Dr. Tom Prichard Believes That WWE Is Wasting Talent

In an interview with Wrestling Inc, Dr. Tom Prichard stated that the WWE is wasting talent by signing popular independent acts and then not doing anything with them. Here are highlights:

On WWE wasting talent: “As soon as somebody gets hot, the WWE is smart enough to say, ‘here’s twice as much as you’re making there. We’re going to steal you and bring you over here.’ Look what happened to Ricochet. Look at what happened to a lot of talented guys. They’ve got them, for lack of a better description, pissing in the tent instead of pissing out. Do you know what I mean? So I understand that there is a level of success these guys are already found, Cody [Rhodes] and The Young [Bucks], man, they have earned so much respect and I admire these guys. I’m so proud of what they did, but I think that it takes talent to make a company. And you have to have loyal talent, and I’m sure they do, don’t get me wrong, but it remains to be seen.”

On what he looks for in a wrestler: “When I see somebody, do they stand out to me? Is there something about their personality? Is there something about their aura? Is there something about the way they walk through that door? Is there mystery to them? The perfect example for me was Dean Ambrose. The first time I saw Dean Ambrose come through the door in Tampa [Florida]. He was not the biggest guy in the world. He wasn’t a spectacular looking guy by any stretch of the imagination, but on the other side of that coin, he was everything that screamed sports entertainer/professional wrestler. There was mystery to him. He didn’t let everybody know what was going on. He didn’t let everybody know where he came from. He didn’t let everybody know his secrets. He kind of kept things close to his vest. But when he got in the ring, he had talent. He had feeling. He believed it and that’s what I look for in a wrestler, do they believe who they are when they’re walking in the door. Do I believe who they are when they walk to the ring? And I steal this quote all the time: if it looks good, you’ll see it; if it’s marketed right, you’ll buy it; if it sounds good, you’ll hear it; but if it’s real, you will feel it. And that goes for the performer and anybody else that steps in the ring. But that’s what I look for. Are you feeling it? Do you really feel it? Do you love this because it shows. It shows in every movement you do and that’s what I look for when I see a performer or see a young person.”

On Mason Ryan: “Mason Ryan’s a good example. Mason Ryan’s a great example of a guy who still has talent, he’s still doing Cirque du Soleil right now, as a matter of fact. He was one of those guys who looked the part. He was the part. He is the part. For whatever reason, and only the powers that be know why he didn’t go any farther than he did, but he was one of those guys I thought can’t miss. Can’t miss.”

On his advice to future wrestlers: “I think the most common piece of advice is have fun and enjoy what you’re doing when you go out there. But also, just remember that it’s business. Keep the mystery about you and not just with the fans. I mean, don’t tell everyone everything there is to know about you. Treat it like a business, but you have to have fun. You have to enjoy this. Without enjoying this, it’s going to be complete drudgery and you can’t relax.”