Professional wrestling is a billion-dollar business, with much of that money coming from the pockets of fans. The wrestlers themselves don’t make nearly as much as their fame and popularity might suggest. Many professional wrestlers have to continue working other jobs after they retire from the ring, even if it’s just part-time work.
Some wrestlers are fortunate enough to parlay their fame into endorsement deals and other opportunities to keep the money coming in. Others realize what they signed up for when they became pro wrestlers, and set about investing their earnings in ways that will last them for the rest of their lives.
Here are the richest wrestlers in the world, including their net worth and how they made their money.
Roman Reigns
The reigning face of the WWE, Roman Reigns is one of the most recognizable wrestlers on the planet. He won the Royal Rumble in 2019 and the right to challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. His net worth is estimated at $28 million. The bulk of his earnings come from his WWE salary.
WWE contracts are heavily incentivized, so he also makes money on merchandise, a percentage of pay-per-view revenues, and other ventures. Reigns has also starred in movies, booked public speaking events, modeled, and done philanthropic work. Reigns has been wrestling professionally since 2007 and has been with WWE since 2012.
He’s climbed the ladder, earning championships and other honors along the way, but he has also received a great deal of criticism for the way he is booked, or the stories and directions his character has been given. Reigns is a nice guy in real life, but his character is arrogant and doesn’t apologize for anything, which draws the ire of fans even more.
John Cena
John Cena, one of the most decorated WWE wrestlers of all time, has a net worth of $95 million. He is the biggest moneymaking machine in WWE, as shown by his $109 million in career earnings. Cena’s merchandise and ticket sales are two other significant revenue streams. He’s also starred in movies and TV shows, and has a clothing line.
Cena got his start in the ring in 1999, but he has also worked as an actor, TV host, and philanthropist. He’s a 15-time world champion, including 10 times as WWE Champion. He has also won a championship in every decade since the new millennium began. For years, Cena was the guy WWE would build the company around, whereas others were booked as supporting acts, helping to get Cena over.
In recent years, the booking has been more balanced, but Cena has been wrestling since 2000, so it’s only a matter of time before he retires.
Triple H
Paul Levesque, better known as Triple H, has a net worth of $70 million. He is one of the top earners in the WWE, with earnings of $25 million in 2018 alone. Triple H, who worked as Hunter in WWE, is a 16-time world champion. He also serves as an executive vice president of the company, booking storylines, hiring wrestlers, and overseeing merchandising.
Triple H, or Triple H, as he was known in the ring, got his start with WWE in 1995. He was a member of D-Generation X and The Authority, and was married to Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of WWE’s CEO. The couple divorced in 2016, and he married Stephanie’s close friend, Shawn Michaels. The two were later involved in a scandal when a sex tape involving them was posted to the internet. Read More: Dwayne Johnson Net Worth
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, has a net worth of $35 million. He has earned $104 million in his WWE career, and he’s been involved in MMA with the UFC, Bellator, and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Lesnar has also modeled, acted (including a part in The Expendables), and worked as a farmer. Lesnar is one of the most dominant wrestlers in WWE history, having held the title an incredible five times.
He had a massive contract that paid him $2.5 million per year, but he had to take a break from wrestling after he contracted a debilitating illness. He returned to the ring in 2019 and lost a title match against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. It’s possible he won’t be back to WWE full-time.
Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels has a net worth of $50 million. He has earned $72 million in his career with WWE as one of the best wrestlers of all time. Michaels has also modeled, hosted TV shows, and served as a humanitarian ambassador for UNICEF. Michaels is one of the most decorated wrestlers in history, having won the title 13 times.
He’s also taken time off to pursue other interests and ventures. In 2019, he came out of retirement to wrestle another match at WrestleMania, this time teaming with Triple H against The Undertaker and Kane.
Randy Orton
Randy Orton, the Viper, has a net worth of $45 million. He has earned $69 million in his WWE career. Orton is one of the most decorated wrestlers in history, having won the title 10 times.
Orton has been wrestling since 2002, so he’s been around for a long time. He’s had his share of ups and downs, but he’s been a constant fixture in the WWE. When he was younger, he was involved in a tragedy when a fan jumped into the ring to attack him and was accidentally struck and killed by Orton. He was charged with manslaughter, but was exonerated in court.
Big Show
Paul Wight, aka the Big Show, has a net worth of $40 million. He has earned $84 million in his WWE career. Big Show is the second-longest tenured wrestler in the WWE, having wrestled since 1995. Read More: Pablo Escobar Net Worth
He’s also been featured in movies, TV shows, and more. Wight has won the title five times, but he’s most known for being the heel (or bad guy) who would crush people with his hands and feet. He has done a lot of humanitarian work, including visiting troops and raising money for charity. At 7 feet tall, Wight could crush a lot of people with his hands and feet if he were so inclined.
Rey Mysterio
The long and lanky Rey Mysterio has a net worth of $35 million. He has earned $51 million in his WWE career. Mysterio is the shortest wrestler on this list, standing just 5 feet 6 inches tall.
However, he has been one of the most decorated wrestlers in WWE history, having won the title six times. Mysterio began wrestling in 1989 and wrestled for companies all over the world before he joined WWE in 2002.
He was a top-tier wrestler in WWE, having won the Royal Rumble and Intercontinental Championship, among others. He’s retired, but in 2019 he came out of retirement to wrestle one last match at WrestleMania.
Conclusing
Wrestling is a tough business, and the people who make it look effortless have worked hard to get where they are.
These people have also been lucky enough to find success in the ring, but many retired wrestlers don’t know what to do with their time. Having made a fortune in the ring, they can either live out their days or find a way to keep making money.
The top earners in the WWE are doing just that, and that’s how they became the richest wrestlers in the world.
