Is it fair to added extra time to a contract due to injury?

[The Rick Jericho]

The major sports definitely don't do this. You tear your ACL, you miss a year and so be it. You're back with your 2-3 years left on your deal.

Even better, teams will sign someone injured and let them recover under their watch, like Kevin Durant did in 2019 with the Brooklyn Nets.

WWE and AEW add time missed due to injury on their performer contracts.

What are your thoughts on this practice?

[XIII]

It's stupid and the athletes should have an agent look over their contract and get that shit out of there. 3 years is 3 years.

[The Rick Jericho]

Mar 4, 2023 22:14:43 GMT -5 XIII said:

It's stupid and the athletes should have an agent look over their contract and get that shit out of there. 3 years is 3 years.

Exactly. Imaging an NBA team telling a Kawhi Leonard or a Kevin Durant that they missed 82 games over two years, now you gotta make that time lost up.

It is definitely a stupid thing thrown into wrestler contracts.

[Error]

I really, realty want to say no but if the deals are still written that you are signing on for "x number of appearances" over a certain time and you don't make that because of injury, I completely understand and think have an argument for it. I mean it's a bit of a scummy thing to do since they most likely got hurt working for you but I get it.

I mean it's not something I think they should do but I get it.

[Error]

Mar 4, 2023 22:24:08 GMT -5 The Rick Jericho said:

Mar 4, 2023 22:14:43 GMT -5 XIII said:

It's stupid and the athletes should have an agent look over their contract and get that shit out of there. 3 years is 3 years.

Exactly. Imaging an NBA team telling a Kawhi Leonard or a Kevin Durant that they missed 82 games over two years, now you gotta make that time lost up.

It is definitely a stupid thing thrown into wrestler contracts.

Yeah but they sign for specific seasons, not a number of games.

They also have a union/players'associations to set the table for all this.

[darbus alan]

I don't like it, but it also seems to be a reality of the industry. Both WWE and AEW do it, and IIRC Impact has done it, too (granted a lot of their contracts are appearance-based rather than a set amount of calendar time). Especially since there's no unions.

Granted, I think the only time it's outright unfair is when it's used strictly as a retaliation method and you don't actually use the person you're extending. At least I get the reasoning if the person is part of a hot feud or has a huge title match coming up.

[tirtefaa]

Wasn't there one guy who had time added, simply for sitting at home? It wasn't due to injury, it was due to them not having anything for them?

If they want to write contracts this way (if they don't already), they need to base it on number of dates instead of a specific timeline.

[Topher is Human]

... They need a Union.

[King Devitt and the Woke Mob]

It's always bothered me. And is one of many ways that "independent contractors" get hosed by that very concept that's not actually adhered to.

At the very least it should be broken down into more considerations.

Like if you hurt your titty working out like Cody, then maybe add on some time then.

But if you get hurt in a ring, doing your job that you wouldn't have been injured that way otherwise, then no you shouldn't have time added on to your contract. That makes no sense to me.

Or if you get into a car accident and break your leg. Was it your fault? No? then no time is added on.
Were you USO'ing down the highway? Yes? Then some time is added on.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

Do I like it? not really... I Don't really have a strong opinion one way or the other,

if it's due to them needing to make x number of appearances on their contract and they don't... then it makes sense.

[Macho Pichu]

Mar 4, 2023 23:42:00 GMT -5 darbus alan said:

I don't like it, but it also seems to be a reality of the industry. Both WWE and AEW do it, and IIRC Impact has done it, too (granted a lot of their contracts are appearance-based rather than a set amount of calendar time). Especially since there's no unions.

Granted, I think the only time it's outright unfair is when it's used strictly as a retaliation method and you don't actually use the person you're extending. At least I get the reasoning if the person is part of a hot feud or has a huge title match coming up.

WWE is especially bad about that second one. I don't think I can forgive them for robbing us of just that many more Luke Harper matches. He went like a year unused, eventually gets out, signs to AEW, has a legendary 8 months as Brodie Lee, and now he's gone. Passing away suddenly can happen to anyone. Even you or me. Let people live the life they have. 

[El Cokehead del Knife Fight]

Yeah I agree with Ric in that it's really only vaguely okay when the contract is for x number of dates in that period of time.

[ChitownKnight]

They should just do strictly per appearance deals in an estimated window of time. But I don’t feel terribly bad for the wwe who makes billions per year as opposed to the wrestlers who make 6 figures to 7 figures a year (which can be lost much easier)

[stoptheclocks]

It's presumably legal and in the contract the wrestlers sign up front... so yes it is fair.

[A Platypus Rave is Correct]

Mar 5, 2023 2:15:24 GMT -5 Macho Pichu said:

Mar 4, 2023 23:42:00 GMT -5 darbus alan said:

I don't like it, but it also seems to be a reality of the industry. Both WWE and AEW do it, and IIRC Impact has done it, too (granted a lot of their contracts are appearance-based rather than a set amount of calendar time). Especially since there's no unions.

Granted, I think the only time it's outright unfair is when it's used strictly as a retaliation method and you don't actually use the person you're extending. At least I get the reasoning if the person is part of a hot feud or has a huge title match coming up.

WWE is especially bad about that second one. I don't think I can forgive them for robbing us of just that many more Luke Harper matches. He went like a year unused, eventually gets out, signs to AEW, has a legendary 8 months as Brodie Lee, and now he's gone. Passing away suddenly can happen to anyone. Even you or me. Let people live the life they have. 

Worst part of that was ... Luke/Brodie probably would have been fine if they just like used him.

He wanted to wrestle and they sidelined him for some reason.

[Legion]

I think you should have an option - you can have the time added due to the injury OR you can pay yourself out of the time/take less pay during your injury time.

[Lizuka #BLM]

Contracts should primarily be about number of appearances rather than time anyway. By all means put a time on it as well, just to keep WWE from deciding to just shelf someone with one appearance left indefinitely, but once someone's hit the amounts of dates that are agreed on the deal should need to be renegotiated or they should have the option to walk away from it.

[darbus alan]

Mar 5, 2023 11:33:20 GMT -5 stoptheclocks said:

It's presumably legal and in the contract the wrestlers sign up front... so yes it is fair.

A lot of blatantly unfair things are or were perfectly legal. One doesn't have to do with the other.

Hell, that's why unions were formed to begin with because the law was (and still is, frankly) so one-sided in favor of the business owners against the workers.

[Bo Rida]

Mar 5, 2023 13:39:26 GMT -5 Legion said:

I think you should have an option - you can have the time added due to the injury OR you can pay yourself out of the time/take less pay during your injury time.

Yeah I'm not 100% against the practice, I get preventing people from sitting out the last 6 months of their contract with an exagerated injury, but there needs to be ways out and whatever time is added needs to be reasonable. The Brodie Lee situation above being a prime example why.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

There’s good sides and bad sides. Most are leaning bad because of the instances where this clause has been used to hold a talent that wishes to leave against their will. On the other hand, it’s a safety net for instances where, if a talent suffers a legit massive injury that requires a year out and they only had two weeks left on their contract, the talent isn’t out on their arse with no income and a shit ton of medical bills.

Seriously, could you imagine the shitfight that we’d start if a talent broke their neck just as their contract was about to expire and then WWE DIDN’T pause it, and they just let it lapse?