Last month, AEW promoted that the company’s president and owner, Tony Khan, had a gift for the wrestler Sting.
But as it turns out, the gift — which happened to be Ric Flair — wasn’t actually from Khan so much as it was from Wooooo! Energy.
On Tuesday, The New York Post published a story detailing the leadup to Sting’s retirement match, which will take place at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view show next March. In discussing the addition of Flair — a longtime Sting friend/rival — to the storyline, Khan revealed that the 16-time world champion’s arrival in AEW is actually the result of a promotional deal with the wrestling legend’s energy drink.
“We’re not paying Ric Flair; Ric Flair is essentially paying us,” Khan said. “We’re getting paid by Wooooo Energy for all of his appearances, so we’re collecting revenue from them.”
Flair’s arrival in AEW in November came with the announcement that Wooooo! Energy will become the exclusive energy drink of AEW. According to Variety, the multiyear deal will see the “sparkling mushroom energy drink” stocked at the concession stands of select AEW shows, as well as in the wrestlers’ locker room and on the TV announce tables.
While the sponsorship deal has been known about since Flair’s arrival in AEW, this is the first time these details have been made public. It’s unclear whether the licensing company that owns Wooooo! Energy, Carma HoldCo, is paying Flair and AEW separately for his appearances, or if AEW is actually paying Flair as a talent but getting more money back via the accompanying sponsorship deal.
Either way, it’s clear Khan’s company is coming out ahead, with not only the presence of (another) professional wrestling legend, but also a “high-paying sponsorship” deal. This isn’t the first time a professional wrestling star has been a part of a promotional package for a company, as “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s WCW contract was reportedly paid for via his Slim Jim sponsorship.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.