Chris Jericho On Why Current WWE Wrestlers Have To Watch What They Say On Podcasts

Although those who compete under the WWE umbrella are independent contractors, there is no question that the company makes sure to keep a close eye on them for the purposes of making sure the company looks good. With WWE being a publicly traded organization, good PR is a must.

WWE is very leery of having their competitors go on podcasts, due to someone saying something that does not make the company look good. For instance, F4WOnline reported a few years ago that Dolph Ziggler lost his push due to sharing these thoughts while being interviewed on MLive.

“I’ve made it clear; I’m not patient at all – several times. I’ve been very vocal about my position on the card and in the company. I’m not trying to say ‘Hey, everybody sucks and I’m great!’ But I love doing this, and at some point you go ‘OK, It’s not my time right now and I got to figure something out’ And when it’s time, that’s when I must go out there and make as huge of an impact as I can and let everyone know ‘I dare you to follow that, I dare you try something better.’ And when they don’t (counter or match what I’m doing in the ring) I’m very outspoken about it and it can get me into very hot water (with the company).

“Then you never know where we’re going. Everybody can be just so outspoken about taller guys, and guys like Randy Orton being the face of the WWE, the WWE Championship. I dare you to put me in a back alley with Randy Orton or someone like that. I guarantee I’m not afraid of someone taller.”

Ziggler has been one of the biggest examples of WWE utilizing them as they wish, without him benefitting much from it. You can see below where he’s been relegated to doing over the past few months.

Dolph Ziggler tries a few more extravagant entrances: SmackDown LIVE, Sept. 12, 2017

Chris Jericho was a recent guest on The Steve Austin Show, and shared what he thinks about WWE and wrestlers being on podcasts. Jericho mentioned how he loves being a podcast host because he gets a chance to speak with people who he idolized as a child.

Austin would agree that it is great to have interviews with people outside of the WWE, but interviewing people who are still in the company is much different. Big Show is a veteran, so he could get away with expressing his feelings of not being booked properly. However, as Jericho mentioned, someone like Bayley cannot.

“You gotta watch what you say because they’re watching you,” said Jericho. “At all times. Even if you don’t think they are. They’ll find out. The boss will find out, and I often wonder – it’s not even wonder, I’m sure it happens, – where [Vince McMahon] probably gets a report every day. Here’s the social media report, here’s the Twitter report, here’s the podcast report. This person said this, or that person said that.”

Jericho would add that WWE especially looks at what wrestlers say on Twitter, and it is a bad idea to post negative feelings about the company via social media.

If any of these quotes are used, be sure to use the H/T  The Steve Austin Show via Wrestling Rumors for the transcription. 

Follow Chris Jericho on Twitter @chrisprolific and the Pancakes and Powerslams Show @cravewrestling.