WWE Executive Director Bruce Prichard says there are exciting times ahead for the company.
Prichard recently returned to his “Something To Wrestle With” podcast and commented on the current landscape of the company following the recent management shake-up.
“Let’s call it exciting. It’s exciting times,” he said. “People take life for granted sometimes and take things happening around you for granted and it’s all how you look at life. You can either love life, live life or you can hate life and just exist. There were times in my life where I chose the latter, but I choose the former. I would rather live life and enjoy it because life is a journey, not a destination. Remember, the light at the end of the tunnel may be you.”
Prichard also clarified his creative role with the WWE NXT brand. It was reported last year how NXT was set to become a “McMahon-Prichard” production, referring to Prichard and former WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon. This came after current Executive Director of Talent Relations & Head of Creative Triple H took time off due to his health. Prichard was reportedly involved with the marketing, promotion and direction of NXT 2.0, but he revealed on his podcast that he has never written a single episode of NXT. Prichard also commented on WWE Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels.
“I do have to say, because it’s something people, even internally, have come to me with and made comments about… that I was writing NXT. I never said a word,” Prichard said. “You know what else I never did? I never wrote one NXT show in the history of my existence. I’m a fan of NXT, I love NXT. Shawn Michaels recently came out and talked about how, ‘It’s been me [Shawn], it’s been me since day one.’ Shawn has done a tremendous job of grabbing NXT by the horns and doing what he’s done. I love Shawn Michaels to death. The fact that Shawn finally came out and said, ‘What are you guys talking about?’ To those pundits out there, the dirtsheet writers who reported as fact, not, ‘hey rumors are,’ no, they reported as fact, that I had been involved in NXT. The fact of the matter is, they were 100% just fabricated lies. From where? I don’t know.
“Now that they’ve heard it from two different sources who were actually there and would actually know, they should probably consider their sources, or just stop making things up. I just found it so funny when, in an interview, with so many different things going on, Shawn said, ‘I’m gonna comment on that,’ just because so many people were dying on that soapbox and wanted to have my head. Those that want my head are going to want my head, have it at. I love what I do, I love where I’m at, what I’m doing, with whom I do it with. Get over it. it’s not all about what you think you perceive. Reality is reality and perception can be reality too, but when your reality is based on the perception that you have no idea about, it’s just wrong.”
When co-host Conrad Thompson commented on how this time, starting with the COVID-19 pandemic to now, is one of the most exciting and unusual times in pro wrestling history, Prichard responded and commented on what it’s like to be a part of everything, an said he’s as happy as he can be.
“I think when you look at it, in business history, in a lot of respects. To be part of it is huge and one day, it’s like people don’t even understand the role — I won’t get into it because it isn’t anyone’s business — even the role in which I’m involved. It’s a great time, it’s exciting as hell,” Prichard said. “To the people in the self-proclaimed wrestling media who have never actually been inside of a wrestling company or understand, or even inside of a major corporation, to understand how things are done, it amazes me the things they can get away with, reporting as fact and reporting as is. That’s it, that’s where I’m at, and I’m happy as can be.”
After joking around with Thompson, Prichard was asked if there was anything he wanted to say to the fans who kept listening to his show while he was on hiatus.
“More than anything, thank you, and I do love you, I really and truly do,” Prichard said. “That’s not a gimmick, I love you, I actually like you and love you and appreciate you, the fact that you would actually continue to come in and listen to some of our megasodes that we’ve put together that are like, ‘Holy cow, we said that? We did that?’ Thanks for hanging in there. Times have been crazy and it’s a period in time that will go down as one of the pivotal points in the world in which I have existed for damn near 60 years. It’s pretty crazy, but you want to bite your tongue. At least, I do. I have to bite my tongue. I can’t come out and say things when things are reported incorrectly or just out and out falsehood and lies. Sometimes, it irritates me, and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not in a position where I can really comment on some of those, but for those that choose to be negative and want to believe the negative, then you’re a negative person and that’s what you’re going to do. Have at it, I’m not going to try and change anything else.”
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(H/T to Fightful for the quotes)