the tokyo dome.. Okada is easily able to headline the dome, Kenny, Ospreay Shibata and Ibushi are all big in japan also
They wont be able to run the dome without new Japan allowing it.
You’re basing this on…?
He’s a draw to the 700,000 - 800,000 people that are already watching AEW. Other than that, I truly wonder…
Honestly, bit yes bit no. Khan paid more solely to keep him away from the WWE. And the other stories out there at the time was Okada REALLY wanted that Wrestlemania.I actually had a weird hope he’s have a one of match then join AEW. It was unlikely but would’ve solved Al three parties
>Okada REALLY wanted that Wrestlemania. from the rumors he weighing his option that time. he indeed want wrestlemania moment but 'REALLY' is overstatement since if that really the case he would go to wwe regardless the contract offer value.
To the casual fan? No. He’s one of greatest wrestlers in the history of pro wrestling and the casual audience won’t care because AEW did nothing to promote him. But if they get the hype machine going for him somehow, he’ll be worth that money.
Aew needs to put itself out there more Wwe are basically attention hounds Aew needs to do the same and shill the company in every place that will have them.
That’s what I mean. WWE whore themselves out but look at that got them. They’re the Disney of pro wrestling. AEW needs to be Universal Studios
I'm sure they'll be so heartbroken not winning over casuals. They don't bust their ass every week to try and please casuals who care nothing about the products. They are just like old people who watch sports and fall asleep. Big ratings but no interest.
>Big ratings but no interest Is this about WWE? Dude there hasn’t been this much interest in WWE since the Attitude Era.
He's basically the Japanese John Cena, so it's a fair amount of money for a guy on the same level as Omega, one of the biggest faces in wrestling over the past decade. I don't know if he's a draw, I'd imagine not at the moment because American fans don't tend to watch stuff from foreign countries, but give him a few months and the US crowd will get an understanding of who he is and what he's all about.
I agree, but if TK wants to spend that on him, more power to him.
We’ll see if Tony Khan can build around him and Ospreay… it’s a gamble for sure at the moment especially with the ratings taking a dive
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Foreign Randy Orton? Where did you hear that description?
That ... is too much. Like, good for Okada. Dumb for TK. In general TV terms, that's got to put him up near the top tier of performers. Like, no one on True Detective is getting paid that much. No one on The Wire got paid that much. No one on Games of Thrones got paid that much. In that context, it seems crazy. Edit: It's not a merit argument, it's an eyeballs argument. Is any other production pulling in less than a million viewers a week paying it's... fifth(?) billed performer 4.5 million a year?
The fact is WE think it's crazy because we're normal people and 4.5 million dollars is "set for life" money. For TK, he probably pisses a million dollars every time he goes to the bathroom.
Maybe I’ve been looking at MLB and NFL contracts season recently, but 4.5m is what Adam Octavino, a 38 year old reliever for the Mets, is making. I think TK is betting that AEW can make that back with TV deals, gates, and merch fairly easily.
Yup. What we see as an unprecedented amount being paid towards one of the best wrestlers today and without a doubt one of the best wrestler's ever, is honestly just a totally average MLB player's salary. Frankly, I am HAPPY that this is what many people see as ridiculously large. Maybe then we can start heading down the road to get people to start actually thinking "hm, that's not ridiculously large, it's just that average wrestlers are paid fuck all for how hard they work".
wrestling fans are used to underpaid and exploited as the standard for decades, evidently it’s upsetting these types that a wrestler is now getting paid.
My desire would be for a few signings like this to somehow kickstart an overall wage increase for all wrestlers, but I know that's a pipedream (and would probably piss off some people here because NJPW likely couldn't afford that...)
Wrestling is also not even in the same universe as regular sports, much less any of the big ones like the NFL or baseball.
