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20 Highest Paid WWE Wrestlers of 2023: Who’s on Top?

As a lifelong fan of WWE wrestling, looking into the realm of the 20 highest-paid WWE performers in 2023 is both exciting and intriguing. With each match, these superstars fascinate global audiences with their athleticism, charisma, and larger-than-life personalities.

From iconic icons to young performers, the world of professional wrestling is continuously changing, and the financial benefits reflect their dedication and hard work.

Join me as we look at who is at the top of the WWE earnings ladder. From main event headliners to fan favourites, we’ll look at the financial success stories and superstars who dominate both inside and outside the ring.

1. Brock Lesnar – $12 million

Brock Lesnar in March 2015.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Brock Lesnar, born July 12, 1977, is an American professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and ex-American football player. He’s currently signed to WWE, on hiatus since August 2023. Lesnar is renowned for winning major championships across WWE, UFC, NJPW, IGF, and NCAA.

He gained prominence in WWE, winning the championship at 25. Lesnar briefly pursued football before returning to wrestling and then transitioning to MMA, where he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship. 

2. John Cena – $8.5 million

John Cena July 2018.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

John Cena, born April 23, 1977, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He’s been with WWE since 2001, now part-time since 2018. With a record 16-time world champion title, Cena is acclaimed as one of the greatest wrestlers.

Starting in bodybuilding, he transitioned to wrestling in 1999. Rising in WWE with a rapper persona, he later became a clean-cut hero figure. Cena held various WWE titles, headlined WrestleMania five times, and won accolades like Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank.

Beyond wrestling, he’s found success in acting, notably in movies like “The Marine” and “F9”. Cena is also recognized for extensive charity work, notably with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

3. Roman Reigns – $5 million

Roman Reigns 2015.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Leati Joseph Anoaʻi, born May 25, 1985, is an American professional wrestler known as Roman Reigns in WWE. He holds the record for the longest WWE Universal Championship reign, currently in his fourth WWE Championship reign. Reigns is part of The Bloodline stable and the Anoaʻi wrestling dynasty.

After college football, he briefly played in the NFL and CFL before joining WWE in 2010. Debuting with The Shield, he later pursued singles competition, amassing accolades including six world championships. Initially a heroic figure, Reigns’ character evolved into a villainous tribal chief, earning critical acclaim. He’s recognized as one of today’s top wrestlers.

4. Logan Paul – $5 million

Logan Paul (48086619418).jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Logan Alexander Paul, born April 1, 1995, is an American social media influencer, wrestler, YouTuber, and actor. He’s currently with WWE, reigning as the WWE United States Champion.

With over 23 million YouTube subscribers, he’s been listed on Forbes’ highest-paid YouTube creators in 2017, 2018, and 2021. Paul gained fame on Vine in 2013 before transitioning to YouTube. He’s known for his vlogs, reaching millions of subscribers.

Additionally, he’s ventured into acting, music, and boxing, notably fighting KSI. Paul made his professional wrestling debut at WrestleMania 38 and has since signed multiple contracts with WWE, winning the United States Championship in 2023.

5. Randy Orton – $4.5 million

Randy Orton One Night Stand 2007.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Randal Keith Orton, born April 1, 1980, is an American professional wrestler and actor currently with WWE’s SmackDown brand. With over 20 years in the industry, he’s esteemed as one of the greatest wrestlers.

Orton, a third-generation wrestler, rose through WWE ranks after training in various wrestling circuits. He gained fame as “The Legend Killer,” disrespecting wrestling veterans. Orton became the youngest WWE World Heavyweight Champion at 24.

Throughout his career, he’s held numerous titles including the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship. Orton’s rivalries, particularly with John Cena, are legendary. He’s also won Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble matches, headlined WrestleMania, and holds records for PPV appearances.

6. Seth Rollins – $3.5 million

Colby Daniel Lopez, born May 28, 1986, known as Seth “Freakin” Rollins, is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE’s Raw brand. Renowned for his in-ring prowess and character versatility, he’s considered one of today’s best wrestlers and a generational great.

Before WWE, he excelled in Ring of Honor (ROH) as Tyler Black. Rollins held ROH titles and won tournaments, earning acclaim as one of North America’s top talents. In WWE since 2010, he’s a record-breaking six-time Raw Tag Team Champion and a five-time world champion, holding titles like the WWE Championship, Universal Championship, and World Heavyweight Championship.

