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Jonathan Coachman is getting back into the pro wrestling fold. The former commentator recently shared why he has decided to return to wrestling.
Jonathan Coachman sat down with Chris Van Vliet on his Insight podcast. During the interview, Coachman shared why he now feels it is the right time to return to wrestling. Coachman has worked in golf and sports betting, and now has a few new pro-wrestling-related projects. He said bitter feelings towards his treatment by Vince McMahon kept him away, but he realized that he should instead embrace his connection to the business.
Jonathan Coachman on return to wrestling
“When you and I last talked, it was a situation where Vince McMahon, who we openly talk about on our show. Because I think a lot of people with what happened with Vince, it continues to happen with Vince, it’s oh, we can’t talk about it, but we address it. As you know, I’m almost 15 years inside the WWE. My partner, Tommy Carlucci, 32 years inside the WWE. But when I started my sports betting show, Driving The Line, and we left CBS, and as you know, when you started to grind, the first year is just you never feel like you’re getting anywhere. I had somebody come to me and they said, Man, I watched that interview with Van Vliet, and you got so many good stories and so much history with the WWE.
“Why don’t you embrace it? And I was letting the fact that Vince screwed me over with money get in the way of what my future could be. The media landscape has changed so much now from you know where I live, I don’t have the ability to work for a network right now, I would have to move. I’ve got kids in high school, so you’ve got to look at what your life is and what you can do to earn a living and also set up your future. So when I thought about it, I said, Well, what can we do? Then my buddy Tommy Carlucci, and to tell you how far back me and him go, we call him Big Tommy C. He was the first adult to meet my daughter outside of the hospital, and she’s now 16 years old.”
Jonathan Coachman on getting screwed by Vince McMahon
The former WWE Commentator also shared his thoughts on getting screwed by the Chairman of the WWE, Vince McMahon.
“I felt like I got screwed over. And then also the five or six months that they put me on Raw and SmackDown, I didn’t like how I was treated and they can say what they want, but that’s that’s the truth. I would actively every week ask Michael Cole, can you talk to Corey about us working together? I have nothing against Corey Graves. I’ve known Michael Cole since 1999, but if they don’t want to work with you, there’s nothing you can do. And Corey never wanted to talk to me. I never had one conversation with Corey Graves, and I tried, and that’s okay, because that’s kind of how the business is. I call it boxing out your pension when you’re at ESPN, if you don’t want somebody to step in and take your spot.
“And I was never going to take his spot. He’s amazing doing Raw or Smackdown. It was about that’s what Vince wanted. I didn’t come in and go, I’m stepping into that spot. So it was really frustrating, because I felt like I could have really helped. But also now I’m much more vocal about knowing, and this is the other thing is, with the whole ESPN situation because I work for the PGA tour now too, so there’s not too many golf announcers that wear backward hats and sunglasses, but I do it. Because now they just had a tournament with YouTubers. PGA Tour is embracing YouTube. Everything has changed.”
Jonathan Coachman realizes that everyone is in the same bucket
“And so now I realize that back in 2018 maybe that wasn’t the time, but in 2024 there is no more. Oh, he’s a wrestling guy, or he’s a YouTube guy. We’re all in the same bucket, and however you can get views, and however you can get people to watch and listen and be funny, entertaining and also credible, that’s what we’re trying to do. So that’s kind of the lane I’m in,” Jonathan Coachman said.
Would you like to see the Coachman return to WWE?
