During an episode of “The Snake Pit” podcast, Lance Archer, wrestler for AEW, shared his experiences about his unsuccessful stint from 2019 to 2010 with WWE.
In his discussion, Archer highlighted elements that may have contributed to his lackluster WWE career. He spoke about the limitations placed on characters to cut out typical ‘bad guy’ behaviours due to the company’s heavily PG direction which was influenced by UFC. He talked about an interaction with Batista, a then key figure with WWE, who opined that being a heel (villain) was challenging because many classic heel actions were now being prohibited.
Archer went on to share his somewhat surprising WWE debut experience in 2009, where he found out he was debuting on their ECW product on the day of the appearance itself. He also noted his dramatic transition from a long-haired biker character to a short-haired look, a change instructed by the company’s former owner just before a show.
Reflecting on his time with WWE, Archer called himself ‘Big Guy #3’ and spoke about his brief high points and subsequent falls. He went on to touch upon his wrestling experiences post-WWE, highlighting his time in Japan which he credits for the best time in his wrestling career.
Describing his interactions with Vince McMahon, WWE’s CEO, Archer shared how he was warned by McMahon not to mess up his debut as one only gets a single chance to create a first impression. He also recalled a funny anecdote when McMahon expressed appreciation for his beard after a match, which ended up helping his career with WWE at that point.
Overall, Archer emphasized the unpredictability and hard-to-please nature of the wrestling industry, hinting at his less than satisfactory stint with WWE, but expressed gratitude for the experiences which eventually led to a rewarding time in his career in Japan.