Former WWE Writer Describes 'Political Minefield' Backstage

Hundreds of writers and producers have come and gone from WWE over the years and each one has a unique story to tell about the experience.

For Andrew Goldstein, a creative writer with WWE from June 2006 until January 2007, the workplace culture at the time was tough to navigate. He even goes as far as saying it was "a political minefield" with "shark-infested waters", mainly due to the mixed perceptions that certain choices he made gave off.

"So like, the perception of you palling around with a legend could get turned on you in an instant. It could be like, 'Look at this guy, who does this guy think he is?' There was a lot of that like, you just really had to toe a careful line.

"Like if you were sitting down in the bleachers with wrestlers, with a superstar going over a promo, someone somewhere would turn that around on you and be like, 'You're trying to curry favor for the boys ... You're playing favorites. There was just a negative side to everything, you couldn't win."

One longstanding veteran of WWE is the Vice President of Creative Writing & Booking and senior producer: Michael P.S. Hayes. The former leader of The Fabulous Freebirds has been a part of professional wrestling since 1977 and has been specifically committed to WWE in various roles since February 1995.

Goldstein reflected on his specific interactions around Hayes and recalled that he was easily triggered by insults directed at professional wrestling.

"Guy like Michael Hayes, I didn't realize the extent to which that was their life, right? Like Michael Hayes, since he was a teenager has been in the wrestling business and he's never known any other life, and so, to sh*t on something wrestling-related in his presence where everybody might laugh ... He would take it personally."

Along with being a WWE creative writer, Goldstein has worked with MTV, BET, Spike TV programs, and continues contributing to Complex to this day.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Universal Wrestling Podcast with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.