Key Points

• WWE’s Executive Director says reports of last-minute script rewrites and backstage chaos are incorrect
• Unforeseen circumstances like injuries or timing issues are a normal part of live weekly television and says he’s done far more rewrites than Vince

The production of WWE broadcasts is very different today than it was just a year ago. The departures of Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn have led to a complete overhaul of the product’s on-screen presentation that is universally praised. Aside from what we see on WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown each week, wrestling fans have an insatiable interest in what’s going on behind the scenes.

During the final years of Vince McMahon’s role as the head of WWE creative, there were a never-ending string of reports about last-minute changes to television scripts. Even McMahon would be unable to attend in-person, he’d micromanage from afar and we’d also hear about a chaotic environment. One of the most influential figures in WWE, Bruce Prichard, recently shed light on this topic. On a recent episode of his Something to Wrestle podcast with Conrad Thompson at AdFreeShows, WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard offered his unique insights into the day-to-day operations of WWE.

When Vince Wasn’t There

Prichard scoffed at the idea that things were chaotic when McMahon missed shows. The former Brother Love emphasizes that the backstage environment remained stable and well-organized, a credit to their very-capable team.

“Everybody knows their jobs, and can function and do it… You take away one piece and everybody fills in, does their job, and covers whoever is gone as well.”

– Bruce Prichard on the WWE backstage environment when Vince McMahon would be unable to attend shows

Setting The Record Straight on Last-Minute Rewrites

Prichard noted that there were fewer changes when McMahon was not physically present at the shows, though McMahon remained in contact via phone. Prichard remarked, “There was a need, maybe in his mind, to… make it better. Now, that’s all relative, and that’s all personal feeling.” This suggests that McMahon’s influence continued even from afar, but the operational integrity of the team allowed for smooth show executions.

Prichard also debunked the myth of constant show rewrites, clarifying that he, not McMahon, often managed last-minute changes due to unforeseen circumstances like injuries or timing issues.

“I probably have done it more in a year than Vince McMahon has in a lifetime.”

– Bruce Prichard on the perception that Vince McMahon would tear-up scripts he wasn’t happy with

The departure of Vince McMahon marked a monumental shift in WWE’s history. However, with seasoned executives like Bruce Prichard and Paul Levesque still in key positions following the TKO Group acquisition and UFC merger, the company continues to adapt and thrive under new leadership.

AdFreeShows has more from Something to Wrestle and make sure to check out our Wrestling Podcasts channel to discover other great shows.

Corey Matthews may have been the focus of “Boy Meets World,” but Topanga has her sights set on being the “Girl Meets Table.”

Danielle Fishel, star of the hit 1990s sitcom, hosted WWE executive Bruce Prichard on her Pod Meets World podcast. Together, they discussed the show’s notable connections to wrestling, especially the episode featuring WWE’s Vader. Fishel recalled this particular episode and mentioned how Jake Roberts, Vader’s in-ring opponent for the show, seemed to be getting restless during the tapings.

“We actually recently heard how annoyed Jake Roberts was by the whole experience. He said he basically had to repeat moves and it was just a produced match in a way that’s pretty taboo. As you mentioned, in front of a live audience,” (via WrestlingNews.co)

• CM Punk Had Very Interesting Manager Idea For Lio Rush In AEW

Prichard confirmed what Fishel heard about Roberts, as TV show production is a different beast than the WWE machine.

“Jake was p*ssed. Jake’s looking at me in the ring like, ‘What are we doing here? You gonna wrap this up? Let’s go, man, I’m done.’ … It’s a completely different animal. You guys are hitting your marks. You guys have lines that you got to get through and that you’ve got to nail. That affects everything you do.”

Roberts may have gotten impatient, but Fishel has been patient about getting her own ring-time which is something she still wants to do. Prichard noted that she’d make a great “heartbreaking heel” and Fishel said she’d want a specific comeuppance as one.

“Everyone would assume I’m gonna be a babyface so you gotta send me in as a heel. I do have a real — it’s kind of a secret goal. But at some point in my life, I want to be put through a table. I mean in a wrestling ring.”

Listen to the full Bruce Prichard Meets World podcast episode here:

Randy Orton enjoys the consistency of the new WWE product since Triple H has fully taken over of the company’s creative, but thanks two other employees for helping with that direction.

Speaking with “Adam’s Apple,” ‘The Viper’ gave his thoughts on the fresh, new and steady direction that Paul Levesque has implemented under his watchful eye.

“With Nick Khan, HHH, and Bruce Prichard, so many things have changed from a creative standpoint. They’re thinking months and months in advance. Before, we were flying by the seat of our pants. Creative was changed mins before we went live each week. I don’t mean sometimes. I mean, each week.”

