The core issue is this: WWE’s pay structure appears to favor its top stars, while the rest of the roster enjoys a solid, comfortable lifestyle—yet not true wealth for everyone in the middle. That’s the takeaway Nick Khan shared in a recent conversation with Max Kellerman for Ring Magazine’s Inside the Ring. While addressing the Muhammad Ali Reform Act and boxing’s long-standing pay hierarchy, Khan argued that WWE operates as a meritocracy: big paydays go to those who are both at the pinnacle and highly marketable.
He highlighted names like Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk as examples of performers at the top who are financially rewarded for their star power. In Khan’s view, even those in the middle tier “are not getting rich” but still enjoy a “really good life,” a contrast he says with boxing where the gap between the very rich and everyone else is much starker.
The conversation also touched on WWE’s broader ambitions in combat sports. Khan, along with UFC president Dana White and Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, is leading Zuffa Boxing, TKO’s bid to enter boxing. The venture recently secured a media rights agreement with Paramount, set to kick off in January 2026. Khan emphasized that the aim is to leverage TKO’s promotional power to elevate current boxing stars and cultivate new ones.
Background notes: Joseph Currier serves as the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, with a journalism degree from the University of Massachusetts. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated’s wrestling coverage and is based in Massachusetts, supporting Boston sports teams and Liverpool FC as a devoted fan.
Would you agree that WWE’s pay structure reflects a true meritocracy, or do you see a larger middle-class gap that needs addressing? What implications might Zuffa Boxing’s approach have for the broader boxing landscape, and how might it influence fighter earnings and star creation in the sport?
