Before returning to WWE, Bruce Prichard made a brief but memorable return to television as an on-screen authority figure for TNA in 2017. During a recent episode of Something To Wrestle, Prichard explained how the deal came together and why he ultimately asked for his release.
Just A Talent
Prichard revealed that Jeff Jarrett, who had recently been brought back by Anthem to run the company, called him with a pitch. Prichard made it clear he had no interest in the stressful backstage roles he had occupied for decades.
“He knew what I didn’t want to do, and what I didn’t want to do was I did not want to be involved in the creative, and I did not want to be involved in the production, in any day-to-day operation of dealing with talent or any of that,” Prichard said. “His idea was to bring me in strictly as a talent, an on-air character is a figurehead for them. And that was it. That was the pitch.”
A Fun Experience
Prichard described his time as a purely on-screen character as liberating. He enjoyed the ability to perform without the burden of managing the entire show.
“Jeff did come to me and ask me for ideas and help and just what I thought of certain things, but that was the most fun that I had had in a long time,” Prichard admitted. “Just be, just being a talent, not having to worry about everybody else’s stuff. All I had to do was show up, do my bit, and go and got paid.”
Why He Left
Prichard eventually left the promotion because the taping schedule conflicted with his increasingly successful live podcast tours. He noted that the separation was amicable and swift.
“I emailed Bob Ryder saying, Ed [Nordholm] said, ‘Send me my release,’” Prichard recalled. “I got my release sent to me. I printed it out, I signed it and I scanned it right back to him, to Ed and to Bob, while I was still on the phone with Ed.”
TNA has developed a working relationship with WWE NXT, featuring talent exchanges that would have been unheard of during Prichard’s 2017 tenure.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Something To Wrestle with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the full episode on the Something To Wrestle podcast feed.
