Former WWE Associate Producer Recalls Controversial Storyline That Led Him To Quit

A number of former WWE writers recently revealed details of how they were treated by former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, with some describing the environment in the company as extremely damaging and toxic. While the majority of the former employees remained anonymous for their interviews with The Rolling Stone