Orton said that there’d be days where it would be 5:00 PM on the east coast and changes were still be made to the show that was airing in just a few hours. That aspect created for some very stressful moments. Under the Triple H regime, there’s more time laid ahead for talent to implement their own creativity.

• Randy Orton Talks WWE Retirement, Auditioning For Acting Roles

“So just purely from a creative standpoint, you’re able to let it marinate and think about, okay, how am I gonna do this? Or how can I make this better? Or maybe there are tweaks, but you don’t do it ten minutes before you go live.”

Randy Orton has clearly been enjoying his time back in WWE has he got a gigantic reaction while he and Kevin Owens opened WWE Backlash in France and although the two lost, Orton remains in a top babyface role in WWE SmackDown.

Please h/t the transcription to WrestlingNews.co

It was reported that Bruce Prichard had surgery earlier this month for his triceps. Conrad Thompson, who co-hosts Bruce Prichard’s podcast Something to Wrestle With, revealed that Prichard was scheduled for surgery on February 1. Now, in the latest update, he’s back after the surgery.

According to PWInsider, Prichard was backstage at Raw on February 19 in Anaheim, CA. Mike Johnson reported that he believes this could be Prichard’s comeback after the triceps surgery.

Prichard has undergone surgery before. He has had a couple of shoulder surgeries in the past, and this is actually the fourth time he has needed it done in the last five years.

Prichard’s role backstage at WWE is the executive director of Raw and SmackDown, which is a significant position in the company.

Prichard on Vince McMahon allegations

Prichard also made recent headlines for not commenting on the Vince McMahon situation.

Following the allegations against McMahon, Ronda Rousey stated that as long as Prichard remains with WWE, Vince McMahon’s influence will always be evident:

“Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before.”

On the Something to Wrestle With podcast, Prichard was asked about the lawsuit against McMahon and WWE. Prichard stated that he won’t comment on the matter because he is “not at liberty” to discuss the “legal matters of the company whatsoever.”

“There can’t be a response from the legal standpoint. You can ask until you’re blue in the face, and that’s going to be your answer. I’m not involved, I’m not being sued, I’m not being accused of anything. It’s a legal matter.”

He also added that no matter what, there will be some who believe the claims, and some who don’t. However, talent in the company who did comment on the matter include Cody Rhodes, who described the situation as a “dark cloud,” and Seth Rollins, who expressed hope that everyone involved in the situation received the deserved consequences.

WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard will not be discussing the lawsuit against Vince McMahon filed last month by ex-employee Janel Grant. 

McMahon re-signed from TKO and WWE last month, following a lawsuit filed by ex-employee Janel Grant. Miss Grant claims that McMahon was sexually abusive to her and that he trafficked her to others in the company, including a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. McMahon has denied the allegations against him and, via a spokesperson, has claimed the lawsuit is rife with “obscene made-up instances that never occurred.”

Bruce Prichard Will Not Comment

Some in WWE have spoken about the allegations in question, with Cody Rhodes calling the situation a “dark cloud” over WWE during the Royal Rumble press conference. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins hopes everyone who knew about what happened gets what they deserve, if the allegations are proven to be true. 

On his Something to Wrestle With podcast, Bruce Prichard was asked about the lawsuit against McMahon and WWE. While a long-time ally of McMahon, Prichard made it clear he would not comment on the matter. 

“I’m not at liberty to discuss any legal matters of the company whatsoever. To that, there is nothing that I can say. There can’t be a response from the legal standpoint. You can ask until you’re blue in the face, and that’s going to be your answer. I’m not involved, I’m not being sued, I’m not being accused of anything. It’s a legal matter.”

Prichard added that there will be some who believe the claims and there will be some who won’t no matter what. 

“Sometimes, it is as simple as, for those who believe, no explanation is needed; for those that don’t, no explanation will do. That’s kind of where we are. Let the rest of it sit in the hands of the fine legal system we have here in the United States of America.”

Prichard made clear that nobody in WWE instructed him to not address the matter on his podcast. Instead, Prichard is wisely choosing to not discuss the lawsuit against his former boss and the company he currently works at. 

Bruce Prichard recently found himself named by Ronda Rousey as part of the Vince McMahon controversy… 

H/T – Jeremy Lambert of Fightful

Bruce Prichard has played a part in some of the biggest moment in WWE history, but he was backstage for most of them. Now, the WWE internal heavy-hitter is about to hit the road to recovery once again.

Bruce Prichard Undergoing Surgery Today

WWE will have to do without Bruce Prichard for a bit, because he is going to be recovering from surgery. Odds are, he will be back to work as soon as possible, given his history of dedication to WWE.

