Former WWE Writer Says Vince McMahon & WWE Refuse To Deal With Talent Agents
On the most recent episode of MLW Radio (Episode 193), Konnan, Court Bauer, and Mister Saint Laurent discussed a number of topics related to Vince McMahon, WWE, and other promotions. The hosts replied to questions from listeners, including one about wrestling “super agent” Barry Bloom, who represented many wrestlers during the peak of the rivalry between WWF and WCW. Bauer, a former writer for WWE, said he has worked with Bloom in the past, noting that their business relationship was not necessarily productive. He further explained that Bloom, like most wrestling agents, is not as influential in today’s wrestling scene, mostly because of the fact that the WWE now dominates the industry. Barry Bloom did represent Jim Ross in negotiations to bring the celebrated commentator on board for Global Force Wrestling‘s acclaimed Wrestle Kingdom 9 show earlier this year.
“Vince doesn’t like to play ball with agents. If you aren’t the upper echelon in the world of wrestling, he won’t even engage you. If you are a low card guy or even mid card guy, or if you are a hot act with another company like TNA and you have an agent, he’s gonna probably not even return your calls. He hates agents. He hates lawyers and unless you’re a big dog, he’s not going to even humor you with that.”
WWE has come under scrutiny by some in the industry who suggest that working conditions might improve if talent would organize and form a wrestlers’ union. The dearth of collective bargaining power, coupled with McMahon’s reported aversion to individual representation, undoubtedly puts WWE workers in a precarious position when it comes to negotiating contracts and addressing issues in the workplace.
Konnan said that he generally suggests to young talent that they not work with agents if they’re looking at a run in Vince McMahon’s WWE, as he thinks that representation tends to draw heat from the company management. All of the men agreed that WWE rookies should seek advice from veterans in an unofficial capacity to make sure that they are not exploited by the company.
Mister Saint Laurent contributed to the discussion by indicating that he has served as an adviser for a number of people who were ultimately signed to WWE. Vince McMahon probably isn’t aware of it, though. MSL added that when it came time for the company to sign them, he would step aside so as not to jeopardize their deals. He noted that for legal purposes, he does not consider himself to be an agent. He declined to identify any of the people he has assisted by name.
The above-noted critiques aside, many individuals support the business practices of Vince McMahon. WWE’s top attraction, Brock Lesnar, is one of McMahon’s most vocal proponents at present. As recently noted by Inquisitr, Lesnar praised McMahon‘s knack for promoting fights during an appearance on ESPN, describing Vince as a “pioneer” and stating that McMahon is better than UFC’s Dana White when it comes to creating hype and drawing money.
[Image via WWE]
