Roddy Piper screamed that for years. Nobody ever listened. Vince has such a monopoly on wrestling the guys don’t really have anywhere else to go. They have no leverage. There’s TNA, but they can’t pay the way Vince can.
He did not have the acting ability to be truly hated, nor a country he represented that people hated.
Sure, they tried stirring patriotism throughout the years, but it was never like it was in the 70s. Could be because of the pc way it was presented.
Then again maybe not. Whatever the reason one thing is for sure -- they lost something and never gained it back.
I just read that Konnan quit TNA because he asked for a raise from $50k to $80k, and it wasn’t happening. Now, TNA does tapings every 2 weeks, 1 PPV a month, and limited house shows, so the schedule is much easier than WWE.
Also Konnan was just a manager these days, pretty much, not a wrestler.
But still, I read an article that suggested Benoit made about $500k a year. The difference between working in WWE and TNA, as far as money is concerned, is significant.