Forbes has put together a list of WWE's highest earners in 2016 and it makes for very interesting reading indeed. Both Big Show and Kane have fallen out of the Top 10 this year (no great surprise considering their limited schedules as their respective careers begin to wind down) and there have been some big shakeups elsewhere, primarily in regards to who came in at #1.
That is Brock Lesnar who earned a whopping $12 million last year, a figure which tops John Cena's $8 million. You'd think the leader of the Cenation would have topped The Beast thanks to merchandise sales alone, but his injury-related absences and commitments outside of WWE no doubt contributed to this. Interestingly, Lesnar made as much from his UFC 200 purse and split of PPV buys for his return to the Octagon as his entire year's earnings in WWE!
Other big moves include a pay increase for Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, while anyone who says the company doesn't view AJ Styles as a top star will have to eat their words after seeing that The Phenomenal One earned more than the likes of The Undertaker, Seth Rollins, and Randy Orton (though it's important to note that all three were away with injuries for some time).
Check out the full list below and the be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
1. Brock Lesnar – $12 million
2. John Cena – $8 million
3. Triple H – $ 3.8 million
4. Roman Reigns – $3.5 million
5. Dean Ambrose – $2.7 million
6. AJ Styles – $2.4 million
7. Shane McMahon – $2.2 million
8. The Undertaker – $2 million
9. Seth Rollins – $2 million
10. Randy Orton – $1.9 million
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