Before they were The Shield in WWE, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns honed their skills at WWE developmental territories Florida Championship Wrestling and later, NXT. Check out this triple threat match featuring The Shield members:
Mick Foley Talks CM Punk Feud, His Relationship With Vince, Undertaker’s Streak & More
Future WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley was interviewed by Inside The Ropes this week. Here are some highlights of what Foley said about:
Being A Comedy Character In WWE:
I’m gonna have to disagree with you there for a moment, I think the stuff I did with CM Punk was not comedy based at all. I thought that was probably the most effective way I could be used and can be used in future. If I Have a serious difference of opinion with somebody, you know I’ll never again have the physical threat of resolving my differences with someone in the ring but I think once a year, I’m good for a couple of good promos. In a way I didn’t think I would be until I did those promos with Punk.
His Program With CM Punk Ending So Soon:
Well again, you can’t really take it any further unless there’s gonna be a resolution in the ring. I was very happy, I think I had 3 big promos with punk and I really enjoyed it and believe me, I had a christmas book out at the time and I had to fight the urge to take the book out under my arm but I knew it wasn’t right for the promo. I enjoyed it and I look forward in the future to doing it once a year or so, in limited doses.
Why His Relationship With Vince McMahon Isn’t Great:
Well I think two thing happened. One, after I bowed out of the WrestleMania match with Vince in 2001, that’s kinda like the boy who cried wolf, you know, I said I would, I said I wouldn’t and then I didn’t do it. In 2001, I was convinced I’d never have another match again. Obviously that was kinda dumb because I’ve had many matches since then with most of them not being anywhere near that level of magnitude. I could’ve made a lot of money and I don’t think I would’ve hurt the relationship.
Then once I became the guy that almost left, then did leave, let me put it this way, I still don’t feel like I can go into Vince’s office and take free food. I just don’t feel like I can do that anymore. For 3 years, I knew that whenever Vince went to the broadcast booth it was my time to have a fillet or 3 or more.
The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Undefeated Streak:
I just think going 20-0 is the way to end the streak. I think he ended at an amazing last match, the number 20 has an allure and an appeal that numbers 21 22, 23 and 24 don’t and at this point I don’t know if there’s that opponent. He’s basically had all the matches, he’s had all the payoffs to the matches with history. The one guy that could get people interested is Punk.
To hear the full chat where Mick talks about his favorite young talent in WWE, his comedy career, the Paul Bearer heel turn, his Hall of Fame induction and much more head over to http://www.facebook.com/theinsidenetwork.
Kevin Nash Responds To DDP Reaching Out To Scott Hall
Kevin Nash has responded to the news that his friend Scott Hall has once again agreed to join Diamond Dallas Page’s Accountability Crib in an effort to get sober and clean up his life.
Page released an emotional video on Wednesday of his and Jake Roberts’ phone conversation with Hall, where Hall claimed several times, “I’m dying. I’m dying.” and said he was consuming large quantities of vodka.
Having known Scott Hall for 20+ years and seeing his self destruction up close and person, Kevin Nash is not so sure that Hall will be able to turn himself around like Jake Roberts did. He tweeted:
“I love everyone telling me about what Scott needs. Been dealing with this for 20 years. Scott will get healthy when Scott wants to. Period.”
Nash says this is not the first time Scott Hall has agreed to visit DDP’s accountability crib and he’ll believe it when he sees it:
“Scott told everyone 2 months ago he was going to DDP’S going to be there that weekend.Show me the tape when he walks in the door.”
Nash says DDP’s yoga program sounds great, but the abuse that Hall has done to his body requires professional detox under the care of medical personnel:
“Does anyone realize Scott will die if not taken to a hospital and clinically detoxed? You f*cking idiots. Yoga great. 20 years of abuse?”
He’s also not happy that DDP captured Hall at his lowest for the world to see and questions whether Hall knew his phone call would be posted on Youtube for the world to hear:
“Did Scott know he was on that call live, that’s f*cked up. I would never have my friend saying over and over he lives on vodka, don’t work for me.”
“This is my friends life,not a PSA.You want the truth it’s not for you to know.”
Several of the tweets were later deleted.
