Another Former WWE Talent Making More Money Since Being Released

Priscilla Kelly - FKA Gigi Dolin - has revealed she is the latest former WWE talent who is making more money since she was released by the company.

Speaking with Denise Salcedo, Kelly addressed how much wrestlers are actually earning while performing on WWE NXT, noting development talents' contracts are as low as $30,000 per year.

"The common misconception, especially about NXT performers, is that we're millionaires. A lot of our fans for some reason think that if you work in WWE and you're under that umbrella, you're a millionaire. You live in a mansion, you're driving a Benz, you've got it made. That's not the case. In NXT, there's contracts as low as $30,000 a year and they do not go as high as you think," Kelly began.

"You have to live in Florida, which is very expensive. Going out to eat just for two people can run you a $100-plus because everything is marked up for tourism and Florida's just a hotbed for people. Having to pay for new gear all the time and all these expenses, taking care of your body and getting all these little things, it all adds up. At the end of the day, especially because you can't make money outside of what you make in WWE, you don't make a lot," she continued.

"I think the common misconception is that we're just all just rich and rolling in money and that's just not the case. Even main roster talent. Of course there's people on the main roster that are making the really big big bucks but that's a small percentage. A lot of people that are up there, they make good money but they also pay for every hotel, they're paying for all their travel and all the food, everything they need on top of the other expenses of gear and taking care of your body and taking care of your sanity," Kelly added.

"Especially with a lot of things that have been going on online lately, I think everybody needs to take a step back and realise that if you don’t know what you're talking about, a lot of you need to shut the f*ck up because you don't know what people are going through, you don't know what people make. I think everyone just needs to stop assuming they know everything because they don't."

Kelly performed in WWE as Gigi Dolin from 2021 until her release in May 2025, spending her entire run in NXT where she enjoyed two reigns with the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles with Jacy Jayne.

Kelly has performed for a number of independent wrestling promotions since her release, including for the likes of GCW, Maple Leaf Pro, Wrestling REVOLVER, and Blitzkrieg Pro. She also competed for Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling in Japan.

With such an active schedule, Kelly believes she is currently making more money than she did while signed to WWE as part of NXT.

"But, with all of that being said, I actually think with the amount I work - because I've always been a hustler during the independents, I've always been a person that works my ass off and hustles and tries to capitalise wherever I can. With all my work, all of the bookings I've been taking, I arguably think that I actually make more than I made in NXT now," she stated.

Kelly is just the latest WWE talent who is making more money since their WWE release, with Scarlett recently revealing that she and Karrion Kross are bringing in more money than they were while signed to WWE.

"This sounds crazy and probably not very believable, but it's something I feel like the people in WWE right now who might be stressed out, 'Am I going to get released?' They might want to hear this - we are making more than we were making there. And we were getting paid very well, but we are making more now weekly on the shows we're doing than we were at WWE. And WWE pays great, but it can be done if you hustle," Scarlett said on the Coach & Bro Show.

Scrutiny has been placed on how much WWE are paying NXT talents in recent months after former talent Jazmyn Nyx revealed she turned down a new WWE contract offer, with Fightful Select later reporting the then-Fatal Influence member was offered a multi-year deal worth $75,000 per year. Nyx was already earning that amount with the company, but expenses and taxes meant she likely earned less than $60,000 per year.

Fightful also noted that NXT talent can make significantly less than $75,000 per year, while some on the roster make six figures, with some salaries even above the base main roster income of $350,000 per year.

Ridge Holland, who accepted a 50 per cent pay cut in November 2024 while he was part of NXT to remain with WWE, recently detailed his financial struggles, noting he was unsure how he was going to pay his mortgage. Holland's comments, which came ahead of his WWE deal expiring, resulted in the company firing him for breach of contract. Luke Menzies has since revealed to Cultaholic that he vented his frustration after receiving a foreclosure notice on his home.

H/T Fightful & F4WOnline