Chargers star reveals why he never stuck in WWE
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Do you remember when one-time star Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman tried his hand at professional wrestling in the WWE?
It happened in 2008 when he worked a segment with Chavo Guerrero at One Night Stand, and again in 2014 when he did some work for the promotion around WrestleMania XXX. Merriman had the look, he had the vibe, and it seemed like the promotion liked him, too, but why didn’t he end up signing with the company?
Well, none other than The Undertaker decided to ask him that very question on his Six Feet Under podcast and was met with a very interesting answer indeed.
“I was all in, I was all in. I think, two things why I think that it didn't really…I came in, I hosted WrestleMania that was in New Orleans, and the next day, I came to work, which was one of the best experiences of my life ever, and I'm talking about football included. Being there, and I was up there with Booker T, Shawn Michaels, and then Mick Foley. I'm sitting up there, and it's kind of a surreal moment for me because I'm still a fan. I got my earpieces in, and they brought out Hulk Hogan first, and I'm peeking back because the fan is still there, and I still want to watch. Then I heard the broken glass, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin came out. So now I'm peeking. I'm live on TV, and I'm peeking my a** off,” Merriman explained via Fightful.
“Finally, 'If you smell,' they brought The Rock out. I said, 'Okay, f**k this.' I'm watching. That was it. That was my call right there. I don't give a s**t what they say to me at this point because I'm watching, I'm not missing this. I got the best seat in the house, I can see everything. So it was great, it was one of the best times I had. I talked to Stephanie McMahon, talked to Paul [Triple H] after. I spent some time with Vince [McMahon] around that same period of time. It was gonna go through and everything. Got down to the point where it was like, 'Okay, what about this whole 'Lights Out' thing?'”
Wait, what about the whole “Lights Out” thing? What does that even mean? Well, Merriman explained that, too, and it really highlights one of the issues with “old” WWE.
Shawne Merriman breaks down why he didn’t end up in WWE
Continuing his conversation with Undertaker, Merriman explained why he ended up not landing in the WWE Universe, which included a potent mixture of financial difficulties and WWE wanting to take over ownership of his “Lights Out” trademark.
“I've been called 'Lights Out' since I was 6 years old. When I got my first paycheck by the Chargers in the NFL, I bought the name and rights to 'Lights Out' because I wanted to own it, so I had it. I was probably more closer to the people on the business side, the licensing side, and everything else even more than I was the talent because I knew where the money was,” Merriman explained.
“The licensing, the stores, the buyers, everything. That was a big part. I know the power of WWE globally. So I was all in. So I think it was that, and then too, the WWE Network didn't do so well when it first launched. It took a while before it got off, so I think they ended up letting go like nine or ten percent of staff, and it was just a mess. So we just never picked up. But it was always a real good relationship with them, even still now. I'll see Paul and I'll see some of the guys on that side. I walk up to them and I give them a big hug, and we'll talk every time we see each other, so we got a really good relationship.”
Should the two sides have worked something out that worked for both of them? Maybe yes, maybe no, but in the end, if there is no animosity between Merriman and WWE, it all worked out as it should have.
The post Chargers star reveals why he never stuck in WWE appeared first on ClutchPoints.
