Mustafa Ali Denied Release From WWE (returned to TV p24)

[Deleted]

Jan 20, 2022 20:42:07 GMT -5 Magic knows Black Lives Matter said:

To even pretend that professionalism is a thing with a company that asks you to relocate one week and cuts you the next is absurd so nah, I hope Ali stomps his feet loud as he can and shows his full ass. f*** em.

Unless it's a situation where someone's being a complete moron like Enzo, I'm always going to side with the wrestler over the company.

[chazraps]

Ali has done absolutely nothing wrong.

[nisidhe]

Jan 20, 2022 20:12:16 GMT -5 cjh said:

Jan 20, 2022 19:58:42 GMT -5 Oh Cry Me a Screwball said:

It may depend on whether or not Ali still shows up to work. If he has dates left on his contract and he's not there, they may be able to withhold pay.

They can't pay him $0 while also not allowing him to be booked outside the company.  They only have the power to prevent him from leaving by continuing to pay him what they promised.  If they don't want to pay him to sit at home, they either have to convince him to return or give him his release.

That's what's talked about when one talks about upside vs downside. The downside is the minimum the company has to pay you regardless whether you're on the road, while the upside is your pay while on the road/on TV/on PPV. There is absolutely an incentive to being used regularly, but if memory serves, it's possible to end up near the end of your contract term with dates left but no more income.

If someone can correct or clarify this, I'd be grateful.

[cjh]

Jan 20, 2022 21:06:30 GMT -5 nisidhe said:

Jan 20, 2022 20:12:16 GMT -5 cjh said:

They can't pay him $0 while also not allowing him to be booked outside the company.  They only have the power to prevent him from leaving by continuing to pay him what they promised.  If they don't want to pay him to sit at home, they either have to convince him to return or give him his release.

That's what's talked about when one talks about upside vs downside. The downside is the minimum the company has to pay you regardless whether you're on the road, while the upside is your pay while on the road/on TV/on PPV. There is absolutely an incentive to being used regularly, but if memory serves, it's possible to end up near the end of your contract term with dates left but no more income.

If someone can correct or clarify this, I'd be grateful.

It wouldn't be no income because you would still get paid for your T-shirts, action figures, likeness, etc.  Those checks from the video game company for using your image can add up because they're usually 5 figures, and you get a couple per game.

[Final Countdown Jones]

Jan 20, 2022 20:31:02 GMT -5 King Devitt: What Plants Crave said:

It's mind-boggling the "we know you have value, but we won't value you" train of thought.

Well...more like "we know you have value, but we won't value you because you won't do our racist stereotype gimmick" train of thought.

It's something we've seen from WWE a lot these past few years. They know someone has value in the world out there, knows they could be a bigger star in another company, but still refuse to budge on treating them like they're worth. It does go back a fair ways; so many midcard stars of '80s WWF were big stars elsewhere and coming in to a spot that wasn't as high on the card but did pay great and give them crazy exposure. It's just different now because the words 'midcard star' are so strained and instead of trying to find success with people who could be bigger fish in a smaller pond, WWE thinks it's better if everyone just dies on the vine, actually.

[EoE: Workin On My Night Cheese]

Of course they gotta be c***s about it.

[The Legend of Groose]

WWE taking No Way Out seriously this year.

[Dub H]

Jan 20, 2022 18:54:42 GMT -5 El Cokehead del Knife Fight said:

The thing about the independent contractor stuff is that there is zero chance of it being enforceable by law, WWE just have so much resources that nobody wants to take them to court over it.

Even if they werent Indepedent Contractor it is ridiculous how little agency they have. Wwe can basically hire anyone for 0 risk for then.

The paper is only good for WWE.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Ya'll knew this would happen, it can never, ever be easy.

This is gonna go like Brodie, he's gonna sit out and eat the rest of his contract more than likely. If he raises a stink, hopefully he makes them regret not just simply granting the release of a wrestler they were never going to use right anyway.

[Mecca]

He should just publicly talk about the racist gimmick they wanted him to do...

[Bo Rida]

Jan 20, 2022 22:58:04 GMT -5 The Legend of Groose said:

WWE taking No Way Out seriously this year.

And yet they don't seem to care about backlash.

[The Dark Order Inferno]

Jan 20, 2022 21:22:28 GMT -5 cjh said:

Jan 20, 2022 21:06:30 GMT -5 nisidhe said:

That's what's talked about when one talks about upside vs downside. The downside is the minimum the company has to pay you regardless whether you're on the road, while the upside is your pay while on the road/on TV/on PPV. There is absolutely an incentive to being used regularly, but if memory serves, it's possible to end up near the end of your contract term with dates left but no more income.

