From a weekend full of WWE, Corey Graves revealed on his WWE To the clock podcast that had an energy inside WWE from the ThunderDome, “TakeOver: XXX” and SummerSlam. He did so on Sunday night SummerSlam, many in WWE share this energy and wanted to fire Renee Young when she left WWE.
“I feel like I’ve been here at the company for so long, Sunday night after SummerSlam, we went back to the hotel, and everyone was on top of the world because it was a solid fun weekend, “Graves added. A little back, I do not want to say a return, but a step back to normal, and the atmosphere from top to bottom, from the bosses to the crew members to the cameramen, we had a bit of a farewell party for Miss Renee Young. And we celebrated the best way we knew until 4 o’clock in the morning, because everyone was right on top of the world. It’s so long ago that we all as a group felt that energy.
“It used to be a fairly regular event. Like anything, you’re stuck in a rut. Man, the schedule is very tight and you get tired and you’s burned out, but there’s no substitute for that high you are when you re done with a great performance whether it a RAU, SmackDown as PPV. In this case, it was for me personally the first ThunderDome SmackDown. Take over was a blast when I had to be a part of it, and SummerSlam to the point where I was physically kind of exhausted, but I could have gone two more days, I felt. It goes through the whole business. “
On the topic of ThunderDome, the new setup for WWE debuted on FOX at SmackDown where Graves serves as color commentator. Graves admitted that for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the WWE ThunderDome brought a sense of normality.
“Let’s start at the very top, Friday night on FOX, the debut of the WWE ThunderDome. To be perfect, I do not think anyone knew what to expect, and while we are honest, I will happily admit that it blew my expectations out of the water, ‘said Graves. “It was close to normal that I think one of us felt since pre-pandemic days, and visually man, it was mental. The NBA has 70-ish digital fans in its bubble at any given moment, and I believe we’re getting closer to around 1600 at a time. It’s like inside a video game. It was great. It was so fun. “
The guest on To the clock was Pat McAfee who also commented on ThunderDome. He talked about how WWE is always at the forefront of innovation and cites the WWE Network, saying that ThunderDome is another example.
“Honestly, I was a big fan of that, because WWE has always been at the forefront, creatively, always idea-wise at the forefront,” McAfee stated. “I mean, you had to look back when Vince launched the WWE Network, everyone called him an idiot. The company would collapse because of the WWE Network. Now every company tries to have a paid subscription service. Like every time, he’s 10 years before, five years before, and they said he would ruin the business.
“That WWE, I feel like if you’re been a fan for a long time, you realize, OK, these people, they use their form of entertainment, but they’re all ahead. So when I saw the performance Center is turned into the thing I was excited to see what happens next with the WWE. What the WWE decides to do next, because I feel like that’s what WWE has always done, that’s when the ThunderDome is introduced because you’re the NBA have the virtual fans of Zoom and their success with it, and there does Belgian football.
“There’s like a lot of people do it, and then it takes it to the next level. I was very interested to see how it would work with the delay, because the Zoom would have the delay, but it feels like it’s going to be the kind of fight But the greatness of it all, getting a chance to see some fans out and see some reaction that’s a big part of wrestling, I think it was a good idea, cool idea, and I’m glad the Amway Center there in Orlando is one that looks great. It looks absolutely amazing. “
McAfee recalled his first few appearances with WWE back as part of the Kickoff Show where he wore jorts. He revealed that Michael Cole had told him not to wear a coat the next time he did WrestleMania 35 Kickoff Show.
“The first time I went down there, I was wearing yokes,” McAfee recalled. “The first WrestleMania there in New Orleans, I was wearing a sports jacket with a bow and a button down. That I was, ‘hey, company at the top, partying at the bottom.’ I’m trying to set the precedent for how I’ll dress. Because when I go full pack, really nice, OK, that’s the expectation now every time, and I do not have enough packs to do that. I do not even know how to tie a bow. I tied Sam Roberts to my bow.
“I’m finally getting to the next one WrestleMania a year from then. It was the one in New York. I was told the lead, Michael Cole said, ‘no yards. OK? You can not have jorts for this. You will be on the WrestleMania Kickoff Show on USA Network. No jorts. ‘I was like,‘ I will not wear dresses. Do not worry about it. I will not yurt okay OK. It is WrestleMania. I understand it. This is a big problem. I’m pumped to be a part of it. Thank you so much.'”
McAfee admitted that he put a lot of effort into his outfit before WrestleMania. This time he came in with tights, but Cole was not happy with McAfee’s outfit. McAfee admits he now understands Cole’s anger, but he said at the time, he got into an argument with Cole over his outfit.
“So I’m actually going to adjust. One of my first times going to a partner. I get these tuxedos. I get these tuxedo shorts made, show off my feet, and then I got these very expensive shoes. In my eyes, I was like, hey, I really used this. I went and got it adjusted. They’re not jorts. They’s tuxedo shorts. People wear them. This is OK. I’m wearing this jacket, its flashy. It’s an I have this bow. I mean, I do it.I feel like I’m buying as much as I can here because this is a world I want to be a part of.
“That’s when I sit down WrestleMania day with the same thing probably five-six hours, and then we are like 35 minutes until showtime. Michael sees me for the first time, and he just starts chewing me out. He starts chewing me out. Looking back, I understand WrestleMania is pressure on Michael Cole. I mean, there are a lot of things to deal with. The last thing he wants to deal with is that one of his commentators is a reason why he’s being called by Vince to destroy his Kickoff Show.
“In hindsight I know that, but at the moment I’m like, ‘yo, I’m been dressed like this for five hours. I’m sweating my balls off. I’m excited for this whole thing. I’m very pumped to be here. being, “and he just starts yelling at me. Like I look unprofessional and so on, and I look at him. I’m like, ‘who are you talking to?’ And he was crazy. He was not happy with me. He said. no jorts. He never said tuxedo shorts, and I tried to lay out that time, but at that point that conversation was lost. “
McAfee described the situation backstage where Cole and others in WWE had to get Vince McMahon’s approval for McAfee’s outfit. McAfee said McMahon said “I’m hip. He looks good” regarding his outfit, as McMahon was shown LeBron James also wears tights with the idea that this is exactly the fashion of today.
“I was sent back as a locker room or whatever, after there was quite a give and take between me and Michael Cole,” McAfee stated. “[He] had to talk to Vince because I did not have a backup. I had no other clothes. That was it. We’re 20 minutes until show time. That there is really nothing that anyone can do. I fat big, small ways. They would not be able to tailor me or something. We’re in a position where it was, hey, this is it or not, and they had to ask Vince if it was OK.
“And Vince, I was told his words were, ‘I’m hip. He looks good’ or something. The internet was not happy about the shorts either. The wrestling internet was not happy with the smoking shorts. Michael Cole was not happy with the tuxedo pants. I mean it like a night. I’ll never forget it. Of course for all the wrong reasons, but I think if you listen to me on a microphone, I think I’m crushing it.
“They had to show him LeBron James was in tuxedo shorts for a game. They showed him like a picture of that. Here’s a kind of new style. Pat McAfee has the same kind of style. Is this OK? ‘I’. “I have never met him, but my God. I appreciate you. Michael Cole and I have a great relationship, but that night we will probably talk about 15-20 years.”
If you use quotes from this article, you can thank WWE After The Bell with ah / t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcript.
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