New Formerly Creative Podcast – Alex Greenfield

Alex Greenfield (@alexdgreenfield) was on the WWE creative team in 2005-2006 including a run as the lead writer of WWE Smackdown.  He joins David Lagana to talk the creative process, what being married is like on the team, and the breaking point that caused him to walk away.  If you loved the Boogeyman, Jillian’s mole, and ever wanted to know how the creative time passed the time, this is the episode for you.  We did record this podcast prior to the news breaking of Edge’s retirement.  We discuss the booking of the Edge/Del Rio at 45:00 in.  Obviously this was before we knew what happened. Also scroll down to see pictures of the motel next to the WWE Tower.

You can follow Alex on twitter here.

You can hear the podcast here.

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Episode #9 – Alex Greenfield (WWE – 2005 – 2006)

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The Stamford Motor Lodge.  (as described in this podcast)

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New Formerly Creative Podcast – Mates/Gough – Episode 7

Seth Mates and Chris Gough joined the WWE Creative team on the same day in the Summer of 2002.  They cut their teeth working for Shane McMahon at the website and then took the leap into creative.  Chris and Seth were on the team during the time of HLA, Billy and Chuck’s wedding, Brock Lesnar’s first title win, the debut of John Cena and so much more.

This episode is split into two parts.  Enjoy part one now.

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Episode 7 – Part 1 – Seth Mates (WWE – 2002)  & Chris Gough (WWE – 2002 – 2003)

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New Formerly Creative Podcast – – Joe Franciosi

The latest episode of Formerly Creative featuring Joe Franciosi.  Joe was on the WWE Creative Team in 2010.  Covered in this episode is Joe’s background in So Cal wrestling including UPW, NWA and New Japan Dojo, how he got hired in WWE, the pitfalls of producing backstage and more.  You can follow Joe on Twitter here.  Full podcast below.

Here is a  preview of the story of how he came to pull his eye out on live television and the sketch.  There is so much more inside the podcast.

Hear the entire podcast below.  Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes.

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Episode #6 – Joe Franciosi (WWE – 2010)

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If you liked this article please support the site by clicking our sponsors, subscribing above and sharing stories with the buttons below.  You can reach me on our Twitter, Facebook pages or you can email me . And don’t forget to voice your opinion on Twitter whenever you’re discussing what you want out of wrestling. #IWantWrestling

Cena vs. Rock – Cena Goes Old School!

ESPN Anchor Robert Flores is talking about it!   Hear full podcast here now.

Wrestlemania Season inspires fond memories like the Holiday Season.  For the fans it’s a time for you to get more excited then any other time of the year.  For the WWE, it’s a time for them to pull out the big guns.  For the wrestling business it’s a chance to shine and remind us why we all love it. Last week, The Rock returned recapturing the imagination of the fans.  The 2/21/11 vignette lead to the return of The Undertaker and Triple H.   And last night on Monday Night Raw, we saw the return of John Cena rapping.

John Cena has been THE guy in WWE since 2005 when he was moved to the RAW brand.  It was in that time period that Cena transitioned away from the rap character into the more modern day version you see today.  John felt to broaden his character he needed to get away from the one-dimensional rap gimmick that grabbed the attention of fans.  I agreed with the decision but like a well planned stipulation match, it has it’s a place for a one-off returns.  Last night on RAW was the time.  Rock had punked out Cena and Cena’s first response was crucial.  This was not PG Cena.  And all those deep base “Cena Sucks” voices were cheering along with him again.

The period that Cena rapped every week on Smackdown in 2002-2003 is a time that showed that patience, consistency and believing in a character paid off.  Before that, Cena would call himself “Johnny Boots and Tights” as the most distinguishable thing about his character was his constantly changing tights based on the city we were in.  It was on an international tour in 2002 where a battle rap on a bus between Cena and another Smackdown talent was heard by Bruce Prichard, Stephanie McMahon, Seth Mates, Paul Heyman and myself.  It wasn’t fireworks going off at the time.  We all didn’t look at each other and say “This is exactly what the WWE needs.”  It was a collective decision to say, “Let’s try it.”  And on a Halloween edition of Smackdown in 2002, we did.

Every week, John would create these raps dissing his opponent.  No matter who it it was.  It was consistent and his momentum built.  There were those on the inside who said “you’re killing this kid with it”.  But the secret to this success was in the hands of John Cena.  I’d suggest a scenario for the rap and he’d go off and create it and then we’d produce it.  In one year, he went from being “Johnny Boots and Tights” to the most talked about newcomer in the WWE.  His matches in 2002 with Brock Lesnar, Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero, and Kurt Angle as a heel got him hot enough for the fans to be clamoring for him to be their hero.

At No Way Out 2003, Cena was scheduled to face Kurt Angle.  Earlier that day, Cena and I went outside to produce this segment to air on the Sunday Night Heat show prior to the pay-per-view.  All I told John was there would be a fan challenging him to rap, the fan would rap John and John was to retort.

John just seized the moment and created something memorable.   Even watching it nearly eight years later, it still is cool to me.  Yeah, it was for a PPV pre-show but it set the tone and showed how much passion he really had.   It was one take and couldn’t have ever been duplicated.  Later that night, it did air on Heat but did not air to the live house.  A discussion with the executive producer revealed he didn’t play it to the arena because “it was too good… would make John too much a babyface live”.  Seems the people already started to make up their mind on that.  The match featured a split audience in Baltimore chanting “Let’s Go Angle… Let’s Go Cena…”  John Cena was turned babyface three weeks later.

John Cena vs. The Rock – simply as a confrontation is one of the great elements WWE has brewing for this years Wrestlemania. We don’t know what we’re going to see and isn’t that the secret to what we want out of wrestling?  To be hyped up for whatever does happen?

Favorite Cena Raps from the 2002-2005 Era

And a personal favorite of mine.  The music video released to promote his album.

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Formerly Creative – Episode #3 – Jensen Karp

Gallery1988.com - Jensen Karp's Art Gallery

 

Jensen Karp was one of the more interesting people I got to work with at WWE.  He was only on the WWE Creative team for a short time but his level of creativity always stuck with me.  After I left WWE, I caught up with Jensen again and was very happy to see the success he found after WWE.  He went on to work on the last few seasons of LOST, maintains an really cool art gallery http://gallery1988.com, and writing for Funny or Die.com.

Listen to his take on his time on WWE, it’s different then most guys; a refreshing look at the “bubble” that is the creative process at WWE.  Jensen wasn’t a “lifelong” fan but did have something to contribute to the team.  Before you check out the Podcast – check out his Funny or Die sketch he wrote.  “Bromance”

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So, with no further hype or build up, please check out Episode #3 of Formerly Creative with my good friend Jensen Karp.

 

Jensen Karp - Formerly Creative - Click to Play!!!

Episode #3 – Jensen Karp (WWE 2006)

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