WWE SmackDown Preview: Henry vs. Orton, The Rock
The following is a spoiler-free preview for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown, taped Tuesday night from Little Rock, Arkansas:
– Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton
– Tamina Snuka vs. Layla
– Brodus Clay & Tensai vs. 3MB
– The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes
– Jack Swagger vs. Zack Ryder
– The Rock addresses the WWE Universe
– Big Show vs. Chris Jericho
Plus, there will also be appearances from SmackDown GM Booker T, CM Punk and Paul Heyman.
CM Punk A Modern Sammartino? Punk-Merriman’s Beef, Goldust Supports Hall
– Grantland.com has an interesting article up looking at Bruno Sammartino’s return to WWE and how a good case can be made that CM Punk is a modern day Sammartino.
– Following the news that Scott Hall will be joining DDP’s Accountability Crib next week, former WWE superstar Goldust tweeted the following supportive messages this afternoon:
https://twitter.com/DUSTIN_RHODES1/status/302190032201076736
https://twitter.com/DUSTIN_RHODES1/status/302190518576762880
– NFL player Shawne Merriman appears to be resuming his Twitter feud with CM Punk. The two had some heated exchanges on the social media service last year after Punk called Merriman out for once flirting with WWE Divas. Earlier today, Merriman tweeted:
I wouldn't waste my fist RT @GTorlone: @shawnemerriman Merriman vs Punk at WrestleMania?
— Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman) February 14, 2013
A fan asked Merriman if we’d ever see a match between him and his old pal CM Punk. Merriman replied, “I wouldn’t waste my fist.”
* READ HERE: Shawne Merriman GOES OFF On CM Punk, Says He Wears A Thong
Marine 3 Movie Poster, Antonio Cesaro Interview, The Rock – Spy Hunter
– Warner Bros. has commissioned a new script for “Spy Hunter,” the feature film adaptation of the classic video game. At one point, The Rock had been rumored to star in the movie before it was put on hold.
– WWE United States champion Antonio Cesaro was interviewed by Brian Sosia of Philadelphia’s Mix 106 FM radio station this week to promote Sunday’s Elimination Chamber PPV.
– The latest issue of WWE Magazine features the following movie poster for the WWE Studios film “The Marine 3: Homefront” starring The Miz:
New WWE Studios Comedy, WWE’s New HD Cameras, WWE-Black History Month
– WWE began using brand new state of the art HD television cameras at Monday’s RAW.
– WWE Studios has signed to help develop Cruisin’ For A Brusin’, an action comedy about two rule-breaking ex-cops who reunite to exact revenge on the corrupt senator who murdered their mentor. WWE Studios president Michael Luisi said about the prject, “As we continue to seek out key creative and strategic partnerships to broaden our release slate, the opportunity for WWE Studios to work with producers like Ed Pressman and Jason Blum, and their talented executive teams, was a natural fit for us.”
For more on this story, visit DeadlineHollywood.com.
– WWE has published the following video featuring Booker T discussing Black History Month:
Jim Ross Blog: WWE Sending Talent To Rehab, Taker-WM29, Swagger-Colter
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog, which you can read in its entirety at JRsBarBQ.com. Here are some highlights of what JR wrote about:
Undertaker’s WM29 Status: Getting tons of questions daily on Twitter about the Undertaker. I get the curiosity but I don’t have any answers. One a more strategic note why would any announcement be made until after the Elimination Chamber when the Road to WrestleMania really starts rolling? I was also asked in the Q&A section if WWE would put Taker in a multiple person match at a WM? I can’t and won’t speak for WWE but I certainly wouldn’t do such a booking. Finally, once again, I NEVER see the STREAK ending at the hands of ANYONE at ANY WrestleMania.
Jack Swagger & Zeb Colter I like the potential of ‘ Zeb’ being added to the presentation of @RealJackSwagger. Key term is ‘potential’ but if it works it will help put Swagger back where I feel he will eventually land and that’s in main events on a regular basis. Winning the Elimination Chamber match this Sunday in #NOLA would give the former #Sooner two sport star significant momentum. I may even pick Swagger to win when I do my predictions for the PPV this Sunday.
WWE Sending Talent To Rehab: WWE has literally spends thousands upon thousands of dollars on helping former talents deal with their personal issues. TONS of big, money for the record. WWE never has received the credit due them for their help especially when they are not contractually obligated to do so but they instead address these matters because it’s the right thing to do. However, people have to want to truly help themselves in order for rehab to work and unfortunately many more don’t and would rather catch their buzz and continue to live the same pre-rehab life that they lead before therapy. I’ve been knee deep in these issues throughout my career and can assure you that relapses by talents and former talents is heartbreaking.
