Dave Sahadi Disputes Bruce Prichard’s Comments About ‘Billionaire Ted’ Skits

Bruce Prichard recently spoke about the infamous “Billionaire Ted” skits in WWE, and Dave Sahadi has issued a statement disputing some of Prichard’s comments. Prichard discussed the 1996 skits on a recent episode of Somthing to Wrestle With. The skits were a spoof of Ted Turner, Hulk Hogan, and Randy Savage and were a response to Savage and Hogan jumping to WCW.

During the podcast, Prichard said that Sahadi was involved creatively but that when it was time to film the final skit, which saw the three characters die off, Sahadi “couldn’t be found for miles anywhere near this, didn’t want to touch it. Nobody did.”

Sahadi, who was with WWE from 1992 to 2003 as Creative Director, issued a statement to PWInsider refuting some of Prichard’s claims. He noted that he was not the person who came up with the idea for the skits and that Prichard initially supported the concept creatively, while he struggled with it. He said that he was physically present for the final segment, agreeing with Prichard that it was “quite possibly one of the worst ideas I’d ever heard,” and that he directed it.

You can see the full statement, which notes that Sahadi will go into detail about the whole period in his upcoming book Backstage Pass: Tales from Beyond the Squared Circle, below:

“Bruce Prichard and I shared an extraordinary creative era together. We were both trying to win a war. And when you’re in a war, memories can differ. But I can tell you exactly what happened, because I was there—behind the camera.

“The Billionaire Ted concept was not my idea. I’ve said publicly many times it was one of the most uncomfortable creative periods of my career. My role was to execute and direct what was decided at the executive level.

“Bruce initially supported the concept creatively. I personally struggled with it from a creative standpoint. But when Vince gives direction, your job is to execute at the highest level possible, and that’s what I did.

“I was physically present directing that final segment that Bruce referenced. Bruce said it was, ‘quite possibly one of the worst ideas I’d ever heard,’ and I agree.

Bruce also claimed, ’And this is also where all the geniuses of the Billionaire Ted skits bailed out. [David] Sahadi couldn’t be found for miles anywhere near this, didn’t want to touch it. Nobody did. Vince didn’t even want to touch it’.”

“I was directing it, Bruce producing it. That’s not opinion, that’s production reality.

“That photo Bruce referenced was taken after the Billionaire Ted vignettes had already concluded. Those characters were in my possession because I was the one responsible for executing and ultimately helped in concluding that creative.

“I didn’t create Billionaire Ted. But I was the one trusted to bring him to life, and ultimately, to put him to rest.

“That entire period—the truth of it, the pressure, the decisions, the consequences—I tell that story fully for the first time in Backstage Pass.”