Rollins is a key figure in WWE’s Reality and New Eras, known for headlining major events and winning prestigious awards like the PWI 500 and Wrestler of the Year.

7. AJ Styles – $3.5 million

AJ Styles Apr 2018.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Allen Neal Jones, born June 2, 1977, known by his ring name AJ Styles, is an American professional wrestler currently with WWE’s SmackDown brand. Jones gained prominence in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), becoming a cornerstone with multiple championship wins.

He also competed in Ring of Honor (ROH) and internationally, notably in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro). Joining WWE in 2016, he’s a two-time WWE Champion and multiple-time titleholder, achieving both Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion status.

Revered as a wrestling pillar, he’s won numerous awards and headlined major events across various promotions, solidifying his status as one of the world’s greatest wrestlers.

8. Triple H – $3.5 million

Paul Michael Levesque, known as Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired wrestler. Starting in 1992, he wrestled for various promotions before joining WWE in 1995. As Triple H, he became a key figure in the Attitude Era, co-founding D-Generation X.

He won numerous championships, including 14 world titles. Behind the scenes, he’s credited with creating NXT and is praised for his business acumen. Married to Stephanie McMahon, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019. After health issues, including heart failure in 2021, he officially retired from in-ring competition in April 2022.

9. Becky Lynch – $3 million

Becky Lynch WrestleMania 32 Axxess.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Rebecca Quin, born January 30, 1987, known as Becky Lynch, is an Irish professional wrestler signed with WWE’s Raw brand. Lynch gained recognition across Europe and North America on the independent circuit before joining WWE in 2013.

She became the inaugural SmackDown Women’s Champion in 2016 and has held the title four times. Transitioning to a more aggressive persona in 2018, she coined herself “The Man” and soared in popularity. Lynch made history at WrestleMania 35 by becoming the first woman to hold both Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships simultaneously.

After a hiatus due to pregnancy, she returned in 2021, capturing the SmackDown Women’s Championship again. With additional title wins, including the NXT Women’s Championship in 2023, Lynch solidified her status as WWE’s Sixth Women’s Grand Slam Champion.

10. The Undertaker – $2.5 million

The Undertaker April 2014.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Mark William Calaway, born March 24, 1965, known as The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler celebrated as one of the greatest in the industry. Most of his career was with WWF/E, renowned for his iconic “Deadman” Undertaker persona.

Debuting in 1987, he joined WWF in 1990 and became The Undertaker, gaining mainstream popularity. His character evolved, including a biker persona dubbed “The American Badass”. The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak of 21 straight victories became legendary.

He also formed the Brothers of Destruction with Kane. Throughout his career, he won numerous championships, including the WWF/E Championship four times and the World Heavyweight Championship three times.

11. The Miz – $2.5 million

Michael Gregory Mizanin, born October 8, 1980, known as The Miz, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and TV personality signed with WWE’s Raw brand. Rising to fame through reality TV, he appeared on shows like The Real World and Real World/Road Rules Challenge.

Transitioning to wrestling, he joined WWE in 2004, debuting on the main roster in 2006. With WWE, he’s won the WWE Championship twice, the Intercontinental Championship eight times, and the United States Championship twice, among others.

He’s a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion, also winning the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2010. Mizanin has headlined WrestleMania and topped Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s PWI 500 list in 2011.

12. Ronda Rousey – $2.1 million

Rousey HOF 2018 (cropped).jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Ronda Jean Rousey, born February 1, 1987, is an American professional wrestler, actress, and former judoka and mixed martial artist. She rose to prominence as the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Rousey then transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMA), where she became a dominant force in the UFC, winning the Women’s Bantamweight Championship and setting records for title defences.

In 2018, Rousey began her professional wrestling career with WWE, quickly making an impact by winning the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. She went on to headline WWE’s first all-women’s pay-per-view event and became a multiple-time women’s world champion. Rousey is also known for her appearances in films and her autobiography.

Despite facing challenges in her early life, including a speech disorder, Rousey overcame adversity to become one of the most successful and influential female athletes of the 21st century.

13. Kevin Owens – $2 million

Kevin Yanick Steen, born on May 7, 1984, is a Canadian professional wrestler known as Kevin Owens in WWE. Before joining WWE in 2014, he competed in Ring of Honor and on the independent circuit, winning multiple championships.

In WWE, Owens has held various titles, including the NXT Championship, Universal Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and United States Championship.

He’s also a Grand Slam Champion and has main-evented WrestleMania twice, notably facing “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and teaming with Sami Zayn against The Usos. Steen’s career showcases his versatility and success in both independent and mainstream wrestling.

