HeelByNature.com is reader-supported. When you click on links or make purchases through our site, we or our affiliated partners may earn a commission. Additionally, our site features Sponsored Content, which helps us maintain and operate the website.
Zelina Vega Was Reportedly Making More Money On Twitch Than WWE
Last Friday, Zelina Vega was released by WWE.
The former manager of Andrade gained huge popularity throughout 2020, earning multiple Raw Women’s Title opportunities along the way.
In the recent WWE Draft, Vega was drafted to Friday Night SmackDown. Her husband, Aleister Black, was also drafted to the blue brand, however he hasn’t appeared on WWE Television in recent weeks.
News of Vega’s release broke shortly before last week’s SmackDown, and many fans weren’t happy. Zelina Vega trended on Twitter throughout Friday night, with many users using hashtags such as #WeStandWithZelina and #ThankYouZelina. Shortly before her release, Vega took to Twitter to say ‘ I support unionisation’.
Dave Meltzer noted on The Wrestling Observer on Saturday (h/t to WrestlingNews for the transcription) that some female talents are earning more money on their social media than they are with WWE
“So, essentially as everyone knows, the talent was given a timeframe to get rid of their Twitch and Cameo accounts. During that timeframe, Zelina Vega didn’t get rid of it and she opened an OnlyFans account. The backstory on this and it’s funny because one person kind of told me when the thing went down that there are a couple of women that are making more money with their social media than they are making with WWE and they are gonna be real interesting and one of those was Zelina Vega. On her Twitch she’s making a lot of money and so it’s like what do you do in that situation and I think she made her choice and they had to fire her and right before it got out that she was fired she made a tweet about how she supports unionization which she has said before. I mean it’s not like that’s the first time she said that and that did play into some of it and now.”
He provided more insight on WWE’s contract’s during Sunday night’s Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t to Ringside News for the transcript) , noting the company has different types of deals, and Vega was signed to a contract that was initiated prior to All Elite Wrestling becoming a major factor.
“There are two types of people under contract right now, and she was category A. Category A was the pre-whatever, not the giant money contract to keep you away from AEW deal, it’s just the contract that you sign where you’re expecting to make way more when you’re doing house shows, and now you’re not doing house shows anymore so you’re not making much money.”
The issue of professional wrestlers being categorized as independent contractors has been a hot topic over the last few months, with former Presidential Candiate Andrew Yang, and SAG-AFTRA labor union president Gabrielle Carteris showing support on the matter.