Conrad Thompson, who co-hosts Bruce Prichard’s podcast with him, posted on Twitter/X to reveal that the Something to Wrestle With host went under the knife today. They are hoping to record their podcast on Saturday because of Bruce’s surgical situation.

Bruce is having triceps surgery this morning. We hope to record Saturday.

Bruce is having triceps surgery this morning. We hope to record Saturday. https://t.co/07f4wvtxzr

— Conrad the Mortgage Guy (@HeyHeyItsConrad) February 1, 2024

Bruce Prichard’s Surgery History

This is not the first time that Prichard has needed to go under the knife. He’s had a couple shoulder surgeries before. Now, he is getting his triceps worked on, but he had quite an experience with shoulder surgeries, as he detailed on a previous podcast.

“Last time I had a shoulder surgery, man, it was like I was in, I was out that day. The next day, I was in a meeting. I never ever had the pain like people talk about shoulder surgery, right? Everybody told me, ‘Oh, this will be the worst thing you ever do.’ So, this time, I was expecting it to be like last time, when I had no pain. This one is like the one where they tell you, ‘Oh, yeah.’ This sucks. Out of all the surgeries that you would want to get, this is why this one is at the bottom of the motherf*cking list.”

Bruce Prichard’s Role in WWE

Along with having a ton of stories and a great podcast, Bruce Prichard still holds a prominent role in WWE.

Prichard presently serves as the executive director of Raw and SmackDown, holding a significant position in WWE’s on-screen creative. This responsibility has been overseen by McMahon’s son-in-law Paul “Triple H” Levesque since the billionaire initiated his six-month “retirement” in June 2022.

The 60-year-old also recently took heat from Ronda Rousey, who called him out as Vince McMahon’s “avatar.” That shot was meant to convey that things in WWE aren’t going to change with this present situation. It remains to be seen how things may transpire until then.

Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will host WrestleMania 40 on April 6 and 7, 2024. The show of shows promises to be an amazing experience for WWE fans, with The Weeknd pulling a 5-pete, but the card needed to change. 

WWE’s WrestleMania Booking Issues

WWE saw a few issues that they needed to address when it came to their WrestleMania lineup. Two big matches needed to change due to completely different reasons. Now we are in a waiting game before we know what is really planned for the showcase of the immortals this year.

Brock Lesnar was taken out of the WrestleMania equation after his name was associated with the damning lawsuit that Janel Grant filed against Vince McMahon. Those heinous allegations involving Lesnar claimed that a sexual play date with the victim was a part of his contract renewal. It was also alleged that the Beast Incarnate wanted a video of her urinating, so his dream match against GUNTHER at Mania isn’t taking place. 

CM Punk, on the other hand, is injured. His planned match against Seth Rollins isn’t going down at WrestleMania now. So, WWE needs to figure out a new direction for the top of the Mania card this year, with Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns remaining unaffected. 

WWE’s Current WrestleMania Lineup Plans (Exclusive)

A tenured member of the WWE team told me that Triple H and a number of people, including Bruce Prichard, lead writers, and some high level associates, met at the Royal Rumble to discuss WrestleMania. They also spoke about this on a conference call Sunday, and the lineup has been determined. 

I was told, as of last night, that the updated WrestleMania lineup has not distributed to talent or the rest of the creative team yet. Any report saying that there are “card variations” of the lineup is incorrect. 

It was reiterated with me that the WWE creative team has not been informed of the re-shuffled Mania lineup yet. They will be informed of that later this week.

Triple H, Bruce Prichard, lead writers, and some high level #WWE associates met at the #RoyalRumble and also on a conference call Sunday to discuss #WrestleMania.

I've been told that the lineup has been determined.

The final word has "Just not distributed to talent or the…

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) January 31, 2024

What’s Next

As I previously reported, Bron Breakker did get a main roster call-up with his Royal Rumble appearance. He filled in for Brock Lesnar in the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match, but he isn’t getting the matches that WWE had planned for Lesnar at this time.

The only people who really know what is happening with Rock are the people at the very top of the company, and they are all playing it very close to the vest.

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) January 28, 2024

When it comes to The Rock, that doesn’t seem to be happening at this year’s WrestleMania, but Dave Meltzer reported that Rock vs Reigns is still possibly going down this year. 

I was told that any plan for The Rock is being kept “very close to the vest,” so, the only people who really know what is going on are kept to a very close circle.

Vince McMahon resigned from WWE in response to earth-shattering allegations that were laid down in a lawsuit from former WWE employee Janel Grant. Although McMahon is gone, Ronda Rousey believes that his influence will not go away without some deeper cleaning.

Bruce Prichard Takes Fire

Vince McMahon had many people help him build his empire through the years. Bruce Prichard has been a player in many historic WWE moments, and he has also acted as one of McMahon’s right-hand men for years. Vince is gone, but Bruce is still around.