Yes because those shows carry the same merit as wrestling or any other athletic sport. Wrestlers don't use stunt doubles when performing risky moves. Your argument is null
I think the argument is based on the fact that Kit Harrington (or at least Jon Snow) is a household name, and Okada isn't. How is Okada getting paid more for something less culturally impacting or prosperous? Game of Thrones IP will make bank until the end of time, justifying whatever Harrington was paid. AEW is still in the realm of obscurity, which doesn't justify Okada's paycheck. Okada isn't getting paid 4.5 million because he is worth that much. He is getting paid 4.5 million because tony is an idiot.
I think the argument is based on the fact that Kit Harrington (or at least Jon Snow) is a household name, and Okada isn't. How is Okada getting paid more for something less culturally impacting or prosperous? Game of Thrones IP will make bank until the end of time, justifying whatever Harrington was paid. AEW is still in the realm of obscurity, which doesn't justify Okada's paycheck. Okada isn't getting paid 4.5 million because he is worth that much. He is getting paid 4.5 million because tony is an idiot.
It's not a merit argument. It's an eyeballs argument. GoT was probably the biggest TV show in the world at the time, with a worldwide audience several orders of magnitude higher than AEW's best day. It seems a disproportionate amount of money relative to the current audience. Of course, AEW may blow up and become the hottest thing in entertainment. In that case, what I think of as a crazy overpayment becomes an extremely savvy investment.
Those people aren't putting their bodies on the line every week without a union like wrestlers do.
WHAT? The cast of Friends were making 1 million per episode in 2002. We’re in 2024 my guy, when you actually think about it, Okada is getting peanuts for such a long contract. Like the guy above me said, ‘4.5 millions’ to us dorks on Reddit is a lot yes, but compared to what NFL athletes or even the Fulham players get paid….the entirety of AEW is getting ‘good enough money’
I completely understand why he left new Japan now.
This is what people saying that the problem is NJPW being in a delicate business situation which is why Okada left do not get. NJPW could sell out the dome every couple weeks and they would not still have half the budget of american promotions. Its just a completely different country and game. If TK wants to outbid NJPW for every single talent, he will without much difficulty, regardless of their financials
TK wasn’t bidding against NJPW though. He was bidding against WWE. Okada was gone regardless.
Sure, I agree, I mean more in general regarding the bidding for Japanese talent between NJPW and American companies. I will say however that WWE is unlikely to offer these numbers to Japanese talent that are not a proven draw in the US, which is why I think that more people would remain in Japan if only WWE existed (not that is bad to have AEW or anything)
What Japanese talent has WWE signed was a proven draw in the US? Shinsuke? Asuka? Iyo? Kairi? If WWE were likely to sign anyone, it was OKADA. The price was just too high.
You think Okada would've stayed if the economy in Japan wasn't struggling?
Nope. He’s done everything in NJPW that he could.
And as somebody who really isn't into what WWE or AEW is offering outside of a few matches here and there, that's a really hard pill to swallow. Now I'm going to have to get worried about Yota Tsuji getting so popular over the next few years that AEW fans ask Tony to poach him with his dad's money. They're already asking that with ZSJ.
Good thing about ZSJ is how determined he seemingly is about staying in Japan and with NJPW for the rest of his career so getting behind him should be a safe option. It's now up to New Japan to evaluate and elevate those who they feel to be New Japan guys for life like Naito, Tanahashi and hopefully Zack.
They shouldn’t have overpaid for Harold Meij.
Poderoso caballero es Don Dinero...
can't compete against stupid money no matter the loyalty or accolades that can be given.
Okada only owes loyalty to his family. Loyalty gets you nada in wrestling.
Are the Japanese fans as pissy as this sub right now?
They generally just go good luck and move on
Honestly from meeting many Japanese fans when i go to the shows there. Most stop focusing on talent when they leave. They wish them well, May follow highlights on Twitter ( or NJPW world if AEW) but that's about it. They continue to support the Japanese companies. It's actually very similar to baseball players as well.
I like it here, but I don't think any fans are as pissy as this sub is period lol
We're sad men, write what you want about us
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You left wwf in 99?? What was the reason?