Video: DDP & Jake Roberts Invite Scott Hall To Join The Accountability Crib
Following up on the news that Scott Hall will be joining Jake Roberts at Diamond Dallas Page’s “Accountability Crib” in hopes of getting his life back on track, DDP has posted a video to YouTube showing how the whole thing went down.
DDP got a text from Sean Waltman saying that their friend Scott Hall is in trouble and is possibly contemplating suicide. The text read, “Scott sounding not good at all. He’s talking about getting a gun.”
DDP decided that he was going to reach out to Hall via phone call and had Jake Roberts join in on the conversation. They called Hall and he answered the phone sounding very disoriented. “What? What?” DDP and Jake identified themselves and after realizing who they were, Hall said he feels like he’s dying. He said several times, “I’m dying. I’m dying.” and told them he was drinking vodka for ‘breakfast’ and that’s all he had consumed so far that day.
DDP and Jake told Scott to come stay with them. Scott could not believe when Jake told him that he had been clean for 60 days. Scott said he doesn’t want to die accepted the offer to visit the house in Atlanta.
In what looks to be an encouraging sign, Scott Hall said he felt like their phone call was a “spiritual awakening,” as if God was talking to him. Here’s the video:
Take-Two To Acquire WWE Video Game License From THQ
According to Bloomberg News, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. will acquired the WWE video game license from the bankrupt THQ Inc.
THQ’s contracts with WWE and Yuke’s Co., a Japanese- based game-developer that was helping THQ produce the WWE video games, will be terminated and the companies will be allowed to enter into new agreements with Take-Two.
According to court documents file this week, Take-Two will agree to hire several THQ’s employees that worked on WWE games and WWE will drop its pre-bankruptcy claim against THQ for $45 million, which was for annual royalty advances that ran through 2017. THQ will pay WWE $650,000 in royalty payments for WWE games that were sold while under bankruptcy protection.
Elimination Chamber News: Talk Of A Second Chamber Match
WWE.com published an article this week that once again states that Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view will feature two Elimination Chamber matches. Currently, only the SmackDown brand’s Elimination Chamber match has been announced. Here is the excerpt:
“With two Elimination Chamber Matches slated for this Sunday, Feb. 17, who’s to say what horror awaits the 12 Superstars when they enter Satan’s Prison?”
Earlier this week, Ryback tweeted that justice would be served to The Shield inside the Elimination Chamber. However, there has still been no official announcement made about a second Chamber match, aside from 1 line on the 11th page of an article on WWE.com.
Chris Jericho Interview: Pro Wrestling At The Olympics, His Upcoming Schedule
WWE superstar Chris Jericho was interviewed by the Miami Herald this week about his new Robot Combat League show, which premieres Tuesday, Feb. 26th on Syfy. During the interview, Jericho spoke at length about how he juggles his roles as pro wrestler, rock star and TV host. Here are some highlights of what Jericho said about:
Robot Combat League: “Whenever you hear about a show featuring 8-foot tall fighting robots controlled by humans, it’s definitely going to peak your interest … The thing about the show is that when you hear about the idea you think, ‘Yeah, this seems kind of cool,’” Jericho said. “Then you really see it like when I first saw how these robots move, how big they really are and fast they punch, it really blew my mind.”
* Pictures of CHRIS JERICHO & The Robot Combat League Robots
His Current WWE Run & Upcoming Schedule: “I have been feeling great,” Jericho said. “I feel like all the matches that I’ve been having are the best matches on the show or close to it. This is especially true the last couple of weeks working with guys like Daniel Bryan. I really like doing other things too.
“Fozzy has been doing great. We are getting ready to go to Australia and then I will come back to WWE after that. The Robot Combat League is a big opportunity. I’ve always considered myself an entertainer more than just a wrestler or just an actor or just a musician. I think it’s very beneficial to do all these other things, but still be able to come back to WWE for good chunks of time or spurts.”
Pro Wrestling at the Olympics: “Think about it, pro wrestling as an Olympic sport would be pretty cool. Look at figure skating or gymnastics, what is it? It’s a choreographed performance that is judged. It’s whoever puts on the best performance. Why can’t you do that with different countries like a Canadian team, an American team and a German team go in there. Then whoever puts on the best match according to the judges wins. You take two of the best American workers in a match against each other and get scored by the judges. It’s the exact same thing as figures skating, so why not?”