Ronda Rousey logged onto Twitter/X, and she had a lot to say on the day of the Royal Rumble event. The former Women’s Champion posted to say that as long as Bruce Prichard is still with WWE, Vince McMahon’s presence will always be felt.

Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before.

Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before

— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) January 27, 2024

Others Who Were Involved

Bruce Prichard’s name was not brought up in Grant’s lawsuit against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis. Brock Although he was not mentioned explicitly, Brock Lesnar’s name was heavily alluded to.

Lesnar was pulled from the Royal Rumble event after his name was attached to Grant’s lawsuit. It was noted that Vince McMahon allegedly used her as a bargaining chip to secure a contract renewal. The Superstar in question was not named, but they were referred to as a former UFC Heavyweight Champion.

There May Be More To Uncover

This latest set of allegations against Vince McMahon cause shockwaves throughout the pro wrestling world that may not be settled yet. The lawsuit explicitly stated that the accuser was stepping forward for those unable to do so but expressing the desire to speak.

‘Ms. Grant is filing this lawsuit not just to address her own suffering, but also to act for those who are afraid to speak out. Plaintiff Janel Grant is a former employee of WWE who was the victim of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking at WWE.’

SE Scoops will have continued coverage of Vince McMahon’s ongoing drama, and all necessary updates. 

Cody Rhodes has nothing but praise for WWE’s Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard.

As noted, Rhodes won this year’s 2023 Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to WrestleMania this April. Rhodes made his return in the match after missing several months due to a torn pectoral muscle.

While he was away, Rhodes admitted in a post-Rumble interview with Ariel Helwani that he did, indeed, have doubts before making his return. However, those were dispelled thanks to support from the likes of Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard.

“I was embarrassed, I really was. I was on top of my game. All the measurables of, ‘this is working, we’re selling this, people are tuning in.’ I’m doing it. Then I got hurt bench pressing at my gym. Probably a lot of wrestling was involved in that, but I didn’t know. I was just embarrassed. I’m really sorry. I am.

“I didn’t want to leave. I had almost a 30-minute match and then had to go get surgery. I was embarrassed. That was one time where I thought, ‘I’m worried now. Maybe I don’t have it.’ Everyone has doubts, even the most confident people. Maybe I didn’t have it. I’ll tell you two people that really kept me in check, Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard. I don’t know why they have reputations.

“They’ve been nothing but angels to me. Nick and Bruce don’t see Dusty (Rhodes) when they see me, they see me. That’s big. That’s big with me. They kept me on and never told me, ‘You’re going to do this, this is going to happen.’ Just, ‘get better, get well, we need you back, we’re going to go for it,’ but we never talked about what it was. To be able to come back and punch this ticket, Thank God, just have to stay healthy.” 

Now after winning the Rumble, Rhodes will likely go on to headline WrestleMania opposite Roman Reigns for one of his two World Titles. Rhodes has been adamant that his biggest goal upon his WWE return is to win the World Title for the first time in his career.

It will be interesting to see if he can make it happen this year at “The Show Of Shows.”

Quotes via NoDQ.com

Is there a side to Eric Bischoff that fans have never gotten the chance to see, that would change the public perception of the WWE Hall of Famer?

Bischoff entered the wrestling business in the 1990s as part of WCW and would become a major part of the New World Order.

Joining WWE in 2002, Bischoff’s reign of terror as Raw General Manager ended in 2005 but he has made sporadic appearances for the company since then.

Misunderstood

Bischoff may be a veteran of the wrestling business, but the reception of him by fans has often been mixed.

Bischoff’s comments on his 83 Weeks Podcast often rub fans the wrong way, but the former WWE GM may simply be misunderstood.

Speaking on his Something to Wrestle With podcast, Bruce Prichard spoke about Bischoff and others he believes to be ‘misunderstood.’

“I think Eric Bischoff is a big one. I also think Paul Levesque, I think Kevin Dunn through the years [has been misunderstood.]”

Eric Bischoff.

Bruce Prichard

Prichard may think that the fan perception of Eric Bischoff is unwarranted, but he doesn’t have the greatest ‘cred’ either.

Many have seen Prichard as little more than a Vince McMahon ‘yes man’ who approved the ex-CEO’s ideas no matter what, prior to McMahon’s retirement in July 2022.

In 2021, it was reported that Prichard’s comments on an episode of the Not Sam Wrestling podcast had angered and embarrassed those working in WWE.

During his appearance on the show, Prichard criticized fans when discussing the pilot episode of Monday Night Raw, saying that fans will always reject change.

h/t – WrestlingInc

The rebranding of NXT last year was surrounded by many wild speculations. One such rumor was that Bruce Prichard was heading the brand and he was writing the shows.

