John Bradshaw Layfield credited The Undertaker and Jeremy Borash for the success of AAA’s creative direction in an appearance on the Busted Open Podcast following the Mask vs. Mask main event at Noche de Los Grandes on Saturday.
“Jeremy and Taker are just brilliant guys, and I’m not using that word lightly,” JBL said. “I’ve been in creative meetings for 30 plus years, from Jimmy Crockett opening up Texas to WWE to Japan to Europe. These guys are doing an incredible job, and they notice the small things.”
JBL said the most significant change Undertaker and Borash made was imposing structure on AAA’s shows. “I was down there for Triplemania just a couple of years ago, and there was no structure. There were run-ins, the time meant nothing, they would go over time. They put structure around these guys, and these guys, like moths to a flame, have enjoyed the structure they get now, because they understand they have a company behind them that’s going to put things in place that helps them get over.”
He gave the example of how the team handled Omos. “We got Omos back, and that man is a giant down there. He had not been a giant everywhere. When they brought him in, they worked with him and said, we want you to be a giant, and to be a giant, you have to be a little selfish.”
JBL also described a philosophy Undertaker and Borash communicate to talent about the purpose of matches. “They talk about how a match with a young guy isn’t always designed to be a good match. Matches are designed to tell stories sometimes, and sometimes somebody has to get over. To do that, you have to be selfish. It’s not really selfish, it’s a matter of what the company wants. If you get over, you’re drawing more money for everybody.”
He was careful to separate his praise for AAA’s creative from any comment on WWE. “I think Hunter’s doing a great job up in WWE. I’m not taking anything away from what they’re doing. They’re selling out massive arenas. I’m just talking specifically about Jeremy and Taker down there.”
If you use quotes from this article, please credit the Busted Open Podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
