WWE’s biggest stars are getting more chances to play Hollywood these days, but apparently that freedom is starting to create a bit of a headache backstage. Jonathan Coachman claims getting some of the company’s top names to commit to long-term storylines is becoming a legitimate issue because they’re always looking for the next thing outside WWE.
While speaking on the November 3 edition of The Two Count with JDfromNY206, Jonathan Coachman revealed that one of his WWE sources specifically brought the problem to his attention.
“And that’s where I fall, like you, is the reason that you have these billion-dollar deals. And I also was talking to one of my connects that I get information from.
And I was told that a lot of these bigger stars, getting them to buy into long-term storytelling, JD, is becoming an issue backstage because they’re always looking to go do other stuff.”
The conversation came while Coachman and JD were talking about wrestlers taking acting gigs and other outside opportunities, with Batista, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns among the names discussed. Nobody was arguing that wrestlers shouldn’t be allowed to chase those opportunities, but things apparently get complicated when WWE also needs them locked into storylines months in advance.
Coachman brought up Rhodes as an example, referencing recent comments Cody made about the freedom he has under his latest WWE deal. Coachman made it clear he was paraphrasing Rhodes rather than directly quoting him.
“And you remember when Cody was on that big comedian’s podcast two weeks ago? He’s gigantic. He’s got the mustache. God, I can’t remember.
But anyway, he mentioned he had re-signed, and in his new deal that he can basically come and go as he pleases. That’s essentially what he said, and I’m paraphrasing.”
And that’s where Coachman thinks WWE could eventually run into another problem — selling tickets. If the biggest names have enough flexibility to disappear for outside projects, fans buying tickets months ahead might not know whether the stars they actually want to see will be there.
“And if TKO is willing to do that because they have a gigantic interest in Hollywood, then that long-term, to your point, is going to become an issue if fans who are buying tickets two and three months out—remember, this is a ticket-based promotion.
And if you can’t believe that Roman or Cody or any of these guys are going to show up, then they’re going to be misinterpreting why tickets don’t sell.”
It’s a pretty tricky balancing act if Coachman’s source is accurate. WWE obviously benefits when its wrestlers become bigger stars outside the company, but Hollywood doesn’t exactly care about Triple H’s six-month creative plans, and that could make keeping the biggest names tied down for lengthy storylines increasingly difficult.
Do you think WWE should start building more storylines that don’t depend on its biggest stars being available for months at a time? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
