Pro Wrestling Press sent along the following:
LOS ANGELES, CA – In a revealing new video titled “My Road to WrestleMania 32,” Harvard-educated attorney and WWE veteran David Otunga has exposed the behind-the-scenes legal hurdles that cost him a major media deal at the height of his wrestling career.
For the first time, Otunga details how WWE management stepped in to shut down a potentially lucrative podcasting contract with PodcastOne in early 2016—a move that effectively stifled his transition into the burgeoning world of digital media.
The “No” That Changed Everything
In February 2016, Otunga was approached by PodcastOne to host a weekly interview series similar to the successful Talk is Jericho. Despite Otunga’s unique position as both a talent and a commentator, WWE issued a flat refusal.
“My manager worked really hard to get it,” Otunga explains. “We sent the deal to WWE and they wouldn’t let me do it. The answer I got was, ‘They’re not letting talent do podcasts right now.'”
Otunga reveals that the decision was particularly frustrating given his “independent contractor” status. Because the deal lacked a financial downside guarantee and relied on interviewing fellow wrestlers, WWE’s refusal to grant access to talent killed the project before it could record a single episode.
“It hurt. I was offered this potentially great deal, but WWE wouldn’t let me do it… They eventually let other talent do podcasts, but only the ones they controlled or owned.” — David Otunga
Scott Armstrong’s In-Ring Endorsement
The video also explores the “Road to WrestleMania” from a competitor’s perspective. Despite his success on the RAW Pre-Show, Otunga was actively pitching a return to the ring.
He recalls a pivotal conversation at the WrestleMania 32 after-party with WWE producer and referee Scott Armstrong, who praised Otunga’s performance in recent live events. Armstrong reportedly told Otunga that producers had been “putting him over heavy” in internal reports and offered to personally advocate for his return to full-time wrestling.
“It validated the hard work I’d been putting in at the Performance Center,” Otunga notes. “But the logjam wasn’t the work—it was creative. Once Vince [McMahon] sees you as an announcer, it’s hard to change his mind.”
