Todd Grisham has revealed that WWE announcers used to receive “hazard pay” for getting physical during segments. The former broadcaster recalled a specific moment involving Mickie James, where he was slapped on television and compensated immediately afterward.
“If you were an announcer and you got physicality, they would give you hazard pay,” Grisham said. “So I remember one time Mickie James slapped me. That was the worst thing ever. I’ll take 20 AAs before a slap, because they don’t trust you to sell the slap, because you’re not a worker. So they slap you, and she hit me right here. As hard as she could. I get slapped, and I’m like [groans].”
Grisham noted that despite the pain, the immediate cash payment was a surprising perk of the job.
“But, the hazard pay, so after she slapped me, they give you 500 bucks,” Grisham said. “Literally, they’d be like, and cut. Nice job, Todd. And someone walked over and goes, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, here you go. Cash. So I’m like, beat the hell out of me. You want me to go in the ring and let her slap me again? But Max Brettos, who I believe was the shortest tenured employee of all time… he was like, No, I don’t really want to do that. I was like, I’ll do it, okay, that’s how it went. I was like, yeah, and you’re gonna pay me 500 bucks?”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.Â
