In just one year, Steve Austin 3:16 shirts made him $12 million

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In his "Kurt Angle Show," Kurt Angle talked about his merchandise. He wanted to earn huge money. The matter went well, but he did not earn as much as many expected. “My favorite was what I sold the most. It was my, It’s True It’s True T-shirt.

Red, White, and Blue. It’s True Its True. It was a great T-shirt. I sold a lot of those. That was my rookie year. I never sold as many T-shirts the rest of my career as I did my first year. I have to tell you this. It wasn’t that much money.

I wasn’t a merchandise guy. Even Vince McMahon came to me and said listen, ‘We can’t use the word Olympics. We can’t use Olympic rings. You’re not going to do merchandise. I’m gonna pay you to wrestle.’ I was like, ‘Well I do want to make money on merchandise.’ He says, ‘Can’t do it.’ I had merchandise, but I didn’t have a lot”.

- he said, as quoted by pwmania.com

Kurt Angle on Steve Austin merchandise

Kurt Angle talked about Steve Austin merchandise. Austin made huge money. Angle couldn't believe that Austin actually made that much money. Angle recalled the conversation with Vince McMahon regarding merchandise and money.

“In one year, he made $12 million on merchandise and that was the 3:16 shirt. That’s when it came out. $12 million. He told me. I was like, ‘Holy crap.’ He only made two and a half million wrestling. Vince McMahon said, ‘I pay you (Angle) to wrestle.’ Vince, I’m not gonna lie to you, he paid me well.

I made more than Austin did with wrestling. I didn’t make nearly as much as Austin did with merchandise, but Vince took care of me on the back end with wrestling. Merchandise, I made, I’ll give you just roundabout figures, between 700 and 900 grand a year.

It wasn’t a lot. It’s a lot of money, don’t get me wrong, but not for being a big star like that. For some reason Vince just told me, ‘Hey, can’t do anything with you in merchandise, so just wrestle.’ I would come up with merchandise ideas and Vince would utilize them, but you know, I didn’t sell like Stone Cold, and I was a heel most of my career too”.