The WWE executive recently returned to his Something To Wrestle With podcast after undergoing surgery for a torn rotator cuff in June.

Among other things, he also addressed the rumors about his involvement with NXT. Prichard claimed that he has never written an episode of the development show ever.

Prichard also commented on Shawn Michaels’ leading the brand. He said that HBK has done a tremendous job of grabbing NXT by the horns.

Apart from this, the wrestling veteran commented on the management change in WWE. He called it an exciting time and explained that he chooses to love his life.

WWE rebranded the development brand to NXT 2.0 in September last year. Shawn Michaels took over the duties of Triple H in the absence of The Game, and he has since received a new title in WWE.

• Bruce Prichard’s Mount Rushmore of Wrestling Promoters

Quotes via Fightful

We have the reported backstage reaction from WWE talents in regards to Bruce Prichard being named the interim WWE Head of Talent Relations to pass along.

As we’ve noted, John Laurinaitis was put on administrative leave in light of the sexual misconduct allegations made against him and Vince McMahon.

PWInsider reported that a memo was sent out to staff to alert them of the move, adding that Bruce Prichard was named interim Head of Talent Relations in the meantime.

Both Fightful Select and Wrestling Observer are reporting that talent aren’t exactly thrilled with Prichard coming into the role.

Fightful’s report had one person on the inside joke that “Vince only knows three people,” referencing Vince only giving Prichard and Laurinaitis several different jobs, despite having a very large team.

Meltzer’s report suggested that talents aren’t thrilled with the move and it is “not necessarily well-received” Fightful’s report noted that several people backstage are not expecting Laurinaitis back, suggesting he’s “as good as gone” with some celebrating that fact.

Perhaps unrelated, but Fightful also reports that Vince McMahon was said to be in a very good mood during Monday Night RAW last night.

He even made a surprise appearance to briefly hype the return of John Cena next week.

It’s been a wild turn of events for Vince McMahon and WWE.

The Wall Street Journal recently dropped a bombshell report of an investigation. McMahon allegedly made a secret $3 million hush pact who a former employee. Vince supposedly had an affair with the ex-employee.

WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis may also be in hot water. The report notes that Vince allegedly passed the ex-employee to Laurinaitis “like a toy.”

The investigation is being conducted by the board of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

Vince McMahon’s Potential Replacement

The belief is that this could be the greatest threat to Vince McMahon’s power in WWE since the 1994 steroid trial. While Vince was facing prison time for that trial, this current situation is still serious and pressure could mount on the WWE Chairman.

During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that there are two key people to look out for should Vince McMahon actually be forced to step down.

Bruce Prichard has been described as the “number two guy” in WWE right now in terms of booking the shows. Meltzer notes that many within the company don’t believe Bruce would be able to fill Vince’s shoes due to health problems and other things.

Triple H is still in play as well. He also has had some major health issues and many wonder if he should even take on such a role if offered. Of course, his vision for NXT being dismantled has many skeptical that he’d be the first choice to take over the booking.

PWInsider is reporting that WWE is taking the “business as usual” approach for the June 17 episode of SmackDown. The WWE crew has been informed that Vince McMahon will be at the show.

WWE executives clearly aren’t exempt from the injury bug going around in the wrestling industry.

Late spring certainly hasn’t been kind to promotions. On the WWE side, Cody Rhodes recently underwent successful surgery for a completely torn right pectoral muscle.

With AEW, CM Punk underwent foot surgery, while Adam Cole has reportedly been dealing with a torn labrum.

Now, we’ve got a WWE executive who needs his torn rotator cuff fixed.

Bruce Prichard’s Injury

During an episode of his Something To Wrestle With podcast, Bruce Prichard revealed he has suffered a torn rotator cuff.

“I have a torn rotator cuff. The plan is to get it fixed next Wednesday. Six months rehab. I had colitis. I changed my diet. I started working out. I started getting healthy and started feeling good.

“Actually, man, I put on weight because I’ve been working out and I’m getting stronger and all this good sh*t, feeling really good. But my shoulder was bugging me. So I was going in for treatments for my shoulder.”

Prichard detailed his experience getting the issue diagnosed.

“The doctor said, ‘Well, we’re gonna get the MRI.’ I went to the MRI. I won’t even tell you that story about having a panic attack in the MRI thing. That was pretty frightening, horrible because I’m claustrophobic and they put me in a tube that was the size for like your left toe.

“But anyway, I got it done. It’s torn and I’m gonna get it fixed. It got to the point where I just was in pain all day long and I don’t feel like being in pain all day long, so I’m just going to be in pain for six more months knowing that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co.

When wrestlers name their Mount Rushmore of pro wrestling, they’re usually talking about in-ring competitors.

