During a recent episode of “Ad Free Shows”, former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman commented on his issues with WWE, his XFL check bouncing and the company still owing him money, and more. You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On his issues with WWE: “I have a very bad taste in my mouth from the sport of wrestling right now. Ultimately a year ago when they asked me specifically to come back and do the XFL, from January to March I flew coast to coast. They didn’t have the expenses set up because it was a different company. I paid my own expenses, between eight and twenty thousand dollars. I was supposed to be reimbursed later. They bounced a big check to me and to this day have not paid me. I reached out and the week after XFL bounced that big check, they cut my contract on the WWE side. Sometimes when you’re a leader you are called on to sacrifice. Not cash checks and stock for millions of dollars when you’re bouncing checks. I’m not okay with that and I will never work with somebody like that again. At the same time they’re cashing in millions of dollars in stock and laying people off while they’re doing that? It’s just bad business.”
On whether he’d accept a Hall of Fame induction: “I would not accept. Sometimes in life you’ve got to do what’s right at that moment. People are facing a pandemic. I’m one of the lucky ones. So many were laid off, even worse furloughed, and you’ve got billions in the bank. What I would do, if two people are making $100 grand a year, ask them both if they’d rather make $50 grand while we get through this. What do you think both people would have done? But that’s not what they did. You can’t treat people that way. I wouldn’t want to hear anything they’d have to say at this point. Do I think I’m worthy? There’s no question.
“I wouldn’t want the award from people that, after 20 years, could do that. In 2015 when TV contracts were coming up, I got a 3am call from Vince’s right hand man. ‘Coach, you’ve got to get our content on ESPN’. I fought, I was starting to make enemies with executives at ESPN because I was loyal. We had to do it on our own time. Goldberg and Brock Lesnar? We started that feud on SportsCenter and our bosses didn’t even know! Ninety percent about how I was treated and how they treated others. I don’t know why you’d want your legacy to be that, and that’s what it is right now. I’m going to be at CBS for the rest of my career. It’s not just the bitterness. I’m so happy in what I’m doing now. I’m in a position to build something, something great with great people. I want to be an executive at CBS someday.”
