10 Huge Mistakes WWE Have Made With The WWE Network
4. Zero Hour Contracts
Amongst the litany of reasons why CM Punk walked out of WWE in January 2014 was an unanswered question about how wrestlers will be reimbursed for their work on 'Network specials' in comparison to the percentage fee previously creamed from pay-per-views.
It was a salient point worthy of response then, and remains something of a mystery now as buyrates continue to diminish, nearly reaching the point to where standalone purchases are completely obsolete.
Though gradual at first, the earning potential of virtually every roster member has continued to drop, with WWE mainlining more dollars into company coffers rather than superstar paycheques despite constant demands for improving workrate and continued character development.
It's led many talented individuals on the independent circuit to look beyond the prism of WWE for financial reasons, something once considered unthinkable in the North American wrestling scene. That in turn risks the company as a whole becoming the homogonised bore it was throughout much of the 2000s, with a low-ceilinged level of main roster stars emerging from the unproven Performance Centre.
If WWE wishes to continue providing not only the most but also the best wrestling content through the Network, the company must reimburse talent for their incredible sacrifices accordingly.