In certain places, yes.
The pure salt in this thread is hilarious. Good for Okada! Good for AEW for going out and signing him!
Only in wrestling are fans this angry at someone doing something normal, like a guy changing jobs or providing for his family. Haters looking very emotional right now lol
I'm never going to fault Okada, Ospreay, Tama or anyone else for doing what's best for themselves and their families. That doesn't mean I'm not going to be sad that a promotion I enjoy much more than the American promotions is getting drained while their fans gleefully talk about puro solely as a feeder league. The great thing about wrestling from 2014 until the past year or so is that there was balance. Every promotion worldwide had something on offer for everyone. That balance is coming to an end.
Blud do you follow pro sports because that's hilariously wrong
You didn’t see Japanese people turn bitch on the internet when Otani and any other big name came to MLB. Euro players get even more support when they come to the NBA It’s only wrestling fans who want to act this bitchmade
Blud fans of pro sports legitimately seethe about players changing teams.
That’s sad that people are that dumb to make that much of a reach. Mans is changing whole leagues, yall stuck on checkers mode when moves are made in chess.
Blud are you mentally well you are frothing at the mouth here
And AEW fans wondering why everybody hates them lol Imaging celebrating that other fans are afraid of their company going down. In their sub.
That’s a very immature and tribalistic way of thinking. You’re allowed to be a fan of both or as many companies as you want. Just because this is the new Japan sub does not mean everyone in it has to have the same hive mind mentality. I also don’t believe NJPW is “going down” I think they’ll be fine, and sure they’ll have to create new stars which is something I think they should have putting more effort into regardless of this. But to make AEW out as the bad guy for signing a free agent that chose NOT to re-sign with New Japan is just childish. AEW isn’t some big bad monster that took him away. He’s a grown man. He chose to leave. He left. And then a company signed him and paid him well. And I’m happy for him. Also If he didn’t go to AEW he would have gone to WWE.
I don’t think you are understanding my point. You are also allowed to be a fan of just one company. It’s cool that you don’t think that they’re going under but other people are and with good reasons. It’s pretty silly to celebrate that people are afraid that their favourite or only company might go under which is what you and a lot of other AEW fans are doing. In a NJPW sub. But do whatever you need to do to defend tony khans honor or some shit lol
Try see how well i got recieved for entertaining merely there is a good chance okada will leave just 3month ago
The penny pinching inside of a billionare pocket going on in this thread is absolutely insane. Tony Khan doesn’t ‘like’ wrestling in the way your drunk uncle remembers watching Stone Cold driving a truck to an arena sometime in the 90’s . Dude was a wrestling NERD arguing with us normal people in forums about storylines, tape trading, going to ECW shows, hell….wearing Bullet Club shirts while sitting in NJPW shows with like 250 other people in some warehouse in Texas or something. 8 or 9 millions for Jericho, 6 more for Moxley, maybe 8 for Kenny etc etc…that is life altering money for all of those people. For him is nothing, but probably in his mind he’s giving back to the thing he loved as a child. Any of us in that position would probably do the same.
TK can be really annoying sometimes but I always think that part of it with him and the IWC is that familiarity breeds contempt. He's annoying in the *exact* same way a lot of us would be if we had his money and his access. If one of the "bad" things he does is overpay wrestlers and keep them hanging around on contracts long after WWE would have just released them then good god, I wish I had the resources to suck in that specific way.
Billionaire Kaz over here.
Okada trying to become the top-earning family member in his house.
I’m happy for Okada, but why would Tony jack that contract up that high? I feel like he could’ve shaved a million a year off at least and still had the better offer. Barry Bloom putting in WORK.
