Former WWE Writer Reflects On Vince McMahon ‘Ribbing’ USA Network

There have been a lot of infamous stories about backstage ribs in professional wrestling over the years, but usually the television networks are exempt from those ribs.

That is, unless your name is Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

Speaking on his Wrestling With Freddie podcast, Freddie Prinze Jr detailed Vince McMahon ribbing the USA Network by drafting John Cena to SmackDown and back to Raw in the same night.

He explained:

“Vince would mess with them. On the draft one year he drafted John Cena, which was the only ratings that Monday Night Raw would get, he drafted him to Friday Night SmackDown, and USA freaked out and started calling.

“It delegitimizes the entire draft process that they do every year. Like that could actually happen ‘No, we want him, no we want him,’ just every draft pick, and he did it just to screw with the people.”

The 2023 edition of the Draft took place last month, with the Draft causing issues regarding the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships, which has since been retconned with the introduction of the WWE Women’s and Women’s World Championship.

transcription via Wrestling Inc.

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