Summary

Steph De Lander said most talent in TNA are working on pay-per-appearance agreements rather than standard salary contracts.

She said that setup can work when talent are booked consistently, but can create financial pressure when dates are reduced or canceled.

De Lander added that she and Mance Warner were initially booked for both New Orleans tapings, then later told they were only needed for one day.

Steph De Lander says TNA booking volatility can directly affect wrestler income

Steph De Lander said the pay-per-appearance model can leave talent without income for long stretches, because pay depends entirely on being booked for taping days.

She also said late schedule changes can block outside earnings opportunities, since talent may hold dates for company bookings and then lose those paydays too close to secure indie replacements.

For related context around the same departure period, see her comments on TNA trying to keep Mance Warner after her exit request.

Quotes

Quote from Steph De Lander

“As far as I’m aware, most talent aren’t on salary. They are on pay-per-appearance, which basically means if you get booked for this day, you will get paid whatever your rate is for that as a day rate. It’s great if you’re booked consistently and you’re working and you have a good rate and all of that, but then it is difficult for people if they are left off for a loop or a few loops in a row or if there’s only two tapings a month, that’s only two opportunities to get paid. So it’s not a conventional weekly salary paycheck. I know they did do that previously and I think there’s still a few people that might be on that kind of deal just from signing that with previous management. But from what I’m aware, for the most part, it’s moved to pay-per-appearance deals.”

Steph De Lander later went on to say:

“Yeah, you can go months without getting paid if they don’t book you. Even for the tapings next week for New Orleans, we were told we were on both of them, they booked the travel and whatever and then I got an email that we were only needed for one day. That was kind of part of what made me think like, ‘Okay, I thought I was gonna be wrestling at this show. Now I’m unbooked for one of the days,’ which again, also means that you’re not getting paid for one of those days. So you’ve planned your month around, I’m going to be earning this much per month. You also haven’t taken any bookings that day and then if you get told two weeks beforehand, it’s too late to pick up any indie bookings. So that part of the scheduling and everything being so last minute can definitely affect you financially as well.”

Sources

As reported by Fightful.