In a recent appearance on the “Wrestling Life Online” podcast, Sean Mooney offered a candid look into his tenure from 1988 to 1993 as an announcer in WWE. Mooney shared insights into the high-pressure world of live PPV broadcasts, including what he considers his worst interview experience and the guiding philosophy of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
Mooney’s career with WWE was marked by numerous high-profile events, but one particular incident stands out in his memory from 1989, which turned into a moment he’d rather forget.
One of the first interviews I ever did on the pay-per-views was WrestleMania V in Atlantic City and I did an interview with Donald Trump. I look at that as one of the worst interviews I ever did.
Mooney went on to describe a perfect storm of mishaps that plagued the segment.
I stumbled through his name, I had this stupid earpiece that was falling out and I’m trying to keep it in.
Despite the technical difficulties and being nervous interviewing the future President of the United States, Mooney persevered through the interview. This ability to continue in the face of adversity was, as he revealed, a core tenet of WWE’s production philosophy, instilled by none other than Vince McMahon himself.
Mooney shared a key insight into the WWE Chairman’s approach to live production, which was a call to action for the entire broadcast team – in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Vince McMahon had a motto that he would say at every production meeting that ‘nothing can go wrong’. He would say that every time.
Mooney further explained that McMahon’s philosophy extended beyond mere optimism. This approach was put to the test countless times during Mooney’s tenure with WWE.
When things go wrong, you’ve gotta figure out a way to get through it. You look at the countless interviews we did, well things went wrong but you never stopped and you got through them.
Perhaps most intriguingly, Mooney revealed McMahon’s perspective on how these moments of imperfection were perceived by the audience.
Vince would say and anybody who’s on the other side looking in is gonna think ‘I think they meant to do that.
Former WWE Announcer Sean Mooney Reflects On Too Many Young Deaths In Wrestling
Former WWE announcer Sean Mooney has spoken on the tragedies of pro wrestling over the years, reflecting on the number of young deaths in the business and how many of his former colleagues are sadly no longer with us.
H/t to TJRWrestling.net