The Rock Asked Vince McMahon for Double the Pay During WWE Attitude Era

During an interview with Patrick Bet-David, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shared details about his WWE contract negotiations during the Attitude Era, shedding light on his relationship with Vince McMahon and how he approached the business side of professional wrestling.

“The relationship between Vince and I was a great one because it was based on my willingness to work for every dollar,” Johnson explained. “Our relationship was all about the work, the effort put in. I have a tremendous respect for pro wrestling, which is deeply important to him. It’s his life, his world, and his blood. I grew up in the business—my grandfather wrestled for Vince’s dad in the ’70s, my dad for Vince in the ’80s. I approached this with a lot of respect and was always willing to work hard.”

He continued, “When I became The Rock and things took off, Vince asked, ‘What’s next?’ I told him, ‘I feel what’s next is to take this brass ring to places it’s never been.’ Vince asked, ‘Where is that?’ and I replied, ‘I don’t know. Let’s figure it out together.’”

Recalling his early WWE contract, Johnson stated, “My first contract with WWE was a five-year deal for $150,000 a year. Keep in mind, I had to cover all my expenses—hotels, food, transportation—so when you’re wrestling 250 dates a year, the pay per match really adds up. But coming from where I did, $150,000 was great.”

As his star power grew, so did his expectations. “Around three years in, Vince wanted to renegotiate. Some wrestlers had agents at the time, but I didn’t. I told Vince, ‘We met with a handshake, and I believe we’ll do this with a handshake. Handshakes mean more to me than anything I ever sign.’ He respected that. I then asked him, ‘Who is the highest-paid on the roster?’ He said, ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin.’ I asked, ‘What’s his guarantee?’ He said, ‘One million dollars.’ I replied, ‘I want two.’ Vince, a bit surprised, asked, ‘Where does that come from?’ I explained, ‘I respect Steve, but I see myself going beyond where he is. So, I believe it should be two million.’ Vince understood my logic, but wanted me to learn the business side.”

Vince sent Johnson to study the financials of the business. “I didn’t take the full three months he suggested, just about two weeks. I absorbed as much as I could about venue costs, state taxes, wrestler allocations, and more. When I went back to Vince, I thanked him, saying, ‘I get it now. I’d like to match Steve’s one million-dollar guarantee. Thank you for walking me through this.’ Vince then asked, ‘How much do you think you’ll make this year?’ I said, ‘Maybe 1.5 million with bonuses.’ He then told me, ‘You’re going to make $15 million.’”

Johnson wrapped up the story by recalling how wrestling hit a boom period between 1999 and 2000, significantly boosting his earnings.