Negative backstage reaction to new WWE writer's 'Bobby Ashley' comments revealed - Reports
New WWE writer Kenice Mobley recently kicked off a social media storm with her comments about the company's hiring practices. Mobley admitted that she got the WWE job despite having no prior wrestling knowledge.
Mobley also revealed that she was assigned to RAW and confessed to being unfamiliar with the stars on the brand. The newest entrant into the WWE writing team referred to the reigning WWE Champion as 'Bobby Ashley' during her appearance on the "Asian Not Asian" podcast.
Mobley said [H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription]:
"They did not require me to know anything about wrestling, but I do have a background in film production and comedy writing, and they're like, 'Perfect. Come on in.' So I am on the Monday Night RAW team. So there's Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown, and the people I know that are on it are Bobby — his name is either Bobby Ashley or Bobby Lashley, and I really should know that. He's like this giant black guy, and he and the people who are part of his crew, I know that they call — or at least as of last year, they called themselves The Hurt Business. The Hurt Business. They wear suits, and they're like, 'We're cool.'"
Kenice Mobley's comments have not gone down well with people within the company, as revealed by Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Mobley was reportedly said to be 'under the gun' for addressing matters that WWE wants its employees to ignore.
A person with close knowledge of the story revealed that the reaction to Mobley's statements has been negative behind the scenes. However, it was stated that she is not the only one in this situation as other writers are also facing similar issues.
Did Kenice Mobley's comments make WWE look 'blindingly stupid' to the outside world?
Mobley's disclosure of WWE's hiring requirements for writers wasn't the information that needed to be in the public domain. People backstage were embarrassed over the fact that the comments made the promotion look 'blindingly stupid.'
Meltzer reported the following:
'This turned into a fairly big thing, heavily talked about on social media but also noted among those on the inside. Mobley was also under the gun for speaking publicly on subjects that WWE doesn't want stuff talked about. One person very close to the situation noted the negative reaction to this and said that she is not the only one in this situation, and actually this is typical of many of the writers. But where they were embarrassed by this is that by going public, it makes WWE to the outside world look "blindingly stupid."'
The spotlight is back on WWE's questionable recruitment methods for its writing department. Meltzer noted that the people in charge choose all the directions and angles on TV, and the writers are just there to fill in 'words and for ideas.'
WWE continues to draw criticism for its scripting and employing writers who don't understand wrestling has been highlighted as the primary cause. But is it really the fault of the writing team or the powerful officials above them? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.