8. Disco Inferno - Because Prelim Comedy Heels Get All The Money
Disco Inferno was exactly what you'd expect him to be: An Italian guy who started in WCW during the influx of new talent around the launch of Monday Nitro in 1995. He wasn't a bad in-ring wrestler, and could even be very good at times, but he was a guy with a ceiling, thanks in large part to the gimmick, and he was wildly inconsistent His comedy could range anywhere from awful (carrying around a plastic duck) to inspired (losing matches for weeks because he couldn't remember how to apply "Disco Inferono's New Leg Hold" without a cheat sheet), and his in-ring work was similarly all over the spectrum. His tag team with Alex Wright could be very solid and he had surprising chemistry with some of the top cruiserweight wrestlers, like Juventud Guerrera, Billy Kidman, and Dean Malenko, but for some reason Bret Hart could barely get anything out of him in a TV main event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmmtTFJz988 Over time, he befriended guys like Kevin Nash, which led to him becoming an associate member of the nWo Wolfpac when Nash was the booker. He was also a favorite of Vince Russo, so he was guaranteed plenty of TV time pretty much regardless of who was in charge. Still, like I said earlier, he was a guy with a ceiling. Even Disco Inferno at his most serious as TV Champion and Cruiserweight Championship contender was still an overachieving comedy wrestler. Plus, when he left the company for a spell in 1997, the WWF had no interest in him in spite of the rumors at the time, so it's not like WCW was bidding for his services. Cost: After making money in the $100,000 per year range for a few years, he jumped up to $300,000 per year on his last contract, and would have made $350,000 in year three if WCW stuck around. Being that he was working for high profile promotions like the World Wrestling All-Stars overseas tours, it seems unlikely he was among the wrestlers still being paid by Time Warner after WCW was sold, but it's hard to be sure. Also, he somehow owed the company 94 cents in merchandise royalties in 2000. For comparison, the more talented and versatile Norman Smiley was never contracted for more than $120,000 per year, though he made about $175,000 in 2000 with royalties and bonuses thrown in.
Formerly the site manager of Cageside Seats and the WWE Team Leader at Bleacher Report, David Bixenspan has been writing professionally about WWE, UFC, and other pop culture since 2009. He's currently WhatCulture's U.S. Editor and also serves as the lead writer of Figure Four Weekly and a monthly contributor to Fighting Spirit Magazine.
Cost: After making money in the $100,000 per year range for a few years, he jumped up to $300,000 per year on his last contract, and would have made $350,000 in year three if WCW stuck around. Being that he was working for high profile promotions like the World Wrestling All-Stars overseas tours, it seems unlikely he was among the wrestlers still being paid by Time Warner after WCW was sold, but it's hard to be sure. Also, he somehow owed the company 94 cents in merchandise royalties in 2000. For comparison, the more talented and versatile Norman Smiley was never contracted for more than $120,000 per year, though he made about $175,000 in 2000 with royalties and bonuses thrown in.