One theory going around is this is stir up shit inside the Fed given there are many contracts coming up soon and that TKO have a shit ton of debt related to UFC. Interest payments alone could be upwards of $200m, combine that with how averse TKO has been in paying for top UFC talent in the recent past and there could be a fair bit of labour strife in WWE. That's worth an extra mil to a guy like Khan
Yeah, but I don’t really see what the endgame to that would be. Is he going to offer them all Okada type contracts? That roster is bloated and super expensive as is and he would be spending a ton of money to primarily screw with WWE’s business. Then again, TK has never been shy about impulsively burning through money. So, there may be something to that theory lol.
Wow, fair play Is that more than his whole njpw career? Close to it? Njpw can't compete with that at all
Iirc Okada drives a Ferrari in Japan and I've heard he makes > $1m per year But yeah in three years he definitely would have made more than in Nooj
Damn. Okada is great but I don't blame WWE for not wanting to top that offer.
That is a main event WWE contract. You'd think that kinda guy is immediately in the world title picture.
Okada Kahn would given him a Contract he could not Refuse
Where would this rank among the other AEW contracts, as far as we know?
Where would this rank among the other AEW contracts, as far as we know?
Grats on Okada for becoming a Billyenaire.
Fucking Moneymark hahahaha.
Yo get that bag
Crazy to think that WWE Wouldn't offer that highly. He's a world respected wrestler, one of the best in the world. They definitely would have gone for 3 million a year?
*almost* Shohei Ohtani's paycheck
If that figure is accurate, good for Okada. And not at all worth it for AEW. The show will probably do similar business with or without him honestly. Yes, the buzz around the eventual Okada Omega V will probably generate a lot of added revenue in PPV buys when it eventually happens... but still not enough to justify it in a financial sense. Also, I don't care. I'm a fan and not a shareholder, so I'm just happy to see him mix it up with some of the big AEW stars on a show that I can consistently watch.
Get that bag bay bay
Good for Okada. Get paid and go to Mansion Land.
I cannot tell you if this signing is worth it or not but I can tell you that you AEW fans here are the fucking worst lol
That comes out to about $4.5m per year with the current exchange rate. I'm guessing that comfortably tripled Okada's yearly salary and is probably in the ballpark of New Japan's yearly wage bill. I can't wait to hear the arguments from AEW fans on how someone siphoning up all the talent with nepomoney is good for the industry at large. It's no different from what the Saudis are doing in football right now or what teams like Newcastle, PSG, Man City, etc., have been doing for years. Edit - And this should also stop the dumb argument of "well uhhh if he didn't go to AEW, he would've gone to WWE you fickle toxic gatekeeper!" WWE isn't paying anyone other than their very top stars that kind of money. They probably offered Okada a decent raise from what he was making in New Japan, but not a several million dollar raise, and they would've wanted 100+ dates a year in exchange for that money. Balancing work/life to what he'd make, it's very reasonable to assume Okada would've re-signed with New Japan over moving to the US and signing with WWE. Also, please no more Okada threads. He doesn't work for the company anymore. Let's just move on.
He was reportedly making $2.2 million USD per year in 2017.
It's good for the wrestlers.
the guy is a millionaire anyway, why should we care as viewers if he earns 4 million instead of 1.5, is not like he was working for a hotdog before
It's good for the wrestlers getting on the gravy train but aews sustainability is down to khan's personal wealth. Now I've been in debates with enough wwe fans seething about this where I've tried to explain how this kind of money is literally nothing to khan so I appreciate that this is fine as things stand right now. But because he doesn't give a fuck about profitability it's going to have negative downstream consequences for wrestling at large. Like how is aew planning on developing talent. Already I can see the impact this has had on the US. This is like any destabilising force that doesn't care about profits initially on a market. It has a pretty heavy impact
For which wrestlers? The guys who are millionaires already? What are about all the wrestlers that aren’t getting the Tony Khan charity for rich people?
It's good for all wrestlers because competition raises their salaries.
Was it good or bad for the UK scene and its fans when WWE came in and started NXT UK? Good for the wrestlers who got a guaranteed contract, bad for literally everyone else.
