Swerve Strickland's new AEW contract is what's best for business

Every now and then, the internet wrestling community stumbles upon an interesting topic to discuss. This time, Dave Meltzer spurred commentary throughout Friday about Swerve Strickland’s newest contract and WWE’s supposed “thoughts” on the matter. While that is one angle to take the discussion, the report from Fightful Select later in the day showed why it’s important that these deals are now possible in professional wrestling and sports entertainment.

According to Meltzer, WWE believes that AEW’s contract is “bad for business” and is “so far over what WWE would perceive the market value.” This comes after reports that Strickland’s contract is among one of the highest in AEW, akin to Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Mone.

That’s an interesting stance for WWE to take. It’s one that makes sense for a promotion to take as well. Why? Because it’s in the WWE, and Endeavor’s, best interest to keep costs down. If performer pay is low, that benefits revenue, and a benefit of revenue helps the shareholders who are the main interested party. Endeavor, and WWE by offshoot, are beholden to those individuals. There’s zero interest in any employer truly paying talent their worth and WWE’s thoughts on another individual’s contract should be ignored.

But Fightful’s report dives further into the conversation where it matters most. According to Fightful, the contract situation has been “universally positive,” with “support from those we’ve spoken to across every major company and the independents.” This is the most important detail. Why? Because talent sees their value and can start demanding their value, going where they are meant to be paid the most.

“I myself haven’t heard that, but whether or not it was said, anyone thinking wrestlers will take less money is out of their minds when new TV deals are being announced, sellouts and record numbers are being bragged about,” said one source in the Fightful Select report.

WWE continues to break records, boasting about sellout episodes of SmackDown and Raw on a nearly weekly basis. That is along with PLEs that continue to do record numbers as well. All Elite Wrestling is pushing toward a new rights deal, which several journalists are reporting is expected to be a big boost over their previous contract. Those types of numbers should mean that the figures attached to performer contracts increase. Think about how you’d feel if your employer saw record profits and revenues while explaining to you that there’s no money for an increase in your pay. It wouldn’t sound great, would it?

This is yet another example of why competition is best for business. Endeavor prides itself in stamping out competition. Look at what the organization successfully achieved with ownership of the UFC and how that industry has suffered competitively since. Fans and performers alike should not want to see that happen again in professional wrestling. WWE’s dominance over the industry is finally being challenged in a way that benefits those two groups and that should be lauded. Here’s to hoping more individuals get contracts elsewhere that are seen as “bad” for business.