Mojo Rawley: WWE's Third-Party Ban Was "Brutal"

While many main roster Superstars supplemented their income during the COVID-19 pandemic by working with third parties, WWE put an end to such deals in late 2020 after the company issued an edict that banned wrestlers on Raw and SmackDown from using third-party platforms like Cameo and Twitch. 

WWE would extend the ban to social media in February 2021 and talent are prohibited from monetising their Twitter and Instagram accounts by working with third parties. 

Mojo Rawley was working with third parties at the time of the first ban and the former WWE Superstar revealed to Fightful how he felt about the edict.

"That was one of the most brutal messages I've ever gotten while I was with the company. That's the thing, man. Outside of the wrestling world, people don't understand how talented pro wrestlers are. Look, I played in the NFL before this. I had my MBA. I worked on Wall Street. Out of all these places I've been, I've never seen a more talented group of people across all skill sets than pro wrestlers," Mojo said.

"When you're talking about social media, that's your ticket to the outside world to find out what you can do and what you're capable of. Especially for guys that aren't being used regularly on TV. I know for me personally that was a way for me to build my brand and show people who I was outside of, if I was forced to hypothetically scribble my face with a blue marker and do something I didn't think was very me. Not only that, it was a huge income stream for us."

Mojo then noted that he was also unhappy about the social media ban.

"I know I was doing a lot of work on my social, a lot of the guys were, too. It was a way not only to get product, but cash. It was big business for everybody. So, taking that away was tough. Especially for guys that are just getting started 'cause when you're on those rookie deals, you're paying your bills, but you're not really saving for your future. Especially when you factor in all the expenses we have. So, it's a way for you to grow your brand," he continued.

"For me, too, I always looked at it as, 'Oh, if WWE sees me on my Instagram doing a deal with Under Armour, maybe it'll alert some attention to make them aware of who they have and what they got.' 'Cause I remember there were times where I would do deals with companies that the WWE was trying to do deals with and couldn't get those deals done. I'd get it myself. I'm not the only one that was able to do that. So, that was a big blow for everybody. We were not happy."

Rawley has since been released by WWE in April 2021 and he will be in the upcoming Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins movie.