Booker T says WWE won't pay stars to sit at home; Points out difference with AEW
Wrestling legend Booker T feels that Vince McMahon rarely allows WWE Superstars to earn a salary and sit at home. He also drew comparisons with AEW.
The two-time Hall of Famer spoke about Tony Khan's policy of allowing AEW stars' contracts to run out. Several AEW stars, including Lio Rush, Brian Cage, and more recently, Stu Grayson, departed the promotion after their contracts expired.
Speaking on the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T talked about how he wasn't sure if letting wrestlers run out their contracts was a "recipe for success."
"We see now that a lot of the AEW originals' contracts are coming up and they're not getting re-signed. Maybe that's the theme and the motto with Tony Khan. I think that's what I heard, he's not going to fire guys, he's going to let their contracts run out. He may not use him, but he's still going to pay 'em. I don't know if that's a recipe for success, but we'll find out in the long run," said Booker T. [1:11:36 - 1:12:00]
The WWE legend also discussed how Vince McMahon and his company don't have too many superstars who are allowed to stay at home.
"WWE, they're not going to pay you and let you sit at home. They let Mustafa [Ali] sit at home for a minute, but look where he's at now. I'm going to tell you right now, WWE's motto is - 'If you work at this company, you're going to be doing something.' And that's just the way... you can't name five guys in WWE that you don't see around very often." [1:12:32 - 1:13:00]
Host Brad Gilmore then brought up Dominik Dijakovic and Mace as two current superstars who haven't been seen on television lately. Booker stated that the likes of Dijakovic are going through a transitional phase and maybe doing something on NXT.
Tony Khan on why he retains stars who aren't used on-screen, unlike WWE
During an interview with TV Insider, the AEW President explained his decision to retain stars who have not been used on television.
Tony Khan said that he wanted to help out wrestlers by giving them a contract, which was difficult for some during the pandemic. He didn't want to go the route of other companies by letting wrestlers go during a tough period.
Tonight on #AEWDynamite next on @TBSNetwork @ 8pm ET/7pm CT, the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament begins on a huge night of pro wrestling!
Thank you Dr. Martha Hart, Oje Hart & Athena Hart for joining us tonight as @AEW honors the legacy of the late great Owen Hart! https://t.co/4vayhDLBwy
Khan also explained that he has always tried to maintain the best roster. To do this, he predominantly looks at wrestling ability and fan response towards a star.
Please credit the Hall of Fame podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda if you use any of the transcribed quotes.