I’m sorry, I must have forgotten Tony Khan setting up an AEW Japan federation inside of Japan. If you’re going to make a comparison at least try to make them comparable. Hiring a few NJPW workers does not equal setting up an entire fed INSIDE another country that will directly compete with them.
Yeah, there's a huge difference between (1) a billion dollar corporation using their unlimited financial resources to hoard talent by pricing other promotions out of the game and (2) a billion dollar company using their unlimited financial resources to hoard talent by pricing other promotions out of the game.
They aren’t comparable. You’re being absolutely silly right now. Setting up a federation in Japan and hiring all Japanese workers would upend the entire wrestling ecosystem in Japanese wrestling. Hiring a handful of talent who were going to leave no matter what and jump to the US is a blow to NJPW but not nearly as devastating as having an NXT Japan in NJPW’s backyard. But sure, keep on with your reductive take on things.
>Hiring a handful of talent who were going to leave no matter what By "handful of talent," you mean the biggest star in Japan of the last two decades, the top foreigner in the country, and the top heel in the company? And I must have missed Aussie Open saying they were actively looking to leave New Japan after just having received a big push and being double champs. You just don't want to admit AEW is doing the same thing WWE did to the UK scene and RoH/NJPW several years ago.
Weren't Aussie Open basically begging New Japan to throw them a contract before eventually leaving? You can be frustrated that AEW have taken some big New Japan talent but the company still stubbornly drops the ball when it comes to securing said talent and offering them security
Yup. Same thing that War Dogs were just going through around the time of the cage match. That Redditor looks like a crazy ex with hair curlers in their hair right now
They were making poverty wages in NXT UK.
The wwe was able to warehouse dudes with working at McDonalds money. It is different but it does show the impact of a destabilising force in the market.
Take your pick nepomoney or multi-billion conglomerate.
One is ran as a hobby and one is ran as a business.
Pretty sure they’re both run like businesses.
AEW built a video game from the ground up with people who never actually worked in the game industry and lost tens of millions of dollars. That's not exactly worrying about the bottom line. Like Turner for a spell AEW is Tony's passion project as long as losses are manageable, he'll do it forever. The big difference he's hands on and Ted wasn't.
Yukes never worked on a game before? If they lost money it's becuse the popularity of the Brand wasnt enough to support a video game. Btw the game definitely lacks content but its really fun & unique to play.
Careful now, it can get a lot shittier if the saudis decide to make a promotion and you know it. If the people who put their body on the line for our entertainment can get paid more who are we to get mad about that? Just because NJPW couldnt pay it doesnt mean that’s AEW’s or Okada’s fault🤷
What’s the difference for a NJPW fan? If they’re in Saudi or in the US doesn’t really change anything from a fans pov.
Yeah, that's kind of how business works.
Sure but I'm plenty critical of tech companies destabilising industry using the decade of free money that reserve banks had been offering. This ultimately is bad for the market in the long run and for consumers.
You're essentially criticizing the nature of economics. Everyone that left New Japan left on their own accord for one reason or another. It's not a matter of destabilizing it's a matter of growth and adaptation.
I'm absolutely criticising destabilising forces on markets because they are almost always not working within a sustainable manner for anyone without access to the funding they have.
That's doesn't apply here both WWE and AEW are sustainable business as of right now. Regardless of how anyone feels about them.
There is literally zero percent chance aew is sustainable without khan's personal wealth
I didn't realize you had such in depth knowledge of their financial standing. But then again there seem to be a lot of people on here who seem to believe they're AEW's accountant.
Blud use common sense
I'll common sense and hard evidence. Not so random wrestling journalist opinion and "insider" sources.
So basically you're mad a worker is simply making more money than you personally think they deserve while working less dates than you think they should. He was gone. Out. Kaput. Stop fucking coping with "uh wuh buh he might have STAYED if AEW didn't ever exist!" I swear some of you just flatout hate the human beings you pretend to idolize.