If someone can correct or clarify this, I'd be grateful.

It wouldn't be no income because you would still get paid for your T-shirts, action figures, likeness, etc.  Those checks from the video game company for using your image can add up because they're usually 5 figures, and you get a couple per game.

Didn't the royalties from videogames get slashed when 2k took over? Talent were complaining about it and the fact they were told they'd increase to where they were under THQ, but I'm not sure they ever did.

whatculture.com/wwe/ex-wwe-star-admits-his-wwe-video-game-payments-34-drastically-34-dropped

Edit: They didn't. Just another way the talent get shafted.

[polarbearpete]

Jan 21, 2022 7:58:18 GMT -5 The Dark Order Inferno said:

Jan 20, 2022 21:22:28 GMT -5 cjh said:

It wouldn't be no income because you would still get paid for your T-shirts, action figures, likeness, etc.  Those checks from the video game company for using your image can add up because they're usually 5 figures, and you get a couple per game.

Didn't the royalties from videogames get slashed when 2k took over? Talent were complaining about it and the fact they were told they'd increase to where they were under THQ, but I'm not sure they ever did.

whatculture.com/wwe/ex-wwe-star-admits-his-wwe-video-game-payments-34-drastically-34-dropped

Edit: They didn't. Just another way the talent get shafted.

2K has paid less royalties to WWE since 2014 or so. Prior, talent would get sometimes 6 figures for the video games. I’d imagine they’re still getting 5 figures.

[cjh]

Jan 21, 2022 7:58:18 GMT -5 The Dark Order Inferno said:

Jan 20, 2022 21:22:28 GMT -5 cjh said:

It wouldn't be no income because you would still get paid for your T-shirts, action figures, likeness, etc.  Those checks from the video game company for using your image can add up because they're usually 5 figures, and you get a couple per game.

Didn't the royalties from videogames get slashed when 2k took over? Talent were complaining about it and the fact they were told they'd increase to where they were under THQ, but I'm not sure they ever did.

whatculture.com/wwe/ex-wwe-star-admits-his-wwe-video-game-payments-34-drastically-34-dropped

Edit: They didn't. Just another way the talent get shafted.

What they get paid for the games is based on the revenue the games are generating, so decreases in sales would cause lower royalty payments.

[Final Countdown Jones]

There was that report a few months ago about how the royalties had fallen a lot, and people were really only making what their contracts said they would make. No merch bonuses, no PPV bonuses, none of that. So it seems like they're kinda giving people the shaft on the extras that were once making things far more lucrative, and I wouldn't be surprised if video game royalties were also vanishing into the ether

[polarbearpete]

Jan 21, 2022 9:26:21 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

There was that report a few months ago about how the royalties had fallen a lot, and people were really only making what their contracts said they would make. No merch bonuses, no PPV bonuses, none of that. So it seems like they're kinda giving people the shaft on the extras that were once making things far more lucrative, and I wouldn't be surprised if video game royalties were also vanishing into the ether

I believe the switch has been to higher guaranteed base salary and lower numbers elsewhere.

[Ringmaster]

Jan 21, 2022 5:09:29 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Jan 20, 2022 22:58:04 GMT -5 The Legend of Groose said:

WWE taking No Way Out seriously this year.

And yet they don't seem to care about backlash.

They are too busy living life in the 'Fastlane'

[DrBackflipsHoffman]

Jan 21, 2022 5:09:29 GMT -5 Bo Rida said:

Jan 20, 2022 22:58:04 GMT -5 The Legend of Groose said:

WWE taking No Way Out seriously this year.

And yet they don't seem to care about backlash.

"im not good enough to take Backlash seriously!"

[Hit Girl]

The guy who fixed my sink is an independent contractor.

I refuse to release him.

[Allie Kitsune]

Jan 20, 2022 16:37:42 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

Jan 20, 2022 15:38:47 GMT -5 Finish Uncle Muffin’s Story said:

SRS basically says they're holding onto Ali because of his perceived value. So they know he's worth more to the competition yet they still won't use him properly. Go figure.

Hey now, let's not be too ugly and cynical over it. Maybe they're holding onto Ali for the value he has to the company. I mean, Vince only has one Muslim wrestler he can stick into a turban and have screech about beheadings. Ali will see WWE's way and come back around in time.

He'll just start bugging Sami Zayn to do it.