20 Weird Rules Every Superstar Has To Follow

WWE is unlike any form of sport or entertainment. We’re not only saying that because of the on-screen product but we’re also saying that because of what goes on behind the scenes. It is all starts with that weird contract. Aspiring performers are so blinded by the WWE logo at the top of the contract that they forget to realize that they aren’t even regarded as employees but instead independent contractors. Salary is also a bit of a headache. Unlike pro sports, it isn’t the best talent making the most money. WWE values longevity and this is evident judging by their pay scheme.

In this article, we will take a look at other weird rules every WWE Superstar must follow. That will include behind the scenes things such as arriving to arena hours before the show, filming vignettes even before the cameras start rolling and a lot of other head scratching aspects of the business.

Although this is a dream job for many, it comes with all a lot of sacrifices. For that reason, indie promotions might offer a wrestler better terms given the flexibility of their contracts. Who knows, maybe WWE might be forced into revising these terms, especially with the booming indie scene and AEW entering the mix real soon.

Enjoy the article folks, and like always be sure to share the article with a friend. Without further ado, here are 20 weird rules every Superstar has to follow. Why? Because it is the WWE way!

20 Heels Cannot Travel With Babyfaces

Back in the 8'0s and early '90s this would be an understandable rule. However, with everything so wide open in this day and age, it is a bit of a mystery as to how this rule is still in effect.

Seth Rollins admitted to the rule, claiming it was hard to travel without his Shield brothers once he made the drastic heel turn. Even when it comes to the WWE series, Ride Along, rarely do we see a heel and babyface riding together. Credit WWE for keeping this rule alive as at least they keep a bit of mystery.

19 Departments Before The Boss

Getting an idea over isn’t as easy as knocking on Vince’s door (although that was once the case in the '90s). According to Finn Balor and his recent interview with Inside the Ropes, the former Universal Champion made the claim that he had to pitch the “Finn Balor for Everyone” concept to various departments before it got the approval.

It wasn’t even the departments that helped out but instead, it was Stephanie that approved the idea when she heard of the concept. It might be best for a WWE star to let someone important know about a concept, instead of going through the proper measures of pitching it to the departments.

18 Filming Backstage Vignettes Before The Show

Nowadays, everything is a big time crunch. Forget about the days that RAW finished eleven minutes passed what it was supposed to. In the current era, RAW and SmackDown Live finish at the exact time that they’re supposed to.

In order to facilitate this change, WWE shoots most of their vignettes prior to the show and not live. Former characters like The Rock would take way too much time when it was shot live, thus the new format features proper edits and a strict time limit. It might seem like it’s live but for the most part, it is not.

17 WWE Can Still Sell Your Merchandise When You Get Released

This one might drive a released wrestler pretty mad. Once a Superstar gets the release papers, the company still has the right to sell their inventory for X amount of days, it all depends on the contract clauses.

Chris Jericho and Neville are two recent examples of this holding true. In fact, once Jericho signed with AEW his merchandise was put on sale by WWE, selling at almost half the price. Although he’s gone, the company still profits from his fame - a tough pill to swallow for any wrestler, let alone Jericho.

16 WWE Stars Told To Download App For Booking Information

Forget about email. According to Zack Ryder via his Edge and Christian Podcast appearance (yeah, he finally made it on the show), WWE talent are now told to download a private app which gives them all the information they need in terms of travel info and other booking information they might need to know about.

We can imagine the likes of the Big Show trying to understand this new technology. It just goes to show that WWE continues to change with the times, even modernizing behind the scenes.

15 Stay For The Entire Event

This isn’t a specific rule but one that is more of an unwritten rule out of respect. During a RAW, SmackDown, or any live event, a talent is expected to stay throughout the entirety of the show.

However, this doesn’t always happen as some decide to get a head start to the next destination. This doesn’t always sit well with others. Sami Zayn reacted very badly to half the locker room leaving during the Universal Championship match on RAW which featured Kevin Owens winning the title for the first time. Maybe WWE should make this a concrete rule moving forward out of respect to the performers.

14 Changing Room Specifications

In this day and age, it is hard to believe that WWE talent share separate locker rooms. Back in the '80s and 9'0s it was a little more understandable. However today, it is a bit of a head scratcher.

James Ellsworth admitted to this. Prior to his WWE fame, Ellsworth was getting changed in a separate locker room with lesser known performers. It all changed for James when Chris Jericho grabbed him from the said locker room and brought him into the main one with the other prominent acts.

13 Dress Code

A t-shirt just doesn’t cut it anymore. According to the new WWE dress code, the male talent must dress in a suit. However, given how uncomfortable that might be for travelling purposes, they also have the option of wearing Tap Out gear. This rule came to fruition following the company’s deal with the sporting apparel brand.

We assume most of the talent were able to breathe a sigh of relief with this decision. Just imagine constantly having to travel with a fancy shirt and tie? Yikes. Of course, this rule doesn’t apply to legends that make sporadic appearances.

12 Scripts Given Hours Before Shows

Big Show complained about this new rule during his recent interview with Busted Open. Nowadays, the talent is forced into memorizing entire scripts just hours before a show. Back in the day, it was either done well in advanced or at the very least, the company provided bullet points while the performers elaborated on their own.