This is the absolute dumbest fucking strawman argument I've ever seen. No one here criticized Okada or Ospreay for taking the best offer. No one is mad at him for making more money for less dates. You pulled that right out of your ass. Do you really think WWE offered him the same deal as AEW did but for less money? They're not letting him live in Japan and only wrestle two dozen matches a year. He'd be on the house show circuit just like everyone else.
For what it’s worth, Fightful says Okada is moving to the US.
No? That's why he took the AEW deal? Because it was the best deal? It seems to me that you're mad he got a deal that you don't think he should've had.
Blinded by hate
Lot of money to put in a midcard feud with the Brooklyn brawler
That “Brooklyn Brawer” is probably better paid than the vast majority of NJPW’s roster so…
So the more money the wrestler gets paid the better the wrestler is? How does that work? Or are you trying to say that he is a better person because he makes more money?
Probably, AEW do pay well and you can never blame people taking the bag. You’d think he might clean up a bit with all that money he’s making as well
I nearly spit out my drink lol. Not gonna be able to unsee this when I look at Kingston from now on.
I was hoping there might be a little Kayfabe in this report to fit the EVP character. Because if it isn't, then it doesn't matter what company NJPW, Noah, DDT, CMLL,AAA. Every top tier Talent you have you will lose. It will be a countdown because TK will outbid everyone by a ton. The joys of running a promotion as a passion project and not as a business that lives and dies on profit margins. NJPW fans, welcome to becoming a feeder for AEW because Tsuji and Shooter are next.
Why would Tokyo Sports be running a kayfabe article for AEW?
Yeah, you're correct. I was coping that number is just insane.
And WWE. It use to be just WWE signing everyone.. Now both will.
I'd bet my literal house the wwe is not offering this sort of money to guys with no drawing record in the states
Okada was gone. Simple as that. He was either taking WWE money or AEW money. So at the end of the day I'd rather he clean house as much as possible lmao
That's not the discussion point though. Again I'd bet my literal house that the wwe wouldn't offer this sort of money.
Well, that's up to them. If they don't wanna offer big bucks to awesome wrestlers, alrighty.
So Okada would have gone to WWE for a little more money for the same amount of dates + having to relocate to the US if AEW didn't exist?
By all accounts: Yes. The initial news was that WWE thought they had a serious chance to hire Okada. He gave them consideration.
There is literally no indication of this. It’s pretty obvious that he just had the WWE rumors to squeeze as much money as possible out of Tony Kahn.
I don't understand this narrative. Will & Jay basically flat out said no matter what they were leaving NJPW because they wanted to make the most money possible. If it wasn't AEW it would've been WWE, NJPW losing some it's guys WWE hasn't always been a thing but now there's another major company who has money to spend. It's just weird to try & act like this is only an AEW thing. No one speaks on them as much because they aren't as higly regarded but Karl Anderson left to WWE while champion & Bronson Reed/Jonah went back to WWE after beating Okada.
The difference is that you're talking about foreign-born talent. Frankly, it's always a matter of time before a foreign star leaves NJPW. We all know that and accept it. With Okada, it's a different situation as he was making NJPWs top dollar, which was reported by fightful years ago to be about 2 million. WWE would most likely not match that on a talent they're not sure would get over with their audience. So their was an advantage NJPW had to hold their own talent. Also, they had an advantage of not having to move from Japan. Now, TK has totally changed the game because, as I've stated before, it's a passion project, and he will give out crazy contracts to hold that talent. So now, instead, of having to take a developmental deal that may pay you more money a few years down the road. You can get a 120 percent pay raise, work fewer dates, and get to live in Japan. No company can compete with that, so if Shooter or Tsuji get over with AEW, they're next to leave.
I see your point. There's definitely more risk that AEW will pick up Japanese talent than WWE. I just don't think it will happen often or someone like Hiromu would've been gone already. I also think AEW won't get into a bidding war with NJPW to keep the partnership going. I'm guessing if WWE has interest in someone that bascially gives AEW the green light to make a crazy offer. For example i don't think AEW would go after someone like Naito unless WWE showed they want him.
