WWE: Terri Runnels begged Vince McMahon not to make her do one thing
Former WWE star Terri Runnels recently revealed a request she had made to Vince McMahon. During her tenure with the company from 1996 to 2004, Runnels served as on-screen manager and backstage interviewer and even briefly held the Hardcore Championship.
In an interview with Ring The Belle, Terri Runnels recalled her experience of being suddenly told to wrestle on live television with only 10 minutes to prepare. She described the immense pressure of performing for millions at home and thousands in the arena.
The former WWE manager revealed that she begged Vince McMahon not to make her compete, but her participation was non-negotiable.
"Imagine getting to TVs. You love managing, you love everything about what you do, and then all of the sudden, one day they go, 'Tonight, you're going to wrestle in front of millions of people on live television.' Not to mention the thousands and thousands in the arena that are packed here. We're going to teach you what you're going to do in about 10 minutes from now. Yeah, it was brutal. I begged Vince [McMahon], 'Please don't make me wrestle.' Yeah, it was pretty clear that I was going to wrestle," Runnels said. [From 01:04 to 01:37]
You can watch the full interview below:
Terri Runnels reveals she did not want to wrestle and says she loved taking bumps from male WWE Superstars
In the same interview, the former Hardcore Champion admitted she never desired to become a professional wrestler, a path many individuals rigorously trained for. However, she stated that she found enjoyment in receiving bumps from male WWE stars.
Terri Runnels recalled instances like Kane tossing her and The Dudley Boyz putting her through a table. Nevertheless, the 58-year-old had no personal inclination to engage in wrestling bouts.
"All these women and people want to be wrestlers and train for years and years just to be able to wrestle and I didn't want to. I loved taking bumps from the guys—Kane picked me up from the neck and tossed me to the front row chairs, Dudleys put me through the table, great. But I did not want to wrestle," Runnels added. [From 01:58 to 02:18]
Fans will have to wait and see if the company inducts Terri Runnels into the WWE Hall of Fame down the line.
Please credit Ring The Belle's YouTube and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.