Rikishi says he can no longer get comp (free) tickets to WWE events for his family
While speaking on his podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi commented on how WWE has changed since TKO took over ownership from Vince McMahon…
“It’s a whole different vibe now.
These cats are making a lot of money, which is good. I’m happy for the boys that are out there, you know, being able to pound their bodies, take all these bumps, and make all these sacrifices—being away from their families—and actually make it count. So it’s nice to see that happening for the boys.
And then, you know, the schedule—I think the schedule is a lot better now. They’re doing TVs here, and of course, those that have to go do extra personal appearances and stuff, that just adds onto their schedules. But overall, the scheduling is a lot better.
As far as the paydays and how the company is structured now, I don’t know. I’m not too sure about the ticket prices with TKO and all that, because even my family members—now we can’t even… they usually call me for tickets, but it’s too difficult now. There are a lot of loopholes you have to go through, blah blah blah.
Even though I’m not with the company full-time, I’m still on a Legends contract with WWE. So you would think family members and close friends would still have comp tickets, but there are no comp tickets. I can maybe try to get a discount, but I don’t know what a discount is nowadays. A $1,000 ticket is still a lot.
For a family of five, with a man working 9-to-5 all week, and the whole family loves wrestling, it’s very difficult to take them to events. Back in the day for us, tickets were $25, $50. A front-row seat might’ve been $75. Now, man, you really have to hit the lottery just to sit in the nosebleeds.
That’s what I hear from a lot of wrestling fans. They come and complain to me about it, and I’m like, ‘I hear your concerns, but I’m not the guy.’ I’ll talk about it, I’ll put it out there. Maybe the company—or whoever is in charge of Ticketmaster or whatever—can make it happen for the fans.”