Cody Rhodes Opens Up About WWE’s Huge Superstar Contracts After Signing New Deal

Cody Rhodes has opened up about the money now available to WWE superstars following the signing of his new contract with the company.

During an appearance on Flagrant, Rhodes discussed how significantly the financial side of professional wrestling has changed compared with previous generations.

The WWE Champion explained that wrestlers from an earlier era, including his late father Dusty Rhodes, would likely be surprised by the size of contracts available to today’s biggest stars.

Rhodes also recalled telling his mother about the amount involved in his own contract and said she found the figure difficult to comprehend.

Why Cody Rhodes Says Previous Generations Would Be Shocked

According to Rhodes, the biggest difference is not simply the amount of money involved but also the structure of modern WWE contracts.

He pointed to guaranteed contracts as one of the major changes separating today’s wrestling business from the environment experienced by earlier generations.

For Rhodes, larger guaranteed deals also come with greater responsibility. The modern wrestling landscape gives top performers substantially different financial security compared with the era in which his father built his career.

That comparison is particularly significant because Dusty Rhodes was one of the most influential wrestlers and promoters of his generation, making Cody’s perspective on the evolution of wrestler compensation especially notable.

Nick Khan’s Role in WWE’s Financial Evolution

Cody Rhodes also highlighted WWE President Nick Khan’s comments about the different levels of compensation available to wrestlers.

Rhodes explained that Khan had previously described a situation in which some wrestlers would earn well, others would earn significantly more, and a select group would receive what Rhodes characterized as “next-level” contracts.

According to Rhodes, those top-tier deals can now be comparable to contracts seen in major American professional sports.

This represents a major change in how wrestling’s biggest stars are financially positioned. For decades, professional wrestlers could become internationally famous while still operating under a compensation structure that differed considerably from the NBA, MLB and other major sports.

WWE’s Top Stars Can Now Reach Major Sports-Level Pay

Rhodes said the development of sports-comparable compensation is one of the aspects of modern wrestling that makes him proud of the profession.

His comments point to the increasing commercial value of WWE’s biggest performers. Top stars are no longer simply performers appearing on weekly television; they can also become major attractions for live events, premium shows, merchandise, media appearances and international markets.

That broader business model can help explain why the company’s biggest names are capable of securing substantially larger agreements.

The Importance of Guaranteed WWE Contracts

Guaranteed contracts can provide wrestlers with a greater degree of financial certainty. Instead of compensation being entirely dependent on individual appearances or short-term opportunities, guaranteed agreements can provide a defined level of security during the contract period.

Rhodes suggested that this change represents a major evolution from the wrestling business experienced by his father’s generation.

For performers, the difference can be significant. Wrestling careers can involve injuries, creative changes, periods away from television and unpredictable opportunities. A guaranteed agreement can therefore change the financial risk associated with pursuing a career at the highest level.

Not Every WWE Superstar Receives the Same Deal

Rhodes’ comments also highlighted an important distinction: WWE’s compensation structure does not mean every performer receives the same level of pay.

Instead, there can be substantial differences between developmental wrestlers, established performers, main-event stars and the company’s biggest attractions.

Rhodes referred to a select group receiving “next-level” contracts, suggesting that the highest financial tier is reserved for a relatively small number of major names.

This tiered structure reflects the different commercial value that individual performers can bring to WWE programming.

Reports of WWE Contract Reductions Add Another Layer

The discussion about large contracts comes amid separate reports concerning WWE’s negotiations with some talent over contract reductions.

The source material notes that several wrestlers have reportedly faced requests for significant pay cuts, with The New Day cited as an example of talent that was reportedly asked to reduce its contract by as much as 50%.

These reports provide a contrasting picture of the current wrestling economy. While the biggest stars can potentially negotiate extremely lucrative agreements, contract situations can vary considerably depending on a wrestler’s position and negotiations with the company.

As a result, Rhodes’ comments about top-tier contracts should not be interpreted as describing the compensation of every WWE performer.

Cody Rhodes’ WWE Journey

Rhodes’ perspective carries additional weight because his career has included experience across multiple eras of professional wrestling.

He grew up around the wrestling business as the son of Dusty Rhodes, became a WWE performer, left the company, helped establish All Elite Wrestling and eventually made his return to WWE.

That journey has given Rhodes an unusual view of how the wrestling industry has changed over time.

His return to WWE also positioned him as one of the company’s leading performers, making his experience with modern contracts particularly relevant to the wider discussion about wrestler compensation.

How TKO Has Changed WWE’s Business Environment

Rhodes specifically discussed the modern TKO era while describing the financial opportunities available to WWE talent.

WWE’s position within a larger sports and entertainment business environment has contributed to a broader commercial focus. The company operates as a major global entertainment property, with revenue streams connected to television, streaming, live events, sponsorships, licensing and merchandise.

For top performers, that commercial scale can create opportunities for compensation packages that would have been difficult to imagine during earlier periods of wrestling history.

Why Cody Rhodes’ Comments Matter

Rhodes’ comments offer an insight into how one of WWE’s most prominent current stars views the industry’s financial transformation.

The key point is not simply that wrestlers can earn more money today. It is that the structure and scale of the business have changed enough for elite performers to be discussed alongside athletes from major professional sports.

That shift represents a significant change in perception for professional wrestling, particularly when compared with previous generations.

What Could Happen to WWE Superstar Contracts Next?

The growing value of WWE’s media rights, live events and top performers could continue to influence future contract negotiations.

However, individual agreements will likely remain dependent on a variety of factors, including a wrestler’s popularity, position on the roster, merchandise performance, television role, marketability and negotiating leverage.

Rhodes’ comments therefore provide a look at the upper end of the modern WWE compensation structure rather than a universal picture of wrestler salaries.

Final Thoughts

Cody Rhodes’ latest comments provide an interesting look at how dramatically professional wrestling’s financial landscape has changed.

After signing a new WWE contract, Rhodes explained that today’s top wrestlers can receive guaranteed agreements worth amounts that previous generations might have found difficult to imagine.

He also credited the modern TKO-era business structure and highlighted Nick Khan’s description of a select group of performers receiving “next-level” contracts comparable with major sports deals.

At the same time, reports of contract reduction requests for some talent show that compensation remains different from wrestler to wrestler.

For Cody Rhodes, however, the growth in financial opportunities at the top of professional wrestling represents an important development for the industry and a major change from the era in which his father built his legendary career.