Jump to content
Pro Wrestling Only

Things I learned by listening to Dave Lagana's podcasts.


sek69

Recommended Posts

Spent some time listening to the "Formerly Creative" interviews he's done with other former members of the writing team, and a few things stood out:

 

 

- Writers spend hours upon hours of their day in meetings that 90% of the time end up being pointless.

 

- Vince will be 100% on board with the content of a show before getting on the plane, then by the time the plane lands the show needs re written because people on the plane with him convinced him otherwise.

 

- Apparently everyone who's ever been on the creative staff has a Michael Hayes impression. A Vince one too, but that one is usually more flattering than Hayes.

 

- Hayes likes to sell the creative staff as one big family that's one for all and all for one, then spends all his time on the private jet with Vince while the rest of the staff is riding the bus.

 

- In the interview with the guy who has the fake eye that he popped out on Raw, he mentioned how when they were rehearsing the skit Steph brought her kids down to ringside. He ended up rolling out of the ring on the side they were on and scared Aurora to death because he had his (fake) eye in his hand. Steph was pissed but when he relayed the story to Hunter in the context of apologizing for scaring the shit out of his kid, Hunter thought it was the funniest thing ever.

 

- They pretty much all confirm in one form or another that Hollywood acceptance is one of Vince's near-quixotic goals and almost every decision made is at least partially done with that in mind.

 

- Vince is pretty much the best guy ever, if not demanding to a ridiculous degree, but practically everyone else in creative comes off like a self preserving douche. Even Steph seems well liked by everyone, which seems to be the opposite of the "she's a female version of Angry Vince to everyone" stereotype.

 

- Promo sessions take hours due to most of the roster needing to do several dozen retakes. Naturally as former creative guys it was implied that was because the wrestlers were bad a promos instead of them being bad a memorizing horrible material, but Lagana did casually mention during his time at ROH it didn't take nearly as long to get guys to nail promos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Writers spend hours upon hours of their day in meetings that 90% of the time end up being pointless.

As it is with pretty much any job that requires meetings. Meetings are the worst.

 

but Lagana did casually mention during his time at ROH it didn't take nearly as long to get guys to nail promos.

Yes, that Rod Strong is much better on the mic than say, oh...anyone in WWE.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I work for a family company, all the employees like each other, and we do like three meetings a year and I *still* hate meetings. I am not looking forward to what it will be like in future jobs. I expect I'll need to add more drugs to my diet to stay awake...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I work for a family company, all the employees like each other, and we do like three meetings a year and I *still* hate meetings. I am not looking forward to what it will be like in future jobs. I expect I'll need to add more drugs to my diet to stay awake...

Add whole organic, non pesticide raw foods instead.

 

Yeah those pesticides on the fruit I eat are totally what's making me yawn at meetings!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Considering he lives a drug free lifestyle and seemingly has an extremely low tolerance for petty bullshit, it's nothing short of a miracle Punk's not only lasted this long in wrestling but has gone nearly all the way to the top.

 

Also I'm fairly certain the whole New Nexus angle with Punk as leader came about because he was bitter about the SES getting torpedoed because Vince was pissed at Serena not keeping kayfabe on her free time. He seemed especially upset over Luke Gallows getting endeavored. It's kind of amazing that no one else outside of the very upper echelon could say the things he does and not at least get a one way ticket to jobbertown over it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I work for a family company, all the employees like each other, and we do like three meetings a year and I *still* hate meetings. I am not looking forward to what it will be like in future jobs. I expect I'll need to add more drugs to my diet to stay awake...

Add whole organic, non pesticide raw foods instead.

 

Yeah those pesticides on the fruit I eat are totally what's making me yawn at meetings!

 

K, you want to mock a legit point after someone helps you out???? Time for a reality check.

 

If you are lacking energy and yawning at meetings it is most likely due to the same cause that inflicts all of North America. Poor diet, sleep which I personally lack and lack of quality exercise. And a signifigant part of the poor diet equation is the pesticides and whatever else on the food which is helping to spread disease. It's not something to be mocked. It's reality. Remember, In life, exercise is king and nutrition is queen. Put them together and you have a kingdom.

 

You want vitality, you want energy in life? Follow Jack LaLanne's motto.

 

I assume since you have a family company, you work closely with your parents. The same parents you mentioned recently here that you have to protect from reading youtube comments (Do you do that with PWO too since they're often worse?) Guess what? They'd be effected a lot more by their son taking drugs and having a bad diet than reading youtube comments. You want to protect them? Than be a freaking man and set a good example by not using/and or adding drugs, eating the best possible diet you can and exercising.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was referring to caffeine. I don't even drink.

 

Ah, RE...

That is good that you don't drink. I don't either.

 

But yeah all kidding aside, eat as healthy as possible and exercise. Cliche sure, but cliches are cliches for a reason. We as society get bye on less than stellar habits for our bodies and because they still work enough to get bye we just keep on doing it without thinking of the true consequences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We'll all die eventually. Possibly from horrible diseases. Meanwhile, if I have to spend my life only eating vegetables and not drinking, and only doing healthy things, I think I might die from boredom already. I never did any drugs because I guess I'm the kinda guy who would easily get caught into it, and I fear I would like it too much for my own good, but I'm not giving up on fine wines, beers, cocktails, champaign and delicious junk food from time to time.

 

I still wonder how Micheal Hayes ever got to that kind of position of power, since he's a southern wrestling guy with alcohol problems (not to mention the occasional racist remark). Doesn't strike me like the kind of guy Vince would get along with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the "Vince and Steph are really nice people talking point" usually comes from ex writers who under the right circumstances would want their old jobs back. Though I do think Steph has genuinely mellowed out over the years now that she doesn't have to fight for everyone's respect. Vince on the other hand seems more volatile than ever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the "Vince and Steph are really nice people talking point" usually comes from ex writers who under the right circumstances would want their old jobs back. Though I do think Steph has genuinely mellowed out over the years now that she doesn't have to fight for everyone's respect. Vince on the other hand seems more volatile than ever.

You have to remember this time last year Lagana had serious talks with WWE about coming back

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually another common theme among people on these podcasts have been "it was fun at times but I'd never go back because the workload was insane". So I don't quite think people are being nice about Vince/Steph because they're angling to return one day. Even Lagana said he really didn't have an overwhelming desire to go back but if they made the right offer he'd consider it.

 

Another tidbit that really isn't a shock to anyone who's paid attention at all to WWE, several ex writers more or less confirmed that most of the ideas that the talent come up with get vetoed by Vince because they reference pop culture and doesn't understand any of them. By far the hardest thing if you're a 20 something midcard/job guy trying to get noticed is to come up with something that will appeal to a 60 something billionaire who is insulated from pop culture to the point of being alien.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...