John Laurinaitis became one of the most disliked authority figures in WWE during the early 2010s. According to Laurinaitis himself, the reaction from fans was so intense that some people genuinely believed the villain they saw on television was his real personality.
While appearing on the Perched on the Top Rope podcast, the former WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations reflected on his “People Power” character, which defined his on-screen run as the General Manager of both WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown.
Laurinaitis explained that WWE’s creative team helped shape the persona, which quickly became one of the most hated characters on television at the time.
“Well, I think it is something special. I mean, the character was really one of a kind at that time,” Laurinaitis said. “Creative did a great job helping me perform, to be that character and to actually play that role.”
During that era, Laurinaitis regularly used his authority in storylines to manipulate matches and stack the deck against top WWE stars, including John Cena. The gimmick centered around his catchphrase “People Power,” which he often shouted while making controversial decisions on television.
The role generated significant crowd heat, something Laurinaitis said surprised him because the negative reaction sometimes carried over into real-life interactions with fans.
“It was incredible how much heat I had during that role,” Laurinaitis explained. “Some fans that watched me as Mr. John Laurinaitis think that’s me, even though it’s just a role I’m playing.”
He said that when fans eventually met him in person, many were surprised to discover the real person behind the character was far different from the on-screen villain.
“I would meet people out and they go, ‘Wow, you’re not as bad as I thought you were. You’re kind of nice actually,’ because all they saw was me coming out and doing the People Power.”
Laurinaitis’ run as an authority figure placed him in several major storylines during that period of WWE programming. His character frequently clashed with top stars and became a central part of the company’s television narratives, helping cement the “People Power” persona as one of the more memorable executive roles in WWE history.
Even years later, the gimmick remains a recognizable part of that era of WWE television.