On the latest episode of his Something to Wrestle podcast, WWE Senior Vice President Bruce Prichard names his Mount Rushmore of Wrestling Promoters.

Unsurprisingly, Prichard names his longtime boss, Vince McMahon, as his “number one.”

The other three promoters he named were Paul Boesch, Dusty Rhodes and Vince McMahon Sr. “I do have to put Boesch on there because Paul was a true promoter,” said Prichard. “You have to view it through the eyes of who was a promoter, who was a marketer, who was a booker. Paul was a promoter’s promoter.”

He continued, “Vince McMahon Sr. was a promoter. Jim Barnett, Jim was a promoter, and as years went on, Jim Crockett was the guy who owned a business. Jim didn’t promote.”

“Dusty Rhodes was a promoter, even though Dusty didn’t have that moniker, that’s what Dusty did. So that would probably be it, the two Vince’s, Paul and Dusty.”

Listen to the latest episode of Something to Wrestle:

Mount Rushmore of Wrestling

Here are some past articles about wrestlers naming their Mount Rushmore of Wrestling:

• The Rock Reveals His Mt. Rushmore Of Wrestling
• Seth Rollins Reveals His Mt Rushmore Of Money-Drawing Wrestlers
• Bret Hart Names His Mount Rushmore Of Technical Wrestlers
• Tony Khan Lists His Wrestling Mount Rushmore
• Cody Rhodes’ Wrestling Mount Rushmore Includes Tony Khan & Vince McMahon
• Jeff Hardy Names His Favorite Feud & Wrestling Mt. Rushmore
• Bayley Reveals Her Mount Rushmore Of Women’s Wrestling
• AJ Styles Names His Pro Wrestling Mount Rushmore

It appears that the recent visual overhaul was only the beginning of the end for the old NXT, not only from a presentation viewpoint but from how the brand operates behind the scene as well. PWinsider is reporting that the officials have made some big changes to the creative approach for the development brand and its creative team is no longer operating independently.

During Triple H’s time as the head of the brand, NXT’s creative team had been ‘autonomous’ in nature. It operated as a separate bubble within the promotion. However, the creative bench has been informed that at least for now they will be reporting to Bruce Prichard and Christine Lubrano, similar to how the teams for Raw and SmackDown operate.

With the departure of Road Dogg, Johnny Russo is now said to be leading the creative team under the supervision of Prichard and Lubrano. Russo has been with WWE since 2011. He has worked on the Raw and SmackDown creative teams. He was promoted to the role of Senior Creative Writer/Producer in 2018. Johnny Russo has been working on the NXT creative since 2019 and he was apparently made the head writer in July 2020.

Dewey Foley, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley also remains a part of the NXT creative team. He has been overseeing the 205 Live brand for some time now. This comes after the promotion released a number of key personnel last week that were integral part of Triple H’s NXT team, including William Regal and Samoa Joe.

Bruce Prichard missing a number of WWE tapings recently had made some headlines and it was said the wrestling veteran was dealing with some health issues.

The WWE Senior Vice President addressed these reports on the latest episode of his Something To Wrestle podcast and cleared the air on his absence.

Prichard was asked how he was doing and he said that he is doing great. The WWE executive then claimed that the rumors going around are complete ‘horses**t’:

“I’m fucking great, here’s the funny thing, I had a great vacation in Cobo. I got a little bit of Montezuma’s revenge. To address some of the rumor and innuendo, which is complete horseshit, out there in the wrestling media.”

• Bruce Prichard On Sgt Slaughter Winning WWF Title During Gulf War

Bruce Prichard explained that he likes to save his vacations till the end of the year so he can pair them with a couple of extra days off in Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Since WWE gave the wrestlers some time off during Christmas and aired a taped show instead, it looked as if Prichard was absent from multiple tapings:

“Then, I got the flu. I was running a fever and not feeling well. We have a great team and an incredible support system that was there. I missed three TVs.”

Bruce Prichard has worked with WWE on and off for over three decades now. He first joined the promotion as a manager in 1987.

Thanks to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

It appears Vince McMahon isn’t backstage for tonight’s Raw taping.

PWInsider is reporting that McMahon has put Bruce Prichard in charge of the show for Sept. 6. This comes one week after McMahon was reportedly upset about the original script for the Aug. 30 episode of Raw. It was said that McMahon dismissed several rewrites before the show aired.

Here’s a look at what’s in-store for Raw tonight.

• Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre – to determine number one contender for WWE United States Title
• RAW Women’s Title Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax
• WWE 24/7 Champion Reggie to defend against Akira Tozawa
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match: Natalya and Tamina Snuka vs. Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H.
• Tag Team Turmoil: AJ Styles and Omos, The Viking Raiders, Lucha House Party, Jinder Mahal and Veer, T-BAR and MACE, Mustafa Ali and Mansoor, The New Day – to determine number one contenders for Raw Tag Team Titles

SEScoops will be providing results once Monday Night Raw goes off the air. We’ll also be bringing you updates if there are any major title changes on the show. If there is an update on why Vince McMahon is missing tonight’s Raw taping, we’ll be sure to keep you up to speed on that front as well.

Several reports have come out as of late regarding Vince McMahon & Bruce Prichard playing a larger role in NXT. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, a meeting was held with talent and staff in NXT recently. Reports of McMahon and Prichard’s involvement were addressed.

“There was a meeting with talent and staff where they were told the stories of McMahon and Prichard directly producing the weekly television show is incorrect,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The report continued to say that Prichard and McMahon are too busy to take on that role. Major decisions regarding the brand will now be made by upper WWE management, however. This includes the rebrand, roster cuts, and who gets pushed and/or protected.

“The new logo came from WWE with no input from the NXT people and it’s when it comes to the future of NXT and its rebranding, it’s said the people making the decision, on their own, are the likes of Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, John Laurinaitis, Kevin Dunn, and Bruce Prichard,” Meltzer continued.

It was also noted that there were many who had hoped changing to Tuesday nights would benefit NXT. That is not what has happened, however. Television ratings for the brand are averaging just under 650,000 viewers and a 0.16 over the last 10 weeks.

“Like with the cuts, all the major decisions as far as marketing, direction of the brand and promotion of the brand are all being made outside the NXT circle,” Meltzer continued.

It looks like the version of NXT as we know it is coming to an end.

During an edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez reported that sources within WWE have claimed that Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard will be in charge of the production of NXT. This is said to be taking effect on Sept. 14.

Here’s what Alvarez had to say.

“Anything is possible but I talked a while ago about how we’re gonna have a new NXT. It’s gonna be like the old NXT. I have heard from several people now that when they go back to live shows, this is going to be a Vince McMahon-Bruce Prichard production.”

PW Insider first reported that major changes would be made to the NXT brand. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio later followed up, confirming the brand would have a new look and overall feel. Meltzer also noted that WWE is putting greater focus on making NXT a developmental brand as it once was rather than a major third brand.

We’ve also seen reports claiming that WWE is turning away from signing independent talent. A follow-up update has claimed that WWE talent scouts will still give indie talent a look if they feel it’s worthwhile. With that said, the focus will be on larger-sized talent.

Sgt. Slaughter won the WWF Championship while working an angle where he was an Iraqi-sympathizer and admirer of Saddam Hussein. He defeated The Ultimate Warrior for the title at the 1991 Royal Rumble. Bruce Prichard recently discussed the 91 Rumble on an episode of “Something to Wrestle With” and spoke about the decision to put the title on Slaughter at the time.

Slaughter’s Royal Rumble victory took place on January 19th, 2021. Operation Desert Storm began 2 days earlier on January 17th, 1991.

“This was probably just a little too soon, a little too close to home and I don’t think that anyone ever really thought, until (the weekend of the Rumble), that we were actually going to have a full conflict and go to war,” Prichard said.

“This one turned into that major war that people hadn’t been apart of in many, many years and I think that it just affected the psyche of the country,” Prichard continued.

Bruce Prichard On Similar Storytelling In Other Forms Of Entertainment

Prichard also mentioned how other forms of entertainment will use war as a storyline.

“Look at the movies that they did with the Japanese, and the war, and Hiroshima and different things like that, Pearl Harbor. World War I, World War II were glamorized in the movies, and the villains were accentuated, the evil Russians, the evil Germans, the evil Japanese. That had taken the shape of the villain in America’s eyes.”

He also made specific mention of Americans being used as heels in Japanese wrestling.

“You look at Japanese wrestling, where Japanese wrestling really took off is when they started bringing Americans in to be the villains, the heels.”

Bruce Prichard On Similar Characters In Wrestling

Conrad Thompson asked Prichard about similarities between Sgt Slaughter’s 1991 title win and the Muhammad Hassan character in WWE years later.

“I’d say both were victims of bad timing as well as just bad characters,” Prichard said.

“I think if they had been done at any other time, when some of the outside circumstances hadn’t taken place, I think they would have been fine. But when you start seeing people in war, which they had never seen in real-time before. You got to remember, your closest war was Vietnam.”

Bruce Prichard has become one of the most powerful people backstage in WWE after the removal of Paul Heyman from the creative team, according to latest reports.

According to reports from PWinsider, the current creative direction of the company falls under the Chairman Of The Boards Vince McMahon and Executive Director Bruce Prichard.

This makes the former WWE manager an important figure backstage and some people have even described him as the ‘most powerful person’ in the company right now after the members of the McMahon family.

