Chris DeJoseph On What It's Like To Write WrestleMania, Booking Triple H Vs. Batista At WM 21
Today Chris DeJoseph is an executive producer for Lucha Underground, but before that he spent six years as a writer on WWE's creative team.
He worked for WWE from 2004-10 and contributed to numerous WrestleManias. DeJoseph joined our WINCLY to discuss writing for the biggest wrestling show of the year.
"It starts usually about a year in advance where you lay out the card," said DeJoseph. "How that card stands or how many matches actually make it is a whole another thing."
Many things can change the planned WrestleMania card such as injuries, Vince McMahon changing his mind or somebody getting over.
"The show doesn't actually get written until about a week before, like the actual script of the show," stated DeJoseph.
"You get there WrestleMania week. There's meetings early in the week. You figure out the lineups…I've heard they haven't figured out who's going to be the main event this year and that's very possible."
DeJoseph then mentioned that when laying out the card and the order of the matches, politicking comes into play and that's what happened at WrestleMania 25. He said one portion of the room wanted Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker to close the show while another portion wanted Triple H vs. Randy Orton to main event.
"The Triple H-Randy Orton camp won. Did I think that was the right decision? No, but those discussions happen and it's eventually decided," said DeJoseph.
"I think it put a little chip on the shoulder of Shawn and Taker to make sure they had the best match of the night and in my opinion they did."
Triple H and Batista are slated to face each other at this year's WrestleMania just as they did at WrestleMania 21 in 2005. DeJoseph talked about being part of the creative team for that first encounter between the two.
"I joined the writing team the day after No Way Out [in February]. So I had a few months before my first WrestleMania," stated DeJoseph. "Most of the interaction I had with those guys was handing them coffee or stuff."
That WrestleMania had a Hollywood theme to it and was set in Los Angeles. There were various motion picture vignettes that aired before the event and Triple H received one of his customary entrances as Motorhead did a live performance of his entrance music.
"Triple H, of course, got a special entrance as he always does," said DeJoseph. "I was very surprised, talking about this year's WrestleMania, that they are going with that again."
DeJoseph said that he thinks there were better big money matches out there for Batista including him vs. Brock Lesnar or vs. Roman Reigns. But WWE is going with the 50-year-old Batista vs. the soon-to-be 50-year-old Triple H.
"I'd like to see somebody younger get the rub, but there are continually matches with older guys," said DeJoseph.
Reply With Quote
I'd love to see each ppv given this much love and attention by everyone in the WWE though
!!!!!