Vince McMahon Caused WWE Legend To Turn Down Announcing Role
A WWE Hall of Famer has revealed that the fierce reputation of ex-Chairman Vince McMahon led them to turn down a job as an announcer.
DDP joined WWE in the summer of 2001 following the closure of WCW that spring. Joining the company in a high-profile feud with The Undertaker, it looked like big things were in Diamond Dallas Page’s future but by the summer of 2002, he was gone.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, DDP explained that he was offered a tryout as an announcer but the reputation of Vince McMahon caused him to reject the idea:
“When I left [in 2002], I was so burnt out. Kevin Dunn asked me to go and do a test to be an announcer … They wanted me to do a spot, so I did it. I went up there [to WWE HQ in Stamford, CT] and I did it. Kevin called me back, he goes, ‘I love it. We’re gonna start you, not with SmackDown, we’re gonna start you with the satellite for the first month or two. You get your feet wet, you’ll be on SmackDown. In no time, you’re gonna be on Raw.”
DDP revealed that he turned it down due to hearing that Vince McMahon would “really scream” at his broadcasters at the announce desk. As a result, he says he didn’t hear from WWE again for the next five years.
Recently on his own podcast, the master of the Diamond Cutter revealed just who he thought should have been the man to end The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak.