Former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz talks McMahon's departure, new book, relationship w/ The Rock

  Рет қаралды 48,961

Ariel Helwani

Ariel Helwani

2 жыл бұрын

The former Head Writer at WWE and current SVP of Development at Seven Bucks Productions joins Ariel to talk about his time working alongside the biggest names in WWE, which he covers in-depth in his new book, "There's Just One Problem...: True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE." The guys discuss:
- Why the pandemic was the perfect time for Gewirtz to write such an important book about WWE history
- What it was like challenging Vince McMahon at the height of his powers
- His reaction to McMahon's retirement and where Gewirtz thinks WWE will go from here
- Memories from the "WCW Invasion" in 2001
- The art of the promo
- His close working relationship with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and what makes The Rock so different from other stars
Plus, Gewirtz and Ariel share memories from Syracuse and thoughts on the current state of professional wrestling.
The book hits shelves on August 16.
If you want to support our show, simply give "The Ariel Helwani Show" a 5-star rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Пікірлер: 106
@ArielHelwani
@ArielHelwani 2 жыл бұрын
Loved this conversation. Could have talked to Brian for hours. Get his new book. It's tremendous.
@AndrewO11
@AndrewO11 2 жыл бұрын
Just when I think you can’t get another obscure interview nobody ask for but everybody would want, you do it again! Thank you sir!
@wrestlingcommunity
@wrestlingcommunity 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for letting us know about his book
@tylerward2845
@tylerward2845 2 жыл бұрын
Lol I was at that survivor series in miami
@gone.golfing
@gone.golfing 2 жыл бұрын
Is it ALL backstage wrestling stories? Bc that would be great!
@ShowtimeThaRaptor
@ShowtimeThaRaptor 2 жыл бұрын
Shoulda put his link for the book in the bio
@MC-ss3qc
@MC-ss3qc 2 жыл бұрын
Ariel will go down as the best true MMA journalist and sports broadcaster. It’s a shame about the falling out with the UFC brass I always thought it was blown out of proportion and the whole confrontation unnecessary. Say what you want but Ariel was a huge part of bringing eyes to the UFC product and really legitimizing it as far as being a real journalist when the sport was still growing. Can’t wait to read his book some day. Not sure if you read these comments, but back before the UFC ever came to my town strikeforce use to do shows here and I sent Ariel a tweet and told him I was going to the fights that evening and would love to meet him. The guy not only responds but ends up coming down and chatting with me a few min before the fights. Just a really nice dude and a real fan of combat sports. Keep doing what your doing!🥊👍🏻
@ArielHelwani
@ArielHelwani 2 жыл бұрын
thanks my man. much love. great memory!
@lorenacarrera246
@lorenacarrera246 2 жыл бұрын
He’s a good dude but he doesn’t realize how smug & snarky he come off. Not in this interview. Also thinks he’s slick when asking about contracts & money with fighters. Rewording the same question. I just don’t understand why he’s so interested in another man’s pockets. I’m curious to see how he would feel if someone asked them how much he gets paid for all his cash grabs. Jake Paul & wwe. Never talked about celebrity boxing or wwe so much until he started getting paid to cover them. Smart people see what His agenda is
@SuperLio333
@SuperLio333 2 жыл бұрын
@@lorenacarrera246 quiet simpleton.
@geoffnewman7668
@geoffnewman7668 2 жыл бұрын
I like Dana, and Dana did give Ariel an opportunity. I agree, Ariel was the main source of UFC news for me before they were main stream. He is a pioneer and I have a ton of respect for him.
@michaelj.sanchez1862
@michaelj.sanchez1862 2 жыл бұрын
Love Ariel
@chrisbell8418
@chrisbell8418 2 жыл бұрын
I used to work with Brian at WWE. I’m glad to see him doing big things. Can’t wait to read the book.
@rikmichaels9233
@rikmichaels9233 Жыл бұрын
Another Hollywood guy that ruined wrestling?
@nexpro6118
@nexpro6118 Жыл бұрын
@@rikmichaels9233 .....what have you done? Lmao....Brian worked at WWE for a long ass time and was Apparently good enough for the Rock to want him.....but yeah, I'm sure you know more and know better than Vince did and the rock does now. Lmao 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
@@nexpro6118 lol, put that hater in his/her place!
@nexpro6118
@nexpro6118 Жыл бұрын
@@billblaski9523 why do so many people use their jealousy and turn that into being hater lol
@jakeinator722
@jakeinator722 2 жыл бұрын
WWE is the major leagues of pro wrestling, you cannot deny it.
@billparsonson7259
@billparsonson7259 2 жыл бұрын
Who has ever denied it?
@yankrob
@yankrob 2 жыл бұрын
very insightful interview. Will definitely try to check out the book.
@stevekasan1575
@stevekasan1575 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this interview, Brian is someone i wanted to hear and learn about for a long time.
@TheTennesseeFistMachine
@TheTennesseeFistMachine 2 жыл бұрын
His Brooklyn brawler impression was tremendous 😂
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
Lol his Triple H, Shane Helms, Bob Holly impressions are hilarious as well
@lilmoo7682
@lilmoo7682 2 жыл бұрын
Super cool interview!
@dooodooo3474
@dooodooo3474 2 жыл бұрын
Love this!
@ryanpotter9152
@ryanpotter9152 2 жыл бұрын
i wanted to be a WWE writer once so im pumped for this interview. trips needs to do some new era promos.
@profightsinfo
@profightsinfo 2 жыл бұрын
Great interview! Really liked hearing some of the inside baseball, that hour flew by.
@Daint_McTaint
@Daint_McTaint 2 жыл бұрын
My favorite part of the book was the story about the time Kevin Dunn chewed through a wooden set and part of the ring before a major pay per view (which almost caused a delay). Vince was apoplectic- apparently he screamed at everyone, like, “which one of you forgot to watch Kevin Dunn last night? NAME NAMES PAL!”
@rubberchix
@rubberchix Жыл бұрын
Horrendously unfunny
@Daint_McTaint
@Daint_McTaint Жыл бұрын
@@rubberchix oh don’t pretend you read the book.
@InstagramAWrestlingHistorian
@InstagramAWrestlingHistorian 2 жыл бұрын
It started with Marella and Phoenix out. Marella talked about the three perverts he might face at Cyber Sunday, two crossdressers, Rodney the Piper and Goldendust, and a third pervert in Honky Tonk Man. He called "Johnny Knockville" to the ring. He was out there plugging his website about 50 times, so it was no subtlety as to why he was there. He made a remark about Phoenix's tallywacker and implying she was a guy in drag (I mean, she doesn't exactly look like Nicole Bass or even Chyna to make that joke work), so she bodyslammed him. This was just about the worst bodyslam in history, all his fault. She gave him an extra boot out of frustration and I'm sure she was glad her time in this skit was up. Hornswoggle ran in for a tadpole splash. Then Chris Pontius, who was with him, came to the ring. Christopher DeJosephs (a WWE "writer") as Big Dick Johnson then showed up, peeled off his clothes, and started dancing. Pontius then peeled off his clothes, so you had two guys running around in jock straps dancing. I'd hate to think who this was trying to appeal to at this point. But we weren't done. Out came the Boogeyman.. DeJosephs ran away, but Boogeyman gave Pontius a lousy-looking clothesline and spit worms all over his face. Almost none went in Pontius' mouth, but one or two may have and they were selling it like a ton did. But we STILL weren't done. Knoxville got up and said he'd been blown up before, and finally, since this was all building to it, out came Khali. They started laughing and Khali gave Knoxville the head squeeze, picked him up and dropped him with a slam from the head squeeze. There have been mercy killings less painful than this segment. Houston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times, there live, said "I've never seen a segment die live quite as bad as that Jackass segment did. And it seemed to go on forever." There were people internally quietly saying the segment was awful, and Brian Gewirtz (WWE "writer") was very defensive of it, saying those people just don't understand good comedy." Apparently, that stupid son of a bitch Gewirtz doesn't understand good WRESTLING, either." - Jim Cornette Wrestling News Observer, 2009
@sofiadrosos1308
@sofiadrosos1308 2 жыл бұрын
Great interview. 👍
@nicholasterzick7140
@nicholasterzick7140 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome interview
@chrisheaney941
@chrisheaney941 2 жыл бұрын
great interview....