Everything is said to be flowing through Prichard when it comes to the creative recently and the former Brother Love’s word is said to be “very much the gospel” for Mr McMahon.

Though this power also seems to have its side effects as the report says that Bruce Prichard’s position has led to a lot of frustration and heat towards him among wrestlers, at least privately.

Bruce Prichard returned to WWE in 2018. He took over the duties of the Executive Director of SmackDown in October last year, after the departure of Eric Bischoff.

Following Paul Heyman’s removal as the head of Raw’s creative team in June this year, it was reported that Bruce Prichard will be leading the creative teams for both the brands, making him one of the most powerful persons in the company.

• Jeff Hardy Update Following Crazy Spot On Monday’s RAW

Eddie Guerrero was one of the biggest Mexican stars WWE has ever seen. He captured multiple championships and won fans over around the world.

However, he faced some roadblocks in the early stages of his career and the former champion was even fired from the promotion after getting arrested for drunk driving in November 2001.

Bruce Prichard talked about Eddie on the latest episode of his Something To Wrestle With podcast. Discussing this incident, the WWE star said that it was the time when their relationship started getting closer:

“This is kind of where our relationship just started to get closer, and where Eddie started opening up to people a little bit more because Eddie realized he needed help, and that’s the first step.”

• Also Read: Backstage Updates On The Recent Absence Of Aleister Black

Prichard went on to say that he was trying to help Guerrero at the time but the WWE release was probably warranted because Eddie needed to have ramifications to realise the need for change. Bruce Prichard also revealed who handled Eddie’s release:

“I believe, at this time, it was pretty much handled by JR and he got the news it’s time to move on, hopefully we can do something with you down the line.'”

Eddie Guerrero returned to WWE in April 2002 and he went on to have a great run with many memorable moments before his death in November 2005.

Bruce Prichard was part of the backstage WWE crew for over two decades and he was involved in the planning of many big angles and matches that took place over the years of his employment.

On the latest episode of his Something To Wrestle With podcast, Prichard revealed one such WrestleMania match they had planned involving the late great Eddie Guerrero which couldn’t take place.

Prichard revealed that the idea of a dream match between Guerrero and the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels was being kicked around for WrestleMania 22:

“It was kicked around as a possibility because they never worked together, and that was, at least in my head, a dream match,” said Prichard. “That was one of those that I definitely would love to have seen.”

• Also Read: Former NXT Champion Among Names To Become Free Agents After Draft

However, the talks of a match between the two legends never came to fruition because Eddie Guerrero, unfortunately, passed away due to heart failure in November 2005, six months prior to the big event.

The changed direction for Shawn Michaels then saw the former DX member competing against the WWE chairman Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at the show. Michaels won this bout after delivering a diving elbow drop from the top of a ladder to McMahon, followed by the Sweet Chin Music.

Former WWE writer and polarising figure Vince Russo recently commented on the WWE ‘Retribution’ angle.

The Retribution have been making their presence felt on WWE programming over the past few weeks. The group have been invading RAW, SmackDown and PPV events and their actual intentions and identities are at this point unknown.

Vince Russo on Retribution

“Bro, this takeover is freaking comical” Vince Russo began on The Brand’s 8 Days a Week; describing how he feels about the way Retribution have gone about their business in WWE. “You made everybody on your roster look like a bunch of effing idiots, bro. There’s a match going on in the ring. So the entire locker room comes out to the ring to make sure that the Retribution don’t attack the ring.”

“Meanwhile, the ‘new kids on the block’ have beaten up someone in the back right?” Russo would continue. “So they [creative] wrote that a referee comes out and gives the talent in the ring the heads up. They’re now out of here and they’re in the back, they’re in their back, bro I swear to God, like the Keystone cops.”

• WWE SmackDown Results (8/28): Roman Reigns & Paul Heyman, Sami Zayn Returns

Vince Russo would then lay the blame solely on SmackDown Executive Director Bruce Prichard. Bruce Prichard himself of course has a long running podcast himself (Something To Wrestle With) and he has taken the opportunity to ridicule Russo’s creative on more than one occasion. “All the talent are running back and I’m like are you effing, like what am i watching here Bruce!?” Russo would finish. “What is wrong with you? And you want to sit there on your show and bury me? Are you kidding!?”

Right now there’s no definitive confirmation on how the Retribution angle will play out. On this week’s episode of SmackDown, Roman Reigns was seen backstage with Paul Heyman, who appeared to be his new ‘advocate.’ There have previously been rumblings of Reigns being behind the Retribution group, as he only just recently returned to television at SummerSlam.

So perhaps WWE has a masterplan for the group after all?

Do you agree with Vince Russo? Have Retribution been booked poorly? Let us know in the comments