John Morrison left WWE in 2011 and returned in 2019. He is currently 1/2 of the Smackdown tag team champions along with the Miz. Morrison was recently a guest on Konnan’s “Keepin it 100” podcast and spoke about the backstage culture in WWE in addition to other topics.
Konnan asked Morrison about the differences he sees in WWE now compared to before he left in 2011.
“It seems like there’s less a**holes there now,” Morrison said on the show. “But then I was like ‘I wonder if I’m the asshole?'”
Both Taya and Konnan seemed to disagree with this sentiment, however.
“The whole idea of hazing, paying your dues, and getting your a** kicked every day, it was still like that when I came in with Joey Mercury, those times have changed. That and it also feels like there are a lot of guys that are similar.”
“I feel like there’s a grit factor that you can’t learn at the PC when you are under contract,” he continued. “Being on a 12-hour van ride driving across Mexico to make a town and you’re cramped up, not showering and getting your nose broken. That type of culture when you go through that, it gives you a grit that you can’t learn in developmental.”
He then said that the work he did in other promotions while away from WWE helped him as a performer.
“Lucha Underground and AAA and Impact and everything I did while I was away filled me out as a performer.”
Morrison’s comments can be heard in the video below:
