Jackie Redmond is clearing up how WWE countdown show reports actually come together, and according to her, they are not simply handed to reporters word-for-word.
While speaking to Awful Announcing, Redmond explained that WWE production usually gives her a specific match or storyline to cover. From there, she decides how to approach the report and what angle makes it interesting.
“So the backstage reporting—as in the countdown shows—the reports I do there, I’m told, ‘Hey, we want you to cover Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi,’ right? Like, give us a report on that. So I’m given the topic.”
Jackie Redmond compared the process to her hockey work, explaining that once she gets a topic, it is up to her to find the most interesting way to tell the story, using Canadian professional ice hockey player Nick Suzuki as an example.
“But much like in hockey—if I’m told to do a report on Nick Suzuki—I’m going to find what’s interesting about him and build something around that. So it is me.”
She then gave an example from backstage at WWE, where she saw The Undertaker and decided to ask him about Oba Femi. Redmond said she normally would not casually approach someone like Undertaker, but her sports reporting background pushed her to seek out a Hall of Fame perspective.
“For example, with Brock and Oba, I was walking around backstage and saw The Undertaker there. I’ve only met him once, and he’s the Undertaker—I’m not just casually going up and talking to him. But I thought, if this were hockey and there was a legend or Hall of Famer around, I’d go ask them for their perspective. So I went up and asked him about Oba Femi—why he’s connected so quickly with the audience and how rare that is.”
She also clarified that WWE personalities such as herself, Peter Rosenberg, Cathy Kelley, and Byron Saxton work with producers and backstage staff to make sure the show is structured properly. However, she made it clear they still have freedom in how they tell the stories.
“So yeah, myself, Peter Rosenberg, Cathy Kelley, Byron Saxton—we’re delivering those reports. We do work with people behind the scenes who help structure the show and ask, ‘Does this make sense?’”
Redmond said that creative freedom is what makes the role enjoyable, because they are able to shape their own coverage around the matches and stories assigned to them: “But we do have freedom in how we cover matches and tell those stories, which has been really cool.”
Her comments push back against the idea that WWE countdown show reporting is completely scripted. While the topics are assigned and the overall show is structured, Redmond says the actual reporting still comes from the personalities doing the work. For Redmond, the role is a mix of WWE production direction and real reporting instincts. She may be told what story to cover, but how that story gets told is where her own voice comes in.
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Do you like WWE giving countdown show reporters more freedom with their segments, or should those reports stay tightly controlled? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
