The controversy around WWE royalty payments just got louder. After Kevin Nash claimed his WWE royalty checks were cut in half under TKO, Stevie Richards has now stepped up with his own accusations — saying he hasn’t received a single royalty check in almost a decade.
Speaking on The Stevie Richards Show, the former WWE and ECW star revealed he believes WWE and TKO have drastically altered how royalties work, leaving wrestlers with little to nothing while expecting them to stay quiet.
“They get royalty checks. Oh my god. I have to call WWE. I haven’t gotten a royalty check in probably 10 years, and I’m definitely not getting one now. So for Kevin to put that out there, now we’ve got a game of chicken going on. It’s got to be legal from this point on because once Kevin stands his ground, and I assume Sean Waltman will too, that could open the door for other talent—especially within the nWo group.”
Richards warned that if more wrestlers begin asking questions, WWE and TKO could be facing a serious legal situation. He accused the company of manipulating accounting practices to minimize payouts, while stressing that a forensic review could uncover much more than just missed checks.
“Forensic accounting could reveal a lot more than just royalty issues. I’m telling you, I haven’t seen a single check in 10 years. It’s not like I’m owed on the nWo level, but I still want to know what they owe me. I’m actually going to email talent relations after this and ask if I’m owed any royalty checks, because I haven’t gotten one in 8 to 10 years. Multiply that by 100 if others start asking too.”
According to Richards, wrestlers only receive about one-third of one percent from merchandise sales — and it’s based on net profits, not total sales. That means once WWE deducts its own costs, the performers are left with scraps.
“The percentage wrestlers get from merchandise is about one-third of one percent. There’s a lot of zeros before that one. And here’s the trick—it’s not based on gross, it’s based on net. That means after they deduct all their costs, you get a tiny slice of what’s left.”
He also revealed how much things have changed over the years. In the past, one video game check could earn him $35,000 to $40,000. Today, with rosters packed with hundreds of names, most wrestlers are lucky to see $5,000.
“Even for video games—it’s crazy. You could be on the main roster, featured in the DLC, and still not get a royalty check. Back in the day, one check from a video game could be $35,000 or $40,000, which wasn’t bad. But now with 80 or more people in a game, including guys like Roman Reigns and The Undertaker, that number drops to maybe $5,000. That’s death to your royalty check by a thousand paper cuts—or maybe 300.”
With Kevin Nash already putting pressure on TKO, Richards’ claims could push more wrestlers to demand answers. If big names like Sean Waltman or other nWo legends join in, WWE and TKO may have a major legal and PR problem on their hands.
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