10 Insane Wrestling Paydays
3. Jeff Jarrett - $500,000 For No Mercy 1999
When Jeff Jarrett insisted on a payout of $500,000 in order to go out and lose as planned to Chyna at No Mercy 1999, he believed he was in the right to do so. The story has often presented as if 'Double J' was on the take, holding up the then-prestigious Intercontinental Title 24 hours before jumping to WCW due to a company failure to spot a lapsed contract, but the 2018 Hall-Of-Famer has since protested the narrative.
He believed he was owed the figure in backpay, and was determined to pocket it before he left. McMahon acquiesced, and Jarrett went all-in putting the 'Ninth Wonder Of The World' over in outstanding brawl significantly richer than he was earlier that day.
It was a good job he saved his money. Despite negotiating a hefty $275,000 per year deal from WCW, the company had folded less than two years after he made the leap. Frozen out of the all-powerful McMahon empire, Jarrett plunged his amassed earnings into starting TNA, creating (briefly, at least) the most visible Number Two promotion in North America.