"The acting was terrible" - Vince McMahon refused to air disappointing WWE backstage segment
Vince McMahon allegedly nixed a backstage segment involving Brodus Clay because he disliked the former WWE Superstar’s acting.
In January 2012, Clay debuted his fun-loving Funkasaurus dance gimmick on RAW. The appearance was delayed by authority figure John Laurinaitis for several weeks, which led to animosity between the on-screen characters.
Former WWE writer Matt McCarthy said on The Universal Wrestling Podcast that Clay destroyed Laurinaitis’ office and famous white suit during a pre-recorded segment. However, following McMahon’s negative feedback, the footage never made it to television.
“We’re spending a lot of money on just him trashing all this stuff and then he rips up this coat,” McCarthy recalled. “Vince hated the backstage - he said that the acting was terrible, and it never aired. The white suit coat vanished.” [9:35-9:54]
Clay performed on WWE’s main roster between 2011 and 2014. The 375-pound superstar is best remembered as Alberto Del Rio’s bodyguard and Lord Tensai’s tag team partner.
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WWE cameras used to show a giant disco ball hanging from arena ceilings during Clay’s entrance. With The Funkadactyls (Cameron and Naomi) by his side, The Funkasaurus’ dance routine ended with pyrotechnics shooting out of all four ring posts.
According to McCarthy, Vince McMahon wanted to justify the money WWE spent on Clay’s entrance by giving him a bigger role on the show.
“Vince was on the edge of, ‘Hmm, we’re spending a lot of money on Brodus’ push,’” McCarthy said. “Because the giant disco ball and stuff, I don’t think Brodus realized how expensive his act was, but he was getting a big push.” [8:51-9:14]
Clay, real name George Murdoch, received his release from WWE on June 12, 2014. The 49-year-old now wrestles as Tyrus in the NWA.
Please credit The Universal Wrestling Podcast and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.