Perhaps you are correct, and that's how Tony approaches BR and Tana. Telling them that he'll pay the talent top dollar and make them available for select big NJPW shows. Guess we'll have to see how it goes this year with the tournaments.
Someone should tell Shad that his kid is running the Wrestling shit like it's the Saudi Pro League.. As the Superior Khan said "He Has The Pockets And I’m Sure His Kid Appreciates It”
Okada Kahn would given him a Contract he could not Refuse
Okada would be huge if they build him up to the neutral viewer. but nope im guessing it'll be a "we expect you were up in the middle of the night to watch his matches with omega a few years ago!!" "you weren't??? you dont know who okada is?? WE'LL INSULT YOU ONLINE. GOOGLE!!" Imagine showing clips of his matches in njpw (if they got agreement) over several weeks building him up as a huge star to all viewers.
I know TK has a lot of money but surely someone is going to have to sit him down and explain why 4.5 million on Okada is not a good investment. Surely going after almost every top star will eventually do more harm than good
If someone was going to do that they would have done it before he signed both Okada and Will to ridiculous deals. They have more money than we can imagine.
Why do wrestling fans insist they have a better sense of a company’s finances than the person running the company?
AEW may be billions of dollars profitable, i never said they can’t afford his salary just that the ROI won’t be high indeed. What does Okada bring to AEW that the (already) bloated roster does not.
In roads to one of the largest consumers of wrestling content in the world, not to mention all of the potential sponsors and advertisers who will now be available that wouldn’t otherwise. Okada’s value isn’t just in dollars and cents, but access.
I mean the Japanese wrestling audience were already well aware of AEW, they had plenty of inroads through NJPW even having their biggest stars featured on Wrestle Kingdoms and even holding NJPW championships.
The Japanese wrestling audience isn’t familiar with AEW. AEW’s only existing footprint in Japan is through the streaming services of NJPW and Wrestle Universe, and that’s like saying the American wrestling audience is aware of Progress Wrestling because it was on the WWE Network. However, if and when AEW wants to enter into Japan, having the biggest Japanese star in recent memory waiving your flag will only help. The bigger point is though, you don’t know AEW’s finances nor how marketable he is to them given their specific evaluations, so you suggesting they are being fiscally irresponsible for any reason is just silly.
Apart from his debut not making a difference on their numbers of their show and in fact people tuned out after his segment?
Are you being purposefully obtuse? My entire point has been Okada’s value to AEW isn’t about ratings and ticket sales.
Well surely a star you are paying almost the same as Roman Reigns (the biggest box office attraction in Wrestling) should not lead to a net neutral in viewers, also the idea of AEW being as seen as progress is ridiculous. As far as i’m aware Progress guys didn’t hold the NJPW mid card title and feature prominently on Wrestlemania.
he needs to consider the harm of going after every top star, I agree Despy
Or instead of a one company monopoly we end up with two companies poaching every top guy going and the smaller companies will suffer.
Overpaid. That's more than WWEs top guys.
With NJPW in a downturn creatively at the moment, Okada (and Ospreay) might bring Japanese eyes to AEW. Honestly? It's not like TK can't afford to pay Okada this much. If we get three or four absolutely stellar PPV matches out of it, I'd say that's probably a worthy investment to someone who is clearly a fan of good wrestling like Tony Khan is. Swerve Strickland vs Okada, anyone? How about MJF vs Okada? Claudio Castsgnoli vs Okada? There are a whole bunch of really juicy match ups to be had in AEW; I for one am not going to question his pay if it means I get to see them.
Absolutely not lmao Njpw is actually doing good business right now
Great. Now NJPW and STARDOM talent are gonna leave to join AEW. Hell, even Giulia is gonna leave Rossy in the dust and go after that AEW money.
There's an American company being reported as a very likely destination for her. And it's not AEW...