14. Charlotte Flair – $1.8 million

Charlotte Flair, born April 5, 1986, is an American pro wrestler signed to WWE’s SmackDown brand. She’s sidelined due to ACL, MCL, and meniscus injuries. The daughter of wrestling legend Ric Flair, she debuted in WCW in 1993 and joined WWE in 2012.

Named PWI’s 2014 Rookie of the Year, Flair boasts 14 women’s world titles, including WWE Raw Women’s Championship (6x), SmackDown Women’s Championship (7x), and NXT Women’s Championship (2x). She’s also a WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. Flair won the 2020 Royal Rumble and made history headlining WWE PPVs, including WrestleMania 35’s first women’s main event.

15. Sasha Banks – $1.8 million

Sasha Banks Axxess 2018 crop.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado, born January 26, 1992, known as Sasha Banks, is an American wrestler and actress. She rose to fame in WWE from 2012 to 2022, winning titles like the Raw Women’s Championship (5x) and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.

Banks made history headlining WWE events and was named Wrestler of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 2020. She joined NJPW/Stardom as Mercedes Moné in 2023, becoming the IWGP Women’s Champion. Outside wrestling, she appears in Disney+’s The Mandalorian as Koska Reeves.

16. Bianca Belair – $1.5 million

Bianca Blair Crawford, born April 9, 1989, known as Bianca Belair, is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE’s SmackDown brand. Notable for her 420-day reign as Raw Women’s Champion, the longest in its history.

Debuting in WWE’s NXT in 2016, she later won the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble and faced Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37, marking the second time women main-evented the event and the first for two African Americans.

Ranked No. 1 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2021, she holds records as the longest-reigning WWE women’s champion and longest-reigning black world champion.

17. Drew McIntyre – $1.5 million

Drew Galloway March 2017.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Andrew McLean Galloway IV, known as Drew McIntyre, is a Scottish wrestler signed to WWE’s Raw brand. Starting in 2001, he joined WWE in 2007, initially as The Chosen One on SmackDown, winning the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championships.

After a stint with 3MB, he was released in 2014, and then wrestled globally under his real name, winning titles in TNA and Evolve. Returning to WWE in 2017, he won the NXT Championship before claiming the Raw Tag Team, Men’s Royal Rumble, and WWE Championship, making history as the first British WWE world champion.

18. Sheamus – $1.5 million

Sheamus April 2014.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Fergal Devitt, known as Finn Bálor in WWE, is an Irish wrestler currently on the Raw brand. He’s part of The Judgment Day stable and is one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions with Damian Priest.

Devitt made a name for himself in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as Prince Devitt, winning titles like the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and leading the Bullet Club. In WWE’s NXT, he held the NXT Championship for a record 292 days.

Upon moving to the main roster, Bálor won the inaugural WWE Universal Championship in his pay-per-view debut, making history. He’s also a two-time Intercontinental Champion and one-time United States Champion.

19. Finn Balor – $1.3 million

Fergal Devitt, known as Finn Bálor in WWE, is an Irish wrestler currently on the Raw brand. He’s part of The Judgment Day stable and is one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions with Damian Priest.

Devitt made a name for himself in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as Prince Devitt, winning titles like the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and leading the Bullet Club. In WWE’s NXT, he held the NXT Championship for a record 292 days.

Upon moving to the main roster, Bálor won the inaugural WWE Universal Championship in his pay-per-view debut, making history. He’s also a two-time Intercontinental Champion and one-time United States Champion.

20. Alexa Bliss – $1 million

Alexa Bliss SmackDown Women’s Champion 2016.jpg , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Alexis Bliss, born Alexis Kaufman on August 9, 1991, is an American wrestler signed to WWE. She debuted in NXT in 2013 before moving to SmackDown in 2016 and later to Raw in 2017. Bliss has held the SmackDown Women’s Championship twice and the Raw Women’s Championship three times, being the first to win both titles.

She’s also a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, making her a Women’s Triple Crown Champion. Outside wrestling, she appeared on Total Divas and competed on The Masked Singer. Bliss overcame an eating disorder through fitness competitions and holds an M.A. in medical dietetics.

In the realm of WWE, the top earners of 2023 showcase a diverse array of talent, from seasoned veterans to rising stars. Each wrestler’s journey to financial success reflects their dedication, charisma, and contributions to the sport, captivating audiences worldwide with their athleticism and larger-than-life personas.