10 Main Event Wrestlers Who Were Paid SIGNIFICANTLY More Than Their Opponents

10. André the Giant Loses At WrestleMania III But Wins Big In Profit

The iconic body slam heard around the world earned André the Giant a hefty payday for WrestleMania III. He didn’t come away with the WWF Heavyweight Championship that night at the Pontiac Silverdome but did leave wealthier. Even wealthier than his opponent Hulk Hogan who is one of the shrewdest hustlers in the industry when it comes to being the highest-paid wrestler on any card.

In what was considered the peak of the ‘80s wrestling boom and what was billed as the ‘Biggest Main Event In Sports Entertainment’, Dave Meltzer reported that Hogan and André earned $750,000 each for headlining WrestleMania III, but Andre earning an additional $250,000 for doing the job to Hogan.

That bonus may seem substantial but André was a sizeable wrestler/reason why the PPV was so successful, capturing fans and the mainstream media’s attention when he turned on Hogan in the run-up to the event on Piper’s Pit. It set the WWF attendance record of 93,173 (*78,000) and generated $1.6 million in ticket sales and its total PPV buys were estimated over $10 million.

In André’s case, it pays to look at the lights sometimes.