Randy Orton Offered 10 Year Contract
In a telling sign that he has matured, Randy Orton has been offered a 10 year contract by WWE.
New Contract Offer
Randy Orton has been telling friends that WWE has offered him a ten year contract to remain with the company.
As of right now, the contract has yet to be signed. Nor has Randy Orton officially confirmed that he's signing the deal.
10 Year Contracts
It's very rare for WWE to offer someone a contract that lasts a decade.
The wrestling industry has never been one that provides job security for the employees. Wrestlers rotate in and out of companies as often as people turn the pages on a calendar.
Most wrestlers get contracts that range from 1-3 years, with many of them being released well before their contracts end.
Big Show and Mark Henry were exceptions to the rule; both were given 10 year deals from WWE.
The Big Show signing made sense because he was young, athletic, and larger than life. Plus, signing him meant that WWE was stealing a main event wrestler away from rival WCW.
Mark Henry definitely was not worth the $900,000 annual salary that he was receiving, especially when you compare that to the $300,000 contracts that Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Eddie Guerrero were signed to.
Of course, Mark Henry stayed relatively out of trouble, and the company rewarded his years of work by extending his contract.
Bret Hart is an even rare case. He was signed to a 20 year deal that would ensure his position in the company after he retired from in-ring wrestling.
Of course, we all know how that situation turned out.
Maturity Valued
A few years ago, it would have been preposterous to believe that Randy Orton would be offered such a long term deal.
The company was constantly monitoring him because he simply could not stay out of trouble backstage.
The fact that he was offered a 10 year contract is a clear sign that management now has faith in him as a mature person.
In comparison, WWE is offering Rey Mysterio, a marketing gold mine for the company, a five year deal (he only wants to sign for three years).
Signing a ten year contract doesn't necessarily give Randy Orton a ton of job stability (the company can still release him).
However, it does show management that he's dedicated to the company, which in turn, would make it easier for WWE to push him as their top star.
“Revolution has come (off the pig!) ...Time to pick up the gun (off the pig!),”