WRITTEN PODCAST RECAP: PWTorch Livecast Interview with former WWE creative team member Matt McCarthy on why Foley/Ambrose angle fell apart, Roman Reigns being manufactured

PWTorch Livecast Interview Thursday with Matt McCarthy

Recap by: Brad Mumphrey (@thestrengthfit)

Date: April 20, 2017

DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD

Highlights and Timestamps:

-Matt McCarthy was in WWE from November 2011-October 2012. (3:00)

-Matt talks what angles he was a part of: Team Hell No, Daniel Bryan/A.J. Lee. (4:00)

-Matt touches on Strowman’s push and how he feels about it. (27:00)

-Three wrestlers Matt would like to see Strowman face. (38:00)

-Political correctness in the wrestling business. (45:00)

-Matt would have most liked to have written for Andre the Giant. (1:03:00)

Show Recap

The show starts with Wade introducing his guest, former WWE creative team member, Matt McCarthy. They talk about the Superstar Shakeup, and how Matt believes the WWE as a whole is in better shape now with fresh matchups. Wade goes on to ask Matt when exactly he was part of the WWE creative team and what angles he was a part of. He was a writer from November 22, 2011-October 17, 2012. He was there for C.M. Punk’s title run, John Cena/Rock at WrestleMania 28. He did a lot of comedy within the show from Daniel Bryan/Kane and Team Hell No. He had a hand in the Daniel Bryan and A.J. Lee angle that got both of them over.

12:00
They move to the first caller. He asks about Dean Ambrose and how he was behind the scenes back when Matt was there. The idea was to introduce him to the main roster by pairing him with Mick Foley and give him a hardcore-type rub. But Foley wasn’t able to get in ring shape to do it so the WWE then paired Ambrose with The Shield. He was doing dark matches on Raw and Smackdown and was trying to be called up from FCW at the time (which later became NXT). Ambrose was very laid back backstage in Matt’s dealings with him, which is what he is known for nowadays.

19:45-20:30
First break

20:30-36:00
They come back to the show and Matt promotes his podcast We Watch Wrestling. They move on to Raw and how the ring collapsed with Braun Strowman standing and Big Show laying down. Matt goes on to say Vince is always open to ideas. (Here’s an idea, turn Roman heel. OK that was me being sarcastic) and that Matt was glad to see the spot, but (as I thought on Monday) the suplex was the same as the one done before with Big Show and Brock. Wade then moves on to Matt’s idea of Strowman being pushed. Matt starts off with the obvious as Strowman was green when when heintroduced in the Wyatt family. He goes on to say how big Strowman was in person.

36:00-38:00
2nd Break

38:00-57:30
They come back and Wade brings up who Matt would like to see Strowman be matched up with. Matt says first off it would have to be Roman Reigns. He later names Brock Lesner. Matt said he had very limited interaction with Brock when he was working with WWE. He names Dean Ambose to maybe be matched up against Strowman. Another caller comes on asking since Matt is a comedian, how does he feel about political correctness in regards to certain content in the WWE. They touch on Jinder Mahal and his heel promo on Smackdown. Matt goes on to talk about different minorities through the comedy world. He mentions Roddy Piper’s promos in the ’80s, and that he pushed the envelope on several occasions just to get over and have that certain portion of the audience hate him. Now it would be too PC to do that. But he goes on to say its debatable to each individual and how everyone has their own beliefs.

57:30-59:20
3rd Break

59:20-1:11:30
Another caller comes on and asks what wrestler past or present would Matt like to have worked with. He brings up Andre the Giant. He says he would just like to be there to meet him, but Andre would be a top pick because he was a legend and a myth. Another one would be Ricky Streamboat/Randy Savage back at Wrestlemania 3. 

1:11:30-1:13:00
4th Break

1:13:00-1:37:00
They move on to the Raw after Mania, and Roman Reigns getting booed for several minutes and taking the verbal abuse from the crowd from beating Undertaker the night before at WrestleMania 33. Wade and Matt talk about how Roman has checked off the boxes for a babyface, even though the crowd hates him just like The Rock back in 1997. Matt touches on how Roman is trying to find who Roman the character is, versus who Roman is as a person, not the character. It seems that Reigns is manufactured and not genuinely being the person behind the character. They talk about how certain performers have stopped trying to protect their character via social media and that works against them on screen and in the arenas. 

1:30:00 
They go on talking about how fans in ECW still got worked from Paul Heyman. Matt is asked who his favorite wrestler is now and he says Gentleman Jack Gallagher. From there the interview ends.

Brad’s Analysis:

This interview was interesting to hear from a former creative member standpoint, as Matt McCarthy touched on several different areas of how the wrestling business is supposed to be versus how it has become or how it differs from when he was there with the WWE. From the political spectrum to the comedy world to the wrestling business as a whole, all those subjects are touched on throughout the interview.

About The Author:

Brad was born in Biloxi, MS and raised in New Orleans, LA. He’s a long-time wrestling fan, along with football and NASCAR. He finished school at Auburn University with a Business Administration/Journalism degree. He has prior service with Army National Guard, and also has experience within the wrestling business with William Moody’s (Paul Bearer) promotion in south Alabama. He did everything from putting up the ring, taking bumps, conditioning talent, sitting in on production meetings and running the pay gate at his shows. His other craft is being a personal trainer and nutritionist for well over 13+ years. He enjoys spending time with his family, friends, beautiful women and his Yorkie child named Max.

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