On the latest episode of Kliq This, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash opened up about the groundbreaking contract shift he and Scott Hall triggered when they jumped from WWF to WCW in 1996 — a move that forever changed the financial structure of pro wrestling.
Nash explained how the idea of guaranteed contracts barely existed in WWF before that point. “There was no such thing as a downside guarantee,” Nash said. “Well, there was a bullsh*t guarantee of like, $1,500 or something like that.” Co-host Sean Oliver chimed in: “You were guaranteed. Your guarantee was 10 events at $150.”
That all changed when Hall and Nash signed their WCW deals — reportedly starting at $750,000 per year and increasing annually. Nash recalled, “We just got a flat-out guarantee,” a major shift from the bonus-based system used by WWF at the time.
According to Nash, the success of their move and the rise of the nWo gave them immediate leverage. “That changed as soon as they pulled that stupid fking fake Diesel and Razor [lookalikes],” Nash said, referring to WWF’s infamous attempt to use new talent under their former personas. “We got a fking big bump on that. We’re making… we got longer time, and we’re making seven figures.”
One of the smartest moves they made? The introduction of a “Favored Nations” clause — a stipulation that guaranteed they would always match the salary of any talent brought in at a higher rate. “If someone came in and made more than us, then… we got matched,” Nash revealed. He also added that they were “always in the process of renegotiating our deals,” using stars like Hulk Hogan as leverage.
Nash’s comments highlight a pivotal moment in wrestling history — when the business shifted from handshake agreements and minimal guarantees to multi-year, high-value contracts that gave top performers financial security and real negotiating power. And as Nash put it best:
“There was no way anybody was gonna go back to f**king $1,500 guarantees.”
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
