Busted Open Radio is not planning to turn into WWE cheerleader radio just because WWE Radio has taken over SiriusXM’s wrestling lineup.
Bully Ray and Dave LaGreca addressed the backlash during SummerSlam weekend and claimed Nick Khan personally told them not to change how they cover WWE. According to LaGreca, Khan made it clear that the company wanted Busted Open because of its current style, not because WWE expected the hosts to suddenly stop criticizing the product.
Bully first praised WWE for the way the company treated the Busted Open crew during SummerSlam weekend. He pointed out that WWE placed them in the front row, identified them during the broadcast and gave them treatment they had not received from other wrestling companies.
“WWE rolled out the red carpet for us.”
Bully then credited Khan for leaving his own front-row seat and walking across the stadium to check on the crew, thank them for the partnership and make sure they had everything they needed. LaGreca said Khan also delivered a direct message about the future of the show.
“He said how much he enjoys it, how much he loves it, and he doesn’t want things to change.”
LaGreca claimed Khan then pointed directly at him and made the message even more personal.
“He put his finger on my chest and said, ‘You, especially you. I don’t want you to change at all.’”
According to LaGreca, Khan even used another radio personality as an example of what he did not want. Khan allegedly explained that he stopped listening once that person’s coverage turned into pure shill radio. LaGreca said WWE wanted the partnership because of what Busted Open already does, including its willingness to criticize matches, creative decisions and the company itself.
“The reason they wanted to partner with us and be a part of our brand is because they love what we do.”
LaGreca admitted the criticism surrounding the WWE Radio deal bothered him at first because he spent 17 years building the show and its audience. He then took a shot at the people accusing Busted Open of selling out, claiming many of them were fake accounts or other podcasters trying to push their own shows.
“What we do with our critical radio is not going to change, nor should it, and it won’t.”
Bully backed him up and said the show will remain just as critical as it was before the WWE partnership. He used Roman Reigns versus Seth Rollins from SummerSlam as an example, saying he could praise the match while still pointing out mistakes and parts that did not work.
“We’re not changing anything. We’re going to be just as critical as we ever were.”
That directly pushes back against the idea that WWE Radio will force Busted Open to soften its coverage or focus only on positive WWE talking points. It does not answer what happens with AEW personalities such as Thunder Rosa, but LaGreca and Bully are insisting the editorial tone of the show is staying exactly where it is.
WWE may now have a major place on SiriusXM, but Busted Open says Nick Khan does not want a watered-down version of the show. The hosts are promising the same praise, criticism and arguments that built the brand in the first place.
Do you believe Busted Open will stay just as critical of WWE under the new partnership, or do you expect the coverage to change over time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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