CM Punk caused Vince McMahon to make huge creative change, WWE legend says (Exclusive)
According to Sgt. Slaughter, an incident involving CM Punk, prompted Vince McMahon to overhaul the way he wrote WWE television.
Slaughter worked as a producer and occasional on-screen performer for many years after retiring full-time from the ring. He crossed paths with talents from different generations throughout his career, from Hulk Hogan and The Rock to CM Punk and John Cena.
In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Slaughter recalled how McMahon once allegedly reacted furiously to Punk using profanity. Shortly thereafter, the WWE Executive Chairman started scripting promos word-for-word:
"I was told that CM Punk was using the F-bomb on live television, and Vince got a little upset about that, so he just said, 'That's it, no more ad-libbing. We're gonna script everything so I know what people are saying. I'm gonna lose my sponsors and my TV shows if I don't.' So the business went a different direction," Slaughter said. [1:24 – 1:46]
Watch the video above to hear Sgt. Slaughter's brutally honest thoughts on Lacey Evans using his gimmick in WWE.
When did CM Punk swear on WWE TV?
It is unclear which WWE moment apparently led Vince McMahon to write promos verbatim. However, Sgt. Slaughter could have been referring to a memorable incident involving a fan at ringside.
@WWE CM Punk from SS 2013 with the Wolverine gear https://t.co/w4s2dGLJYR
On August 19, 2013, CM Punk said a fan would be rendered "a toothless, crying heap of a man" if he booed his RAW promo again. The current AEW star was a babyface at the time, making the threat even more shocking.
As the unscripted moment went on, WWE did not allow the TV audience to hear Punk swearing while he continued berating the fan.
In 2012, The Best in the World also swore at Chris Jericho several times in the build-up to their WrestleMania 28 match. Unlike the 2013 incident, it is not known whether the moments with Jericho were scripted.
What do you make of scripted promos? Let us know in the comments section below.
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