Former WWE writer reveals why Vince McMahon pushes "big guys" more than small wrestlers
It seems to be no secret that Vince McMahon has a particular type of superstar he likes to push. When looking at the biggest stars of each generation, it's clear that he likes physically big superstars, but giants aren't the ones who become the top names in the company. Freddie Prinze Jr. revealed the reasoning behind McMahon's fascination with big superstars when speaking to Chris Jericho.
Prinze Jr. had a short stint as a WWE creative writer between 2008 and 2009, and even returned as a producer between 2010 and 2012. Due to the nature of his backstage role, he has had several interactions with Vince McMahon.
Chris Jericho appeared on the Wrestling with Freddie podcast and they spoke about McMahon's love for big men. Freddie Prinze Jr. revealed that it was during a conversation with Jericho where he began to understand the WWE Chairman wanting to push bigger guys.
The former writer said that he would often run into a wall when pitching stories for smaller wrestlers, and he went on to explain what Chris Jericho told him:
"You said ‘His dad loved the big guys, and he’s his father’s son, so he’s always gonna see the big guy able to beat up the small guy, no matter how much evidence you show him, because his father told him it was that way.' And I remember like, getting on the plane with Vince, and kinda like looking at him, and it changed my whole philosophy on how I pitched things,” said Freddie Prinze Jr. (H/T ITR Wrestling)
It isn't surprising that Vince McMahon got the idea of pushing bigger superstars from his father. Between the golden era and today, all of the faces of WWE have been "big men".
John Cena was the smallest among the names, but he went on to become the longest-tenured face of the company, holding his spot for a decade before transitioning into a part-time role.
@WWEUniverse @RealFPJr @VinceMcMahon @WWEUniverse He (@RealFPJr) knows Vince very well. To cast anyone else as Vince, would be ludicrous!
He's a deadringer as a younger Vince. https://t.co/qqk7dnbDw5
Vince McMahon will continue to push the prototype WWE superstar
They meet again.
@VinceMcMahon
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While the modern era has seen several "smaller" wrestlers come to the forefront due to NXT, the revamping of the brand into NXT 2.0 will likely lead to WWE focusing on "big men" again.
There has been a clear shift back to the old mentality of wanting physically bigger superstars, atleast in the men's division. That doesn't mean that smaller wrestlers won't succeed, but that seems to be the way things are in the WWE jungle.
It still could be hard for a writer to pitch stories to McMahon for smaller wrestlers.