Who Were the Highest Paid WWE Superstars of 2017?

It is no surprise that with a worldwide company like the WWE, their performers are well paid. But just how well paid?

Taking into account things like base pay, merchandise sales, and outside ventures, Forbes broke down the list of the ten highest paid performers for the last year.

The big thing to keep in mind is that the money earned by these wrestlers isn't exclusive to their WWE contract. John Cena would likely come in 1st place on his contract and merchandise sales alone, but its his movie work that helps puts him $3.5 million over Brock Lesnar's 2nd place spot. Had Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson wrestled in 2017, he would have claimed the top spot with his $65 million earned from movies last year. Triple H's earnings aren't just as a performer, but also include his pay as an executive vice president within the company, factoring in the base salary, stocks and bonuses for that position.

On average, a WWE Superstar on the main roster can earn around half a million in a year. The typical pay for a WWE performer includes a base guaranteed amount, plus a share of revenues for their merchandise (around 25% for licensing deals and 5% of direct sales) and shows they appear on.

While no women made it to the 2017 list, that's likely to change for this year after this weekend's Wrestlemania. Rhonda Rousey's deal is likely a lucrative one, and Stephanie McMahon would have made the list for 2017 in 9th place, but was excluded for not wrestling a match within the year.

The 10 highest paid performers for 2017 were...