Not only is this new system troubling for the Superstars but it has also created some robotic dialogue on-screen. Hopefully, this rule won’t last much longer.

11 Ref Has The Right To End A Match

We go inside of the squared circle for this one. It isn’t up to a wrestler as to whether or not a match is to continue. The person with all the authority is the referee. He has the right to call a match if he sees fit.

We saw that in the past with Daniel Bryan getting his match halted. Although he was irate behind the scenes with the decision, it was the right call and one that benefited him in the long run.

10 Arriving To The Arena Hours Before The Show

This rule is a big time head scratcher and one that still exists. Chris Jericho commented on the matter claiming he arrived to the Jeddah venue hours before the show. As one can imagine, it can get very dry and boring having to sit around and wait for several hours. All that waiting for literally just a couple of minutes of television time for the most part.

If a show starts at 8:00pm, wrestlers usually start arriving in the afternoon. At events like WrestleMania, they’re told to arrive even earlier. Despite this rule being kind of a nag, we don’t see it changing.

9 Physical Well-Being Is Self-Reliant

Some fans might think WWE provides their performers access to a certain gym facility while on the road. However, that is not a rule. Instead, a rule the performers must follow is finding their own gyms while on the road. Basically, a Superstar’s physical well-being is all up to them and only them.

We can imagine how hard that might be for a new talent. However, as Seth Rollins and Bayley stated in the past, once your earn the experience, you tend to visit the same gyms. It makes life a lot easier.

8 Choosing Your Name Isn’t Up To You

One of the most exciting parts about joining WWE is having the freedom to use a name you like, at least you would think. According to Bayley, this isn’t the case. She pitched the name Davina Rose, one she had success with prior to joining WWE.

However, the company didn’t like the Rose part, given the over usage of the name. Even though Mandy Rose would adopt the name a couple of years later. She was later labelled as Bayley, a name we can’t picture her without.

7 Finding Their Own Ground Transportation

During Roman Reigns' emotional speech, we saw his average looking rental car when WWE.com cameras followed him into parking lot. This is the norm for wrestlers. They aren’t riding around in a luxurious bus. Instead each performer is responsible for their own ground travel. Meaning, they must rent their own vehicles.

As for NXT. The younger core have it good. Tapings always take place under the same roof in Orlando. Also, when it’s time to travel elsewhere, the company has a bus for the developmental talent. It must be a tough transition going from easy bus rides with your peers to finding your own rental car

6 Social Media Regulations

Social media is a big aspect when it comes to driving WWE’s massive engine. They also have strict policies pertaining to social media. One of them, is that certain performers must have X amount of posts per week pertaining to the product.

Now that doesn’t apply to veteran talent but it does to the new school wrestlers. Social media is an important aspect and the company wants to fully benefit from it. Imagine telling the crop of talent that 20 years ago. Bret Hart would have done a Ric Flair face first dive under those conditions!

5 Working On A Match With An Agent

Those WWE legends backstage aren’t there just to pass the time. The likes of Arn Anderson and Tyson Kidd are actually hired by WWE as agents aiding with the matches. Now some would think the talent are calling everything in the ring. Though that’s true, for the most part. Superstars discuss certain spots and finishes with agents prior to a match.

If Vince wants a certain moment in the match, he tells the agent who later passes it on to the talent involved in the bout.

4 Experience Matters More Than Card Value In Terms Of Wages

In pro sports, it is all about the talent level as opposed to experience. Take the NHL as an example. Connor McDavid is paid for his abilities on the ice and not for the amount of years he has been in the league.

In WWE, oddly enough the opposite holds true. This is a weird rule. You would think a talent as skilled as Ricochet is making top dollar, but instead, he’s low on the totem pole compared to likes of the Big Show and Sheamus. WWE values longevity, even if that means you're past your prime.

3 Contract Exclusivity

Unlike the other wrestling promotions, WWE has strict policies in place when it comes to brand exclusivity. That means, if you sign with WWE, chances of wrestling elsewhere are quite slim unless, you’re a developmental talent.

We’re now seeing WWE a lot more open to performers joining other promotions. This allows developmental talent more of an opportunity to grow. Nonetheless, we don’t expect this to happen with main roster superstars as the company wants them in a WWE ring only.

2 Extra Appearances Don’t Receive Extra Money

If a WWE Superstar appears on a late night talk show, they aren’t paid anything extra for the gig. Sure, they get the accommodations paid for but that doesn’t come with extra money. As part of a WWE contract, wrestlers commit to appearing at events outside of the company as a part of their deal.

This doesn’t only hold true for company ambassadors but for all the Superstars as well. Given this clause, WWE is truly unlike any form of entertainment. This is a unique clause to say the least.

1 Not Being Able To Use Their Gimmick Names Outside Of The Company

This one is a weird rule thanks to trademarks slapped on by WWE. If a wrestler never used the name prior or it isn’t their real name, then WWE has the right to hold it. Now they couldn’t trademark Jericho’s name but they could for a guy like Big Cass. Because of that, Cass was forced into changing his name to Big Cazz which was later changed to Big C.

It is pretty weird how a performer builds this name up, only for WWE to take full control of it once they leave.