@Daint_McTaint
@Daint_McTaint 2 жыл бұрын
“Vince I dressed up like a paralegal for Halloween!” “TELL ME MORE, PAL!”
@Jake2012RHS
@Jake2012RHS Жыл бұрын
You're a fantastic interviewer Ariel!
@shinobi887
@shinobi887 Жыл бұрын
I can't believe how young he looks! Especially given the stress of writing for Vince McMahon. Dude doesn't look a day over 30.
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
Lol Jericho thought he was someone's kid when Gewirtz first introduced himself to him on Gewirtzs first day at WWE
@homework9102
@homework9102 2 жыл бұрын
Amazing
@RodanTVK
@RodanTVK 2 жыл бұрын
We can talk about the Bills and wrestling all day!!!! Go Bills!!!
@RodanTVK
@RodanTVK 2 жыл бұрын
For real though, just found this channel. Awesome! From Utica, live in central Carolina. Like the content!
@henryowens396
@henryowens396 2 жыл бұрын
I truly hope Ariel starts getting more views for these interviews and not just his MMA work. My man is a great journalist all round!
@michaelmackie7583
@michaelmackie7583 2 жыл бұрын
Wow!!! This is amazing. I never knew what he looked like but know exactly who he is.
@gazzb116
@gazzb116 2 жыл бұрын
Been following Ariel since 2008 and I now actually look more forward to, and enjoy, the wrestler/wrestling interviews over the MMA ones. However, still hope there comes a day where he can interview Dana White one more time. Though I suspect the secrets Ariel has been keeping to himself about certain UFC brass putting their hands on him will stop a reconciliation from ever happening.
@Carnivore_cure
@Carnivore_cure 2 жыл бұрын
How old is this guy he looks about 30 yet was working in 99 he actually seems like he’d work great with hhh right now
@freebird2882
@freebird2882 2 жыл бұрын
he said he was 26 when he started in 99 so he would be about 49.
@WaveGod813
@WaveGod813 2 жыл бұрын
What story lines he wrote?
@senshix
@senshix 2 жыл бұрын
So I wonder if Brian gewirtz is a long lost twin. Knicks, mets,bills and wrestling fan. I thought I was the only one.
@dkmedianow
@dkmedianow Жыл бұрын
Interview Scott D'Amore
@williamsantana370
@williamsantana370 2 жыл бұрын
Everyone fronts like they dont watch or did watch wrestlimg and used to like it... i dont get it....i still go to events looking forward to the return of wrestlemania to Philly
@davsavchav
@davsavchav 2 жыл бұрын
The funniest interview with Brian was on Edge and Christian's podcast, which has been lost to the Internet somewhere
@graysontheginger
@graysontheginger 2 жыл бұрын
Its still on spotify!
@umarhaz650
@umarhaz650 2 жыл бұрын
Please interview Vince Russo, he’s the writer from the Attitude Era..
@billparsonson7259
@billparsonson7259 2 жыл бұрын
Everybody knows who he is, why interview him? He lies about everything.
@umarhaz650
@umarhaz650 2 жыл бұрын
@@billparsonson7259 Ok Ariel defo interview now
@nexpro6118
@nexpro6118 Жыл бұрын
Why...we have already had dozens of Russo interviews and he's been called out now for years and does his own shitty podcast.....why would we need more Russo lying? Lol
@umarhaz650
@umarhaz650 Жыл бұрын
@@nexpro6118 tell me you love watching wrestlers flip like fishes without any storylines without telling me you love watching wrestlers flip like fishes without any storylines….
@nexpro6118
@nexpro6118 Жыл бұрын
@@umarhaz650 I like storyline wrestling. Which is why I stopped watching wrestling back in 2006 lol
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
22 years ago? how old is this guy? he looks 22! He still has posters taped to the front side of his doors ffs!
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
lobed him in Malcolm In The Middle!
@mikei9986
@mikei9986 2 жыл бұрын
😂
@absterghh107907
@absterghh107907 2 жыл бұрын
This is the first I’m hearing of this sht does he ever plug it on the mma hour ?
@TiffBo
@TiffBo 2 жыл бұрын
I know this dude didn’t say he was on the high school basketball team, then saying “so we both (him and Kurt angle) have an athletic background lmao. A high school bowler An Olympic wrestler Not the same
@jackhughes7637
@jackhughes7637 2 жыл бұрын
"But very different ones"
@TiffBo
@TiffBo 2 жыл бұрын
@@jackhughes7637 i don’t think high school bowling is an athletic achievement. It’s bowling. It’s a game not a sport lol
@liam4581
@liam4581 2 жыл бұрын
He’s joking
@garyhen2028
@garyhen2028 2 жыл бұрын
He just said it.....meaning what did aew really do, they beat the c show with their best roster.....just like, what did you really accomplish with WWE smashing WCWs midcarders. It's the same thing. put dynamite vs raw or smackdown....aew loses Everytime. I mean rampage can't even come close to smackdown. That's something the aew fans need to understand.
@nexpro6118
@nexpro6118 Жыл бұрын
Stop using common sense and facts. People hate that today lol
@MagoMigey
@MagoMigey 2 жыл бұрын
Ariel has the best guest intros
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
'Ok (Ok) Blue Jays (Blue Jays) Let's (Let's) Play (Play) Ball (Ball).'⚾
@madnomad3861
@madnomad3861 2 жыл бұрын
So Brian Gewirtz wrote Katie Vick?
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
He wasn't the ONLY writer, my friend
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
And that was a Triple H script no doubt, Triple H had 100% control on all the segments/skits/vignettes he was in
@madnomad3861
@madnomad3861 Жыл бұрын
@@billblaski9523 no he absolutely didn't have 100% control, that's ridiculous. What if Vince didn't like it? You're saying he couldn't do anything about it?
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
@@madnomad3861 lol ok maybe 100% was over exaggerated cus yes Vince always had final say on all things. But Triple H had a very very high level of control on his segments, I'll put it like that. If Triple H didn't like something, then he would not have done it. Unless like u pointed out, Vince absolutely demanded it
@ctt4lfecw
@ctt4lfecw Жыл бұрын
At the end of the day, Vince is the one whom can say no
@luisrivera2304
@luisrivera2304 2 жыл бұрын
Brian GERWITZ.
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
why wouldn't u get calls on the weekends? They literally have a LIVE Show on Monday nights!
@yjhova
@yjhova 2 жыл бұрын
"A jew from long Island " 😂
@nexpro6118
@nexpro6118 Жыл бұрын
I've noticed in a lot of the comment sections in these brain interviews and there is a lot of hate on him for making good money writing for WWE and now for the Rock......I can only nail it down to jealousy, that a WWE fan turned his Fandom into a writing job and was apparently good at it to have it for that long and now write for the Rock because those fans are just mad and jealous for not making money from being a fan. Lol. The arrogance and entitlement of people today lol. Good lord.
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
Lol, spot on my friend
@Bbender690
@Bbender690 2 жыл бұрын
Did he just compare a bowling finger injury to winning an Olympic gold with a broken neck? Lol
@jahidk2607
@jahidk2607 2 жыл бұрын
Bro it was a joke
@billblaski9523
@billblaski9523 Жыл бұрын
Dawg, he was joking around
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
Bowling even seems too extreme for this guy.
@jeff136
@jeff136 2 жыл бұрын
Huh, so that's what he looks like. I always pictured a skinny little guy with glasses
@GD-eh3mj
@GD-eh3mj 2 жыл бұрын
This guy should not talk about anything related to wwe. He should hide in shame for the horrible writing he and his colleagues have subjected wrestling fans to. On behalf of the many wrestlers who built the wwf and who's legacy you have tarnished; Shame. Shame on you.
@Marcelg13
@Marcelg13 2 жыл бұрын
Shame on you
@Marquis_de_Nah
@Marquis_de_Nah 2 жыл бұрын
1999.... so he had a couple good years and then a career of absolute trash?
@freebird2882
@freebird2882 2 жыл бұрын
2001-02-03-04 were still good in parts it just felt worse compared to the Attitude era but looking back it was better than I remember. But from 05 and my hope for a brighter future in Cena losing his edge and becoming barney the dinosaur It became painful to watch. But he said in the interview, in the mid 2000's Vince began heavily scripting everything so that says it all imo.
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
Russo layed and cemented the groundwork for him. This guy got lucky!
@st1ngers104
@st1ngers104 Жыл бұрын
It was a good book, but I felt like a lot was just BS . The Vince russo part was bs, also saying he was going to hit undertaker in the balls lol ! Saying he had beef with Mark Walberg , yeah sure LOL
@michaellandon1960
@michaellandon1960 2 жыл бұрын
Gewirtz and Heyman. Two Jewish guys who can't stand each other. What a match that would be. A Free 4 All
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
audiences are super overly sensitive today (by design). If wrestlers were able to say whatever they wanted there's a great chance they could accidentally offend ppl and qujckly be cancelled on social media. There's way too much money invested in these ppl (products).
@ishmael802
@ishmael802 2 жыл бұрын
Vince McMahon was out of touch
@shellbacksclub
@shellbacksclub 2 жыл бұрын
AEW is not competition! stop saying that!
@scoonboon
@scoonboon 2 жыл бұрын
Oh they are
@ammar675
@ammar675 2 жыл бұрын
@@scoonboon in what sense?
@Lebosh23435
@Lebosh23435 2 жыл бұрын
@@scoonboon no they aren’t. They are a company for marks. WWE is on a different planet.
@scoonboon
@scoonboon 2 жыл бұрын
@@ammar675 In the sense that they are a wrestling company on tv. Selling merch, hiring wrestlers, about to release a video game, and growing year by year.
@scoonboon
@scoonboon 2 жыл бұрын
@@Lebosh23435 WWE are on a different planet. However they are in the same universe. They are competition.
@carlosm.2818
@carlosm.2818 2 жыл бұрын
Ariel is gonna ask Brian if they can be BFFs.... Fuc,k Ariel comes across like a creep at times... This was one of the times.... Chill bro.... lol
The Kurt Angle Show #77: Brian Gewirtz
1:43:25
One True Sport
Рет қаралды 11 М.
Son ❤️ #shorts by Leisi Show
00:41
Leisi Show
Рет қаралды 9 МЛН
Jim Ross shoots on humiliation angles in WWE
4:00
notsam
Рет қаралды 198 М.
ARIEL HELWANI: AEW's MJF talks free agency | WWE | Cody Rhodes | CM Punk
1:00:45
Players vs Robot Goalkeeper + Putin🤯🔥
0:19
Best Football Shorts
Рет қаралды 7 МЛН
BOBUR ABDULAZIZOV 🇺🇿🇰🇿🇰🇬
1:00
OCTAGON UZB
Рет қаралды 5 МЛН