Paul Heyman Picks His 5-Star Match Of The Week, WM29 Ticket Sales
– Paul Heyman has picked this week’s WWE Classics Five-Star Match of the Week and selected Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock for the Undisputed WWE Championship from SummerSlam 2002 as his pick. The match saw Lesnar defeat Rock to win his first WWE title and become the youngest WWE Champion in history, up until that point. Here’s what Heyman told WWE.com about the match:
“First of all, I disagree with the designation that it’s The Rock vs. Brock. It is Brock Lesnar vs. The Rock. Brock deserves top billing. And he deserves top billing because he won the match. [Brock] did not win the match with outside interference. In fact, The Rock hit me with a Rock Bottom through a table. I was not an equation. Brock Lesnar defeated The Rock cleanly to become the Undisputed WWE Champion. And in doing so, he put his boot on the neck of The Attitude Era and anointed himself the new reigning monarch of the WWE Universe.”
– WrestleMania 29 tickets are selling very well, although the event has not yet sold out, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. WWE has already grossed around $11 million from ticket sales and the final gate is expected to top $12 million by the time the show sells out.
WWE Going After Another Tape Library, Recent Attendance Figures
– The February 7th episode of WWE Main Event drew a 0.9 rating with 1.4 million viewers.
– Here are some recent WWE attendance figures:
* 2/8 (RAW) from Poplar Bluff, MO: 4,000 fans, $100,000 gate
* 2/9 (RAW) from Springfield, MO: 4,800 fans, $135,000 gate
* 2/9 (SmackDown) from Champaign, IL: 5,500 fans, $160,000 gate
* 2/10 (RAW) from Cape Girardeau, MO: 3,200 fans, $95,000 gate
* 2/10 (SmackDown) from Louisville, KY: 7,500 fans, $220,000 gate
– The next tape library that WWE is looking to acquire is the UK “World of Sport” library, which is owned by ITV. Several matches from the World of Sport library will be featured on Bret Hart’s upcoming “Dungeon Collection” DVD set, due out March 5th.
* 9 Pictures of EL GENERICO’s Debut At NXT From Last Night
(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
WWE Negotiating With Olympic Wrestler Jaime Espinal, WWE’s Tout Investment & More
– WWE has been negotiating with Puerto Rican Olympic wrestler Jaime Espinal, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Espinal won a silver medal at the 2012 summer games (185 pound division) and has also expressed interest in Mixed Martial Arts.
– WWE has invested approximately $5 million in the social networking site Tout, which represents a 5.2% stake in the company.
– Actor Kris Kristofferson was backstage at last night’s WWE NXT live event from Orlando, Florida. His son is NXT star Garrett Dylan. NXT Diva Sasha Banks posted the following picture of herself with Kristofferson on her Facebook page:
Got to meet kris kristofferson today after my match. He’s so sweet
WWE Stars Speak To Sports Illustrated About Olympics Dropping Wrestling
Following this week’s announcement by the International Olympic Committee that wrestling will no longer be an Olympic sport starting at the 2020 summer games, Sport Illustrated caught up with several WWE superstars to get their reactions to the news. Here are some highlights of what the following WWE superstars said:
Cody Rhodes “I’m very disappointed with the fact that they’re even considering it. This is freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. This has a rich tradition in the Olympics. I don’t even want to disparage some of the sports that they’re keeping, you just don’t do away with wrestling.”
Dolph Ziggler: “It’s hitting close to home more than usual. I know it’s not 100 percent yet but there are so many Olympic events, it’s unfortunate they’ve chosen a legitimate sport and one of the original sports ever. It’s mind-blowing that it’s even on the chopping block.”
Jack Swagger: “[Wrestling] teaches you so much about life and that’s what makes it the best sport. It teaches you discipline and dedication and how to work hard and how to sacrifice for your goals. Those are things you can apply to any area of your life, whether it’s your education or your career. Honestly, it turned me into a man.”
Pictures: El Generico Debuts At WWE NXT
Newly signed WWE developmental star El Generico made his first appearance for WWE NXT at Wednesday night’s live event from Orlando, Florida.
While Generico did not wrestle, he did make an appearance during Brodus Clay’s match against Conor O’Brien. After Clay defeated O’Brien, Generico joined Clay and NXT Diva Anya as the 3 danced in the ring.
