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Kelly Klein’s Ring Of Honor Contract Revealed
Former Ring Of Honor star Kelly Klein’s performer contract has been revealed in legal documents filed in The United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Klein, filed a discrimination lawsuit against Ring Of Honor and its parent company Sinclair Broadcasting Inc. on 2/24.
On 2/27, additional documents were filed, including her contract with Ring Of Honor according to court documents obtained by HeelByNature.com.
On 3/2 a summons issued for Ring Of Honor was filed, allowing the promotion 21-days to respond to the complaint.
Her independent contractor agreement signed on December 20, 2017, reveals she was earning $12,000 per year, plus a percentage for meet and greets, as well as merchandise sales. Klein was also provided travel accommodations.
- Payment: $12,000 per-year paid monthly
- Transportation: Transportation to and from events, lodging based on double occupancy
- Royalties: 20% on merchandise and Best Of DVD sales
- Personal Appearances: 50% from net profit
In 2019, Klein was offered $20,000 but asked if her salary could be increased to $24,000. That request was rejected by the promotion.
Specifically, after she saw the initial offer for $20,000.00 for 2019, she asked if it would be possible for her salary to be increased to $24,000.00. Gilliand rejected this because he stated that all female wrestlers in ROH were paid the same and that if he paid Klein more, then all of the other women wrestlers would have to be paid more
This salary was substantially below the salary that the male wrestlers were paid and the decision to pay the salary was based upon the fact that Klein was a female. Klein was asked to make more appearances, with no limit regarding the frequency of appearances, than the other female talent. Plaintiff learned that at least one male member of ROH talent was paid $184,000.00 and was afforded single-occupancy rooming
Sinclair and ROH discriminated against Klein on the basis of her sex by paying her compensation that was less than were paid to male wrestlers despite the fact that the performance by male and female wrestler requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and are performed under similar working conditions.
Klein challenges her classification as an independent contractor, rather than an employee for the company.
Below are excerpts from her 2018 contract.
Services: The Company desires that the Performer provide, and the Performer agrees to provide, the following services: (i) wrestle, perform, and/or make personal appearances at shows and events organized and promoted by the Company or Company’s agent; (ii) coordinate and provide costumes, wardrobe, props, and make-up for the Performer’s performances as a professional wrestler at
events organized and promoted by the Company or Company’s agent; and (iii) provide, create, broadcast, tape or display media, including internet and social media (i.e. tweeting) as requested by Compaity. If Performer is not scheduled to perform services for Company, Performer may perform services for other promoters, provided, however, that i) Performer may not perform services (including, but not limited to, performances, appearances, promotions or media events) if such services are to be shown via television, cable, pay-per-view, internet pay-per-view, video on demand, internet or any other means of broadcast, (ii) Performer may not perform services related to or in connection with World Wrestling Entertainment (“WWE”), WWE’s NXT, Impact Wrestling, Dragon Gate USA/EVOLVE, Lucha Underground, FloSports TV or any of their affiliates, successors, or assigns and (iii) Performer may not perform services, performances or participate in any events that conflict in any way with the full and complete performance of Performer’s services here under, as determined by Company in its sole discretion The Company will provide the Performer with travel accommodations, which shall include transportation to and from shows and a double occupancy room for the night of each show in which the Performer is expected to provide services.
Relationship of Parties: The Performer is engaged in an independent business and is an independent contractor. The Performer shall under no circumstances be considered an employee of the Company, nor shall the Performer have any authority to hold himself out or represent (or take any action holding himself out or representing) that he is an employee of the Company. The Company shall have no right to, and shall not exercise control over, the manner, mode, means, or methods which the Performer uses to perform the services required of the Performer hereunder. The Performer and the Company agree that the Performer shall not be entitled to any benefits paid or provided under any employee benefit plan available to any of the Company’s employees.
Compensation: During the Term, the Company agrees to pay the Performer for all services provided by the Performer the rate of Twelve Thousand Dollars ($12,000) per annum to be paid in monthly installments and prorated for partial months.
Personal Appearances and Royalties.
Personal Appearances. The Company may require the Performer to participate in certain personal appearances and meet and greet autograph sessions at dates and times surrounding a show in which the Performer will perform services. The Performer shall receive fifty percent (50%) of the net profit from any such personal appearances and/or meet and greet autograph sessions solely attributable to Performer’s personal appearance, which shall be determined as the cost less expenses, multiplied by 30% {e.g., $10 cost of autographed photo, less $2 for photo expenses = $8 x 50% = $4).
Royalties: The Performer shali be paid royalties for t-shirts and “Best of DVDs featuring the Performer in the amount of twenty percent (20%) of net profits from sales of such items, which payment shall be made quarterly.
Klein is seeking $75,000, as well as compensary damages including, but not limited to past and future medical bills, past and future lost wages, and lost earning capacity. To read her full complaint, click here.
She is not the only former ROH star filing a lawsuit against the promotion, Joey Mercury recently filed a separate lawsuit.
You can read her full contract below.
Kelly Klein ROH Contract by Heel By Nature on Scribd