Former WWE referee Artemis detailed how pay issues caused her to leave the company.
Life as a WWE referee can mean weekly television exposure, but according to former NXT UK referee Artemis, working for the sports entertainment giant didn’t pay enough to make it worthwhile to stay with the company. Speaking on Cultaholic’s Desert Island Graps, she explained that she actually took a pay cut to work for WWE.
“I’m gonna be very blunt and very honest. The pay, the pay’s a big issue.
“I’ve never earned as little money as I did in WWE, which I never thought I would say that because I thought that was going to be my full-time job and that was going to be it, it was great. I took a massive pay cut from being a teacher to referee, which is weird considering you’re on TV every week in several countries. So, during my two years under contract because I did almost a year without a contract and then two years contracted.”
Continuing, Artemis revealed that even when she was offered a new contract with the company, the pay didn’t change, and WWE didn’t agree to let her to do other jobs to earn more money.
“I offered to do other jobs to help and also to increase the pay but, I got told there was nothing and then in — just before my contract expired, they offered me a new two-year contract and when I asked what the pay was going to be, they said it was going to be the same. So, I said, ‘I can’t do it. I’ve got a mortgage, I’ve got to take care of my mom. I can’t stay on that little money,’ and it’s a shame, but I need to take care of my family.”
WWE is currently embroiled in a referee-based storyline in its build to SummerSlam. After multiple instances of questionable calls in matches between the Usos and the Street Profits, Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett has been named the special guest referee for their Undisputed Tag Team Championship match on the Grandest Stage of the Summer. Jarrett will be busy that weekend as he is also set to compete against Ric Flair in tag team action during Ric Flair’s Last Match as part of Starrcast.
h/t POST Wrestling