After much speculation as to whether Generico would be keeping his “masked luchador” gimmick that he made famous on the indy scene, we can confirm that he appeared as his beloved El Generico character, with his standard black and red mask, cape and black trunks.
Check out these pictures of of El Generico’s NXT debut:
[nggallery id=87]
Undertaker Health Update & Why He Was In Nashville, USA #1 Again
– The USA Network was the #1 rated cable channel in prime time again last week, averaging 2.78 million viewers. Disney ranked #2 with 2.43 million, with Syfy at #15 with 1.22 million and Spike at #23 with 795,000. The three hours of RAW last week were the 4th, 5th and 7th most-viewed hours on prime time cable.
– As of this week, the Undertaker’s status for WrestleMania 29 remains 50/50. After being spotted in Nashville on Sunday night, site of Monday’s RAW, it’s believed that Undertaker was in town to meet face-to-face with Vince McMahon to discuss his physical condition and his status for WrestleMania. The Dead Man has undergone several major surgeries since last year’s WrestleMania and we should have a much better idea as to his status after next week’s RAW.
* UNDERTAKER & Michelle McCool’s Wedding Picture
(Sources: Wrestling Observer Newsletter, f4wonline.com)
Michelle McCool Talks About Trish & Snooki’s Barroom Brawl, Kharma, Bellas
The webmaster of MichelleMcCool.net sent along following:
“In honor of Valentine’s Day, Michelle is spreading the love by unleashing to her Faithful Followers a few unreleased and strictly candid thoughts of her former WWE Diva colleagues! Right off the heels of her successful “12 Days of Divas” special at MichelleMcCool.Net, you’ll get to hear Michelle talk about five more fabulous Divas! From Michelle white-knuckling it in the passenger seat with Jillian Hall, Kharma’s backstage rib, the bar room brawl with Snooki and Trish Stratus that you DIDN’T see on television, to a full-on, backstage confrontation with one of the Bella Twins that led to a locker room pow wow! It’s time to spread the love and spill the tea, Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all! XOXO”
WWE Says They Will No Longer Pay For Sunny’s Rehab
Earlier this week a video was released of WWE Hall of Famer Sunny talking about her recent stints in jail and rehab. Sunny had some negative things to say about WWE, despite the fact that they sent her to an expensive drug rehabilitation facility.
Sunny accused WWE of sending her to a nice facility simply because Linda McMahon was running for Senate at the time – and then sending her to a rundown dump facility as soon as Linda’s Senate campaign was over. She was particularly upset because the company kept sending Scott Hall to expensive, high-end rehab facilities. She says that when she brought this to their attention, they told her, “You’re not Scott Hall.”
WWE issued a statement to CagesideSeats.com this week and have now publicly stated that they will no longer fund rehab for Sunny. Here is their statement:
“As part of the Former Talent Rehabilitation Program, WWE has sent Ms. Sytch to rehabilitation numerous times, with all costs covered by WWE. Unfortunately, Ms. Sytch has continued to make poor personal choices and is ultimately responsible for the consequences of these decisions. WWE has always provided rehabilitation at a certified treatment center; however, given Ms. Sytch’s inability to change her lifestyle and successfully complete treatment, WWE will no longer fund her rehabilitation.”
Jake Roberts Says Scott Hall Is Joining DDP’s House On Monday
After turning his own life around by living with Diamond Dallas Page, wrestling legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts has revealed that Scott Hall will be moving into DDP’s Accountability Crib next week: Jake tweeted:
“Say miracles abound. R u ready? Oh it’s true. Scott hall to arrive Monday. Seen him yesterday and we r so happy to report clean 4 16days”
“Will b biggest move 4either of us. Sharing road to health, sobriety and happiness. Ddp yoga will take us there just add hope, prayers love”
Roberts has cleaned up his life by substituting drugs and alcohol with healthy living and DDP’s yoga program. Scott Hall’s personal demons are as well-documented as Jake’s and this could be his chance to finally turn his life around as well.
WWE Advertising Legends Returning For WrestleMania 29
Amazon.com
The synopsis, which you can read below, talks about “several returning legends” and Triple H being part of the show:
It only happens once a year, and in 2013, The Showcase of the Immortals comes to the greater New York City area for WrestleMania XXIX! From MetLife Stadium, the biggest stars in WWE and several returning legends compete on sports entertainment’s grandest stage. Last year, fans witnessed The Rock defeat John Cena in one of the most epic matches of all time. What legendary Superstars will thrill the WWE Universe at WrestleMania this year?
Plus, John Cena, CM Punk, Big Show, Triple H, Sheamus, and several major Superstars strive to cement their legacies and create moments that will own a permanent place in WWE lore.
TNA Impact Wrestling Preview From London
Here is the TNA website’s official preview for tonight’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike TV, taped last month from the UK:
– Who will face “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship at Lockdown? General Manager Hulk Hogan has booked four main-event quality matches that will take place on Thursday to help him make his final decision! The matches are:
– Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe
– Magnus vs. Christopher Daniels
– Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode
– James Storm vs. Rob Van Dam
Who will step up and potentially earn the chance to face Hardy at Lockdown? Tune in Thursday night to find out!
– On Wednesday, via their twitter @TheAcesand8s, the renegade biker gang challenged Hulk Hogan to put together a team to face them at Lockdown on March 10 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. We reached out to Hulk Hogan for a comment and he has promised to address this challenge and also his plans for Jeff Hardy and the World Championship at the start of IMPACT this Thursday!
– Also on Thursday, the contestants from the “British Boot Camp” series will be in action as Marty and the Blossom Twins battle TNA superstars Gail Kim, Tara and Jesse Godderz in mixed tag team action!
This and much more on Thursday’s IMPACT WRESTLING from England on SpikeTV at 8/7c, plus more news on the upcoming “Lockdown” event on March 10 in San Antonio, Texas!
Bully Ray Injury Update, Joseph Park Twitter Q&A, New TNA TV Deal
– TNA star Joseph Park will be doing a Q&A session on Twitter tomorrow night one hour before Impact Wrestling goes on the air. You can submit your questions on twitter by using the hashtag #AskJoseph.
– TNA star Bully Ray recently tweeted that he might have suffered a torn quad muscle during a match that aired on last week’s Impact Wretling. The TNA website now has an article up covering the possible “injury.” While Bully Ray will not be wrestling on tomorrow night’s Impact, he does return to action in future episodes of Impact (already recorded), so the injury is a work and he’s playing up an angle from a month ago.
– TNA has signed a new TV deal in Germany with the Sport1 channel. Starting Wednesday March 6th, a 1-hour edited version of Impact will air followed by a “Best of Impact” show.
Former WWE Writer Calls Vince A Genius & Says He Already Has Plans For WrestleMania 30
Former WWE Writer Matt McCarthy was interviewed by Jeff Rubin of the Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show and spoke about the creative process behind booking pro wrestling, what makes a match memorable, the hardest part of working in the WWE, and what it’s like to have Vince McMahon as your boss.
McCarthy said he heard from members of the current writing team that last year, Vince McMahon already had an idea of what he wanted to do for WrestleMania 30.
“I’m sure Vince knows what he would want to at WrestleMania 50 whether he’s around to see it or not,” McCarthy said. “From the writers standpoint, we try desperately to write out as far as out we can, and try to stick it as much as we can, and God knows the wrestlers would want us to. But, it’s the nature of what that show is and what that business is that makes it very, very difficult.”
He explained that WWE’s creative staff always has a longterm plan, but things get changed around on a weekly basis and it’s often hard to arrive at the original destination.
“You try to map out an entire grid of they’re going to fight here this week, then next week this is going to happen, and that’s going to lead to a PPV match. But, after the PPV, this is going to happen and that is going to happen (sigh), and it always changes every week,” McCarthy said. “You try really, really hard – it’s almost like predicting the weather. The further out it is, the less likely you’re going to be right that it’s going to happen.”
McCarthy called Vince McMahon a “genius” at several times during the interview, with one of his biggest talents being his ability to manipulate live crowds.
“It’s a small, simple little thing, but as a performer, it completely blew my mind,” McCarthy said. “The bad guy was just beating up the good guy in the ring for this tag match and I hear Vince scream into the headset, ‘Somebody put on a hold! Somebody put a hold on ’em! These people are dead!’ And I’m like, ‘What is he talking about?’ Then, immediately, the bad guy puts the good guy in the headlock and they’re just down on the mat. Like clockwork, the audience starts clapping and cheering; they’re rooting for the good guy to get out of this hold.
“This guy (McMahon) is just sitting back here watching this on TV and he is genius at working the audience and getting them to do exactly what he wants them to do.”
It’s a great interview and definitely worth going out of your way to listen to. JeffRubinJeffRubinShow.com.