WWE Rumors - Superstar used AEW to get an astonishing $9 Million deal from Vince McMahon's company
The current landscape of pro wrestling is unlike anything we've seen in over two decades. It's a great time for the wrestlers as WWE isn't the only lucrative destination anymore with AEW proving to be just as remunerative as Vince McMahon's long-standing enterprise.
WWE is currently trying to prevent its top talents from jumping ship to AEW while also trying to rope in all the notable free agents in the market. Edge was also a free agent not too long ago before WWE offered the Rated-R Superstar a deal that he just couldn't refuse.
It has now been revealed by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Edge used his negotiations with AEW as leverage to get a massive deal from WWE.
Edge talked with AEW officials in the summer of 2019 and he was offered a $3 Million deal to wrestle a few matches and also to work as a producer and agent.
WWE caught wind of the offer and began talks with the 11-time World Champion. Edge reportedly told WWE about AEW's offer and he ended up getting the same deal from Vince McMahon's company.
As we had revealed earlier via TalkSport and Sportskeeda's Alex McCarthy, Edge signed a 3-year deal worth $3 Million per year, which would see him pocket $9 Million in total.
Meltzer also clarified that Edge is expected to work more dates as previously reported. It was also added that Edge is not earning on par with Brock Lesnar and Goldberg.
Here's what he revealed in the Newsletter:
He wouldn’t have been allowed to do that spear at SummerSlam if he wasn’t cleared. This all dates back to last summer when AEW made Edge a major offer to wrestle a few matches per year. Edge used that offer, which he told WWE was for $3 million per year and he would start when the company got television as his leverage, to get the same deal with WWE. So that was his leverage to get one of the highest deals in WWE history.
The reports were out that his deal was for five matches and 25 television shows per year, but we are told that the money figure is correct but the date numbers are not accurate and that there are more matches and dates involved in the deal. The deal is far less than people like Brock Lesnar and Bill Goldberg have gotten, since Goldberg earned $2 million just for doing his match with Undertaker.