Former WWE wrestler Hurricane Helms railed on WWE’s independent contractor classification for wrestlers and claims that talent averages $550,000 annual salary during an interview recently.
“I can see both sides of it to a degree. The way they treat us – the restrictions they place aren’t restrictions you give to an independent contractor,” said Helms. “WWE places all these other rules on you. You can’t work for anybody else, you can’t do this, you can’t do that, which are rules that really shouldn’t apply to an independent contractor, but to an employee.”
“The only reason they do that is to benefit themselves and it’s of no benefit to the independent contractor at all,” Helms claimed, saying that its all for tax purposes. “It’s not an independent contractor; it’s an exclusive contractor. You’re signed to an exclusive contractor and you’re an employee, but without employee benefits.”
On the annual salary thing, Helms said some low-card guys are bring in $300-$500 a week.
“That’s total bullshit. That’s the biggest fucking lie I’ve ever heard them say. That’s a monstrous lie,” Helms said. “I’ll tell you why – what they’re doing is comparing top guys’s salary, but what lower card guys and mid-card guys and upper mid-card guys get is nothing compared to what that one percent of the top guys get.”
“That’s the whole thing with the youth movement. They bring these guys up from FCW because they’re paying them beans. Some of these guys are getting $300 or $400 per week and that’s before taxes. After taxes, you talking about McDonald’s money,” he said. “And these guys are going out there destroying their bodies. I’m not saying that because I’m bitter, but because it’s a fact.”
Other highlights:
On Travel: “Travel was very hard and air travel makes it worse,” he said.
On his time in ECW: “total misery.”
On WWE now vs. when he started: “I don’t want to come off bitter because I loved being there, but it’s a different company from when I was there,” he said.
He also calls the writing for TV disorganized and plugged an upcoming shoot interview for the Hardys’ internet show.
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