WWE News: Ryback Reveals The WWE Contract Offer He Turned Down & His Original Plans For ‘WrestleMania 32’

Ryback officially parted ways with the WWE on August 8, but his tenure with the company effectively ended three months earlier when The Big Guy was sent home hours before RAW due to a contract dispute with Vince McMahon. Coming off the heels of back-to-back kickoff show matches with Kalisto at WrestleMania and Payback, Ryback was frustrated with his position in the WWE with a deal that was set to expire sometime this summer.

As time went on, and reports continued to materialize, it became evident that Ryback and the WWE were incredibly far apart on a contract extension and they were likely never going to agree to a deal. As it turns out, Ryback’s demands were extraordinarily unorthodox and ones that Vince would never acquiesce to.

Ryback was demanding equal opportunity of sorts in that he wanted every member of the roster to be compensated the same, regardless of their position on the card. While there may be some merit to the concept, there’s no chance the company would go through with it. Top guys make the top money because that’s who the fans actually pay to see, for the most part. There are certainly exceptions, but the majority of fans purchase pay-per-views or network subscriptions based on the marquee matches of that particular night.

As if that weren’t enough, Ryback demanded that all wrestlers’ travel and food expenses be paid for by the WWE. That too, was never happening, so it might have just been easier for Ryback to walk away once his contract expired, but he wanted his voice to be heard. This demand is much more reasonable and probably should change, but it’s never been a part of the deal prior to now. It’s made him a viable commodity on the independent scene, but he’ll likely never reach the spot in the WWE he always claimed he deserved.

Ryback initially broke his silence on a social media video where he beat the WWE to the punch by wishing them the best in their future endeavors the weekend before the company made the official announcement on their website. He also tried to steal some thunder from them back in May when he teased signing with TNA the day of the WWE pay-per-view, Extreme Rules. But it was this week’s revelations that raised the most eyebrows in regards to peeling back the curtain a little more.

According to Wrestling Inc, Ryback released his new podcast, Conversations With The Big Guy, on which he revealed the contract extension from WWE that he turned down. Ryback claimed that money was never an issue, though he ultimately rejected a three-year deal worth $1.5 million to remain in the WWE through at least 2019. As mentioned, it was more about the other demands he made that were not met.

In addition to the financials, Ryback claimed that Vince lied to him repeatedly about how he intended on using him, bringing up WrestleMania 32 as a prime example. Though much of this has yet to be confirmed, Ryback said Vince told him he was originally in line to face AJ Styles in Dallas, with Vince telling him he would “squash that little twerp.” Of course, Ryback was relegated to the three-match kickoff show in a United States Championship match with Kalisto, which he lost. Again, he thought he would also squash Kalisto in that match, but it did not happen that way either.

Ryback also claimed that Vince told him he would be the top heel in the company if he read his promos exactly as scripted and listened to Vince. Being the top heel would have also presented him with a title run, but none of that ever developed. It’s hard to imagine now Ryback either being the company’s top bad guy or squashing AJ Styles. Styles had one of the best matches with Chris Jericho that night and has quickly emerged as one of the best wrestlers on the roster, destined to become a champion in his own right.

Ryback’s goal now is to become the best big guy in the business while wrestling the indy circuit until the right offer from TNA, Ring of Honor, or New Japan comes along. Never say never in this industry, but he’s certainly burnt quite a few bridges with the WWE.

[Image via WWE]