10 Things We Learned From Ryback's First Podcast
3. The Deal He Turned Down Was For $1.5 Million Over 3 Years
When Ryback walked out of WWE several months back, rumors were all over the internet regarding the reasons for his departure. In addition to the speculation, Ryan added credibility to some of the hearsay by writing a public blog in which he confirmed some of the speculated grievances although he denied that the focal point was centered around pay.
In his blog, Ryan came close to contradicting himself by saying he wasn't leaving because of money but then went on to complain about the pay structure, suggesting that all performers should be paid similarly. This notion was a lightning rod of controversy and lead to many debates within the professional wrestling community.
On his podcast debut, Ryan disclosed that the deal he turned down from WWE was for $1.5 million dollars over a 3 year period. To break that down annually, it would come to $500,000 but that doesn't include travel expenses which Ryback was adamant be covered. While it's certainly a large amount of money to the average person, Ryback believes his value was much higher.
To be fair, Reeves and Buck mentioned how even independent promotions typically cover travel expenses for the high-priced talent they bring in so for WWE to continue to get away with avoiding these costs, in 2016, is ridiculous.