Former WWE announcer Todd Grisham recently shared an experience about former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon’s frustration with commentators using headsets during matches. Speaking on the podcast “Insight with Chris Van Vleet,” Grisham revealed that McMahon often yelled at him while commentating. One particular incident stood out: during a match featuring John Morrison, who was then a villainous character, Grisham tried to highlight Morrison’s unique trait of liking poetry. He mentioned a new WWE magazine that was shifting from straightforward results to a lifestyle format called “Get to Know the Superstars,” encouraging on-air talent to weave in magazine content to boost sales.
Grisham recounted saying, “John Morrison, Starship Pain”—referencing Morrison’s finisher and a poem he had written about it. This comment triggered a furious reaction from McMahon, who yelled in Grisham’s ear about praising a “poet” and demanded silence, telling Grisham to stop talking and leaving the rest to commentator Jim Ross. Grisham stayed quiet for the rest of the match, with Ross stepping in to handle the commentary until McMahon finally allowed Grisham to speak again after the match and to promote the upcoming segment during a commercial break.
Fan Take: This story offers a rare glimpse into how seriously Vince McMahon took every detail of WWE presentation, highlighting the intense pressures commentators face behind the scenes. For WWE fans, it underscores how creative risks—even something as simple as mentioning a wrestler’s poem—can trigger high-stakes reactions, reminding us of the fine line between innovation and maintaining the ‘WWE character’ narrative.
