Former WWE writer Jimmy Jacobs just dropped some truth about what it was really like working under Vince McMahon—and it sounds like a constant game of survival.
During his appearance on Bobbo’s World, Jacobs shared eye-opening details about the mental pressure WWE’s writing staff was under and how Vince’s micromanagement shaped the entire creative process. Jacobs didn’t sugarcoat it. Working for WWE came with resources and prestige, but it also meant dealing with a volatile boss who approved every single word on the show.
“Vince read every single word that was in the scripts. He wanted every single word written down that the performers were going to say. And there’s reasons for that; I’m not faulting him for that.”
But the real problem? Changing anything was nearly impossible. Jacobs explained how even minor adjustments had to be cleared by Vince himself—who was often too busy or simply unreachable.
“If you wanted something changed, it was a difficult process because Vince has to okay it. But Vince is a busy guy. So if Vince has already approved a promo, and I’m talking with the talent and a talent wants to change something, it’s difficult to get to Vince to get him to allow that change to happen.”
Unless you were a made man in WWE, like John Cena or The Undertaker, you were stuck playing by Vince’s exact script.
“Undertaker, you know, I worked with him once, and Vince was like, Vince said to me literally, ‘Let Undertaker do whatever he wants.’ It was the only time I’d ever heard Vince say that.”
Jacobs painted a picture of a work environment where fear and anxiety were more common than creativity.
“So many people were playing — I’ve said this before — but it’s like they were playing to not lose. Because Vince was pretty volatile, and you were always one weird interaction with Vince away from being in the doghouse.”
He even dropped one of Vince’s infamous lines to make his point:
“If I say the sky is green, the sky is green, damn it.”
According to Jacobs, WWE was about avoiding mistakes rather than chasing greatness—and that mentality took a toll on everyone involved.
“Walking on eggshells, they’re not trying to do what’s best — they’re trying to do what won’t get them called to Gorilla by Vince going, ‘Why the hell did this happen here?’”
While Jacobs is thankful for what he learned at WWE, he made it clear that working under Vince was a mental grind. And after leaving WWE for Impact Wrestling, the contrast was night and day—especially when it came to freedom.
“I just loved not being micromanaged.”
Jacobs’ stories are a rare inside look at the kind of pressure that WWE writers and talent face when one man controls the machine. It’s a system built on power, precision—and fear.
Have you ever noticed when promos feel too scripted in WWE? Do you think the company should ditch the word-for-word format and trust its talent more? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.