10 Mind-Blowing Wrestler Salaries WWE Couldn't Afford

3. Hulk Hogan - Salary Expectations $10 Million And Creative Control With Reduced Schedule

When Hulk Hogan went to WCW in 1994, Vince McMahon actually had the contractual right to match whatever offer WCW made and keep his big star. The thing was, Ted Turner was offering $300,000 per a match, 25 percent of PPV revenue above the WCW average, 25 percent of house show revenue for the few non-televised dates Hogan would work, and 65 percent of all merchandise revenue. McMahon couldn't afford to offer that, so Hogan went south. Then in early 1998, he was considering jumping back to the WWF. There was an idea floated to him that he'd head up D Generation X and pass the torch to the mega hot Steve Austin at WrestleMania 14, according to Bruce Prichard and Eric Bischoff on Talk Is Jericho. But to go to the WWF, Vince McMahon was going to have to pay Hogan astronomical money. The Hulkster's WCW deal was complicated, with $600,000 per a PPV and $25,000 per a tv appearance. Linked to that were a whole range of bonuses for PPV buys and merchandise sales. He had creative control as well, which allowed him to be the top star in the company. McMahon couldn't offer any of that. All in all, Hogan was pocketing about $10 million in WCW, a sum that the WWF couldn't and wouldn't want to pay for one individual talent. Especially when that talent was already way past their prime. Hogan has claimed that the WWF offered him $5 million to return, but only he knows if that is true or not.