Dax Harwood recently opened up about how little FTR was making on the WWE main roster when they requested their release from the company.
On the latest episode of FTR with Dax Harwood, the All Elite Wrestling star spoke about requesting his WWE release back in 2019 and how much money he was making at the time.
“In February of that year, we had already asked for our release. And we had not been granted that release,” Dax Harwood said. “Because we knew that if we stuck around WWE that we would never reach the heights that we wanted to or we would never get the opportunity to reach the heights that we wanted to. Obviously, we had a lot of belief in ourselves and a lot of belief in our abilities. But if you’re not given the opportunity to show those abilities, then we would have just been stuck at a certain position.
“And it would have been easy, and I heard it online all the time, especially after the news got out that we asked for a release, but I heard it online all the time. Just collect your money. I wish I was making the money you were, or I wish I was in the position you were, but that’s just not how I’m wired, man. And also, let me say about the money. It wasn’t as much money as you guys would imagine. Especially considering the tax write-offs. We had to make sure we got, like me and Cash at the time, I was 34, and he was 31. And we were rooming with each other and traveling with each other, splitting cars, splitting meals, splitting rooms because we didn’t have enough money.
“Not that we didn’t have enough money, but we were trying to save money. But that’s the thing; we had to make sure that we were putting back a little bit of money too, because if you look back at 2019, I was number one. Baron and Cash were tied for number two, as far as most matches in 2019 for WWE. So we were on the road every single week, four days a week, five days a week.
“So when you think I’ve signed this million-dollar contract or whatever, it’s not that lucrative. Our contracts were the very bottom dollar. I’ll tell you mine, I don’t know about Cash’s, but our first contract for the main roster was 125, 150, 175 across the three years. And that was it. No expenses. Obviously, there’s the potential of making more than that and breaking that 125 barrier, and that 125 ceiling with merch and pay-per-views and stuff like that and house shows as well.
“But that was what we had signed, and that is a lot of money. That’s a lot of money to me right now. But you got to think about it if I’m on the road five days a week, right? And I’m spending breakfast, lunch, and dinner all five days a week. Let’s not even talk about snacks or whatever; breakfast, lunch, and dinner five days a week on the road while my wife is at home cooking and paying for groceries for her and my daughter.
“And then I’m paying for rental cars, and then I’m paying for hotels. I’m not making as much money as you think. But when I hear a lot of the fans, especially then, when I heard a lot of the fans say they could have just sat back and had catering and made their money. It’s not that simple, man. Money is one thing, but there’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do for professional wrestling, and being there at that time was not going to allow me to do that.”
READ MORE: Dax Harwood Was Upset When Brock Lesnar Ended Kofi Kingston’s WWE Title Reign
What do you make of Dax Harwood’s comments? Are you shocked at how little FTR were making on the main roster in WWE? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the FTR Podcast with a link back to this article for the transcription.
