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RVD is someone who values his own beliefs in life and isn’t tied down by what others feel is the norm in society. That is exactly why RVD defended his status as an independent contractor recently.
While speaking on his 1 of Kind podcast, RVD was asked about Kevin Kelly’s lawsuit against AEW, which contends that AEW improperly classifies its wrestlers as independent contractors rather than employees.
RVD explains that he prefers being an independent contractor because it gives him more freedom and control over his career. He says that some people assume wrestlers like him are treated unfairly, like being employees without benefits, but he disagrees. He believes people shouldn’t assume they understand his situation unless they’ve heard his side.
As an independent contractor, RVD sets his own terms when he works with others, and he enjoys that freedom. He compares it to being an employee, where taxes and benefits are handled for you, but you don’t have much say. As a contractor, he takes care of his own insurance, expenses, and other costs. He likes the responsibility that comes with managing his own finances and making his own decisions.
“I’m going against the grain, I’m thinking different, I’m not conforming to everybody else. Some people will tell me, without even asking, they just assume, ‘Man, you know, that’s not fair how you guys get treated. You get treated like employees with a job, but then they don’t pay you like employees. That ain’t right.’ And I’m like, ‘Hey, boundaries, bro. Don’t start telling me you get my perspective when you haven’t even heard it.’
Being an independent contractor, when you’re an employee for a place, you work for an employer, and you get paid by the hour or whatever, then they take out the taxes—federal, for retirement, blah, blah, blah. You get one week off, vacation, whatever the terms are that come with the job as an employee. When you’re an independent contractor, basically, you’re your own boss. You set the terms on an agreement with somebody, and then you honor those terms. I’ve always enjoyed doing business like that.”
RVD shares an example he often uses to win people over: Would they prefer to work for him, receive a set amount of money, and have him pay for their insurance, or would they rather receive double the money but take care of their own insurance as an independent contractor? Most people, he says, prefer the latter, as it allows them to manage their own coverage and decide what’s best for them.
RVD also enjoys the responsibility that comes with being an independent contractor, including managing his own expenses, setting up different bank accounts for taxes and other costs, and ensuring he’s financially prepared for whatever he needs. While some people might think employees have an advantage by automatically getting insurance, RVD argues that if he really needed something like that in his contract, he could negotiate for it.
The Whole F’N Show points out that some WWE wrestlers have buses paid for by the company because they negotiated that as part of their deal. If everyone were employees, they might expect everyone at a certain level to get similar perks, but RVD believes this wouldn’t necessarily happen. He acknowledges that capitalism drives much of the industry, and he’s personally not in favor of equal treatment for everyone. He views unions as something that might level the playing field, but he doesn’t want to give up his personal advantages, especially if they benefit others but leave him with less flexibility.
”And I always say this to people: if you’re not with me, listen to this because it usually wins everybody over. Would you rather work for me, get paid x amount of money, and I’ll pay your insurance—you’ll be my employee—or would you rather get double that amount of money, be an independent contractor, and take care of your own insurance? That usually wins people over. They usually say, ‘Wow, yeah, I’d rather be able to shop for myself and judge my own coverage and the value of what the money versus coverage is.’ Well, guess what? When you’re an independent contractor, that’s how it goes. You take care of yourself. You set up your own different bank accounts where you’ve got to put money away for this, money for that. You know what’s considered expenses, what you have to spend on your job to make that money back. I’ve always enjoyed that.
And you know, the insurance is a big factor because people think, ‘If you’re an employee, then you get insurance.’ But also, if as an independent contractor, I sign a three-year deal with somebody and say, ‘Hey, you know what? This is a deal breaker, I need you to cover my insurance,’ well, guess what? They would cover it. If I say, ‘Hey, I need to have a bus,’ they’re going to cover it or they’re not. That’s negotiating. A lot of wrestlers have a bus that WWE pays for, and that’s because, as independent contractors, they worked that into their terms. Now, if we were all employees, wouldn’t we all get buses? Or at least at a certain level? You know, when you reach whatever level it is that these guys are past, wouldn’t everyone get treated a little more fairly? Maybe.
But we live in a capitalist society, so personally, I’m not for equal treatment. I think that unions tend to equalize everybody at a rate that I don’t necessarily want to give up. Personally, if it ends up better for everybody else, and I’m moving on, and all the young guys are coming up, if it’s really better for everyone else to be employees, and then fill out… I don’t even know what you fill out, a W-9 or whatever at the end of the year when you’re an employee, and then have somebody give you your schedule, your days off, whatever it is. If that works better in the future, I wouldn’t want to stop anybody from being able to achieve that upgrade in life. But for me, whatever you need, put it on the agreement.”
While he understands that younger wrestlers might benefit from being employees and receiving all the structured benefits that come with it, RVD prefers the freedom that being an independent contractor gives him. He compares it to being a freelance worker, like a repairman who negotiates terms on a job. In his view, people should be free to negotiate their own terms and not be forced into one-size-fits-all deals. He doesn’t believe everyone should be paid the same or treated the same in wrestling, as it’s an entertainment business where different people have different levels of value, based on their ability to sell tickets and keep viewers engaged.
For RVD, being an independent contractor has always been the better way, especially if someone is responsible and able to handle the extra work that comes with it. He enjoys managing his own affairs, setting his own terms, and being in control of his career. He also questions whether unions would even cover smaller promotions or just major ones like WWE and AEW, wondering how the rest of the wrestling industry would fit into that framework.
”If I am a single repairman, a roof guy, and I’m working on your house, and we sign a contract, and then I tell you I’m going to finish your job within 12 months, and you agree to it, but then say, ‘I don’t want you working for anybody else, doing anyone else’s roofs until you get mine done,’ I say, ‘Okay, I’ll agree to that too.’ Guess what? Those are just terms. We don’t all need the same terms. We certainly don’t all get paid anywhere near the same, and should we? It’s the entertainment business—do we all have equal value? It’s hard to compare when you’re talking about who’s selling tickets, who are people happier to see, who’s keeping people from turning the channel versus those that fans don’t care about but are needed to fill spots. We can’t pay them as much as others, can we?
There’s so much to it. I’ve always loved being an independent contractor and taking care of myself. I feel like if you’re responsible, that’s a better way for you. That’s the way I’ve always looked at it. Love to hear anybody talk on that and talk against it. But if unions were around, would they just be in WWE and AEW? The wrestling business is so much bigger than that. There are so many organizations, groups, shows that we don’t even know about that never even make TV. Would unions cover Bobby Fulton’s Big Time Wrestling in Chillicothe, Ohio? I doubt it.”
A union in professional wrestling has been a controversial topic for many years. The likes of Andrew Yang even tried to get wrestlers to unionize. Hulk Hogan also squashed that idea years ago when Jesse Ventura tried to bring it up within WWE. Regardless, RVD has the right to defend his status as an independent contractor and many people will simply respect him for his opinion.
What do you make of what RVD had to say when it comes to being an independent contractor in professional wrestling? Do you feel wrestling requires a union? Let us know in the comments section below!
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
September 9, 2024 7:15 am
