wrestling / News

Batista Says WWE’s Creative Issues Have Gotten Worse, Talks PG Rating Influencing That

June 13, 2019 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Batista Raw 3-11-19 - Stephen Amell, Ice Cube

– Batista discussed his experiences and issues with WWE’s creative process and how its gotten worse in an interview with Pro Wrestling Sheet. The actor/wrestler told the site that his issues with the creative process have gotten worse between his last run in 2014 and his most recent run leading to his match with Triple H at WrestleMania. The highlights are below:

On his issues with the creative process in WWE: “The creative process I still don’t get. It was a nightmare to me the last time I was there, which was 2014, and it seems like its become worse. They’re just — I feel like they don’t have a clear vision, a long term vision, everything is very week-to-week and it it doesn’t seem like they stick to a plan very much. I don’t think that guys — I’m going to steal this from somebody, but Jericho pointed out something to me that makes complete sense. And he said that John Cena is the last guy. He’s the last guy who is gonna be over like he is, and it’s because the performers now, they’re limited. Their hands are tied. They can’t go to war like we used to. We used to go to war and beat the crap out of each other and it earned a level of respect from people. And it was just like a different level of respect, it was a different level of getting over. We had more freedom. We could be more full of piss an vinegar and we could be more on the edge. And the guys are just not given that freedom anymore.”

On how the PG rating of WWE facilitates that issue: “That was one of my big issues with the company going more toward a PG rating. I can say that I was wrong, that was the way they should have gone, because financially look what the company has turned into. But I liked where I was at with wrestling, I liked the art of professional wrestling. I liked the storytelling, and I liked the violence. That’s the professional wrestling I knew. And those guys, that era of Stone Cold, Undertaker and DX, all those guys were old and salty, like men. I feel like that is lost and I don’t think it’s coming back.”

On his issues on non-wrestling writers involved in creative: “I will say this openly: I resent there being so many people who have say-so who have never taken a bump in their life. Like, that bothers me. They’re coming from all these different walks of life, and I get that they were successful outside of professional wrestling. But it also bothers me when someone has control over a professional wrestler, someone who never paid their dues. To me, they don’t deserve to be in that position. You know, like, take a few bumps. Know what we’re going through before you decide what our career is going to be.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Pro Wrestling Sheet with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.

article topics :

Batista, WWE, Jeremy Thomas