Shane Haste Reveals His WWE Main Roster Salary As SLAPJACK, Recalls Ultimatum Given To RETRIBUTION During Negotiations

Stories and details from Shane Haste.

Fresh off becoming the new GHC Heavyweight Champion, Shane Haste sat down with Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows to record an episode of Talk’n Shop.

Haste’s pro wrestling career was delved into, and he looked back at the time he spent on WWE’s main roster as SLAPJACK of the RETRIBUTION faction. On the subject of contracts, Haste revealed that as SLAPJACK, he was on a three-year deal and making $250,000 per year.

He remembers that after RETRIBUTION ended, he was called into the office of then-General Manager of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis informed Haste that WWE was looking to bump him up to $350,000 per year, but they would be adding two years onto his contract.

“It was more than double,” Haste said about the pay raise going to WWE’s main roster from NXT. “More than double. To be SLAPJACK, I made (a lot). It was great.” Haste was then asked what he made, and he replied, “250, $250,000 for a three-year contract. They originally asked, I think, 250 for five years… Brought it down to three years. I didn’t care.

To jump forward a little bit while we’re talking money, after the RETRIBUTION stuff, I get called into Johnny’s office and he’s like, ‘Hey,’ and I’m like, ‘Thanks for everything,’ and he’s like, ‘We wanted to give you a pay raise, up to $350,000 a year.’ He’s like, ‘But, we’re gonna add two years to your contract.’ I’m like, add infinity years… I didn’t say that but, I was like, ‘Yes, yes, whatever.’ I was like, ‘Sure, whatever.’ In my mind, I was like, add infinity years. I’m not seeing the end of this year. I didn’t have a name. They took away my name,” Haste laughed.

Haste remembers when RETRIBUTION were first discussing contract numbers for their move to the main roster, former Senior Director Mark Carrano asked them what they were looking for.

Haste suggested a $330,000 deal. He did not specify who, but said ‘WWE’ told them to take the $250,000 deal or they would all be fired. As mentioned, Haste ended up signing a $350,000 deal after RETRIBUTION.

“So (Mark) Carrano had originally came to us for the main roster thing. He says, ‘Is there anything that you really want?’ I’m like, ‘I’d like to sign a million dollar contract.’ Whether it’s 250 for five years… So I’d asked for $330,000 for three years, whatever it was, and then that got shut down. They were like, ‘Take the deal or you’re all fired’ and we’re like, ‘Oh, okay then,’ which I was fine with, and that was for the three years… After that whole thing and they stripped me of everything, I ended up signing a deal that was over a million dollars. I didn’t get a million dollars.”

Haste won the GHC Heavyweight Title from Yoshiki Inamura at NOAH’s Spring Mayhem event. His first title defense will be against KENTA.

If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Talk’n Shop with an H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.