Chris Jericho is setting the record straight on how much money he made during his high-profile run with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
When Jericho left WWE in 2017, wrestling fans didn’t think much of it at the time. He came and went from WWE several times over the years, a practice that helped keep him fresh and always left fans wanting more. Nobody expected what would happen later that year, when Jericho popped up in NJPW for a feud with Kenny Omega. They did huge business together and NJPW is still profiting off that run to this day from subscribers to their NJPW World streaming service. Jericho was paid handsomely and rightfully so.
NJPW’s gamble to bring in an expensive star from WWE paid off. The promotion will soon attempt to catch lightning in a bottle once again. Sasha Banks is expected to attend Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4 and work a series of dates for NJPW.
How Much Did Chris Jericho Make in Japan?
Earlier this week, Dave Meltzer reported that Sasha Banks will be the highest-paid performer in the history of NJPW. She’ll be earning more than she did in WWE (on a per-show basis) – allegedly more than Chris Jericho was paid. Meltzer pegged this figure at $100,000 per match. Jericho caught wind of this claim and says it’s not true.
The inaugural AEW World Champion says this notion is “completely wrong” and he didn’t make a flat rate per appearance. Instead, his pay was determined based on the success of the shows he wrestled on.
“I never had a flat per appearance deal, I was paid according to the event.”
– Chris Jericho
He added that he made more per NJPW event than he did for most of his WrestleMania matches, which is quite a statement.
Jericho is known to be a savvy businessman and proved this once again by negotiating a great deal for himself in Japan. Certain Hollywood stars negotiate a percentage of box office receipts as part of their compensation for appearing in movies. Jericho took the same route, knowing his popularity would drive fans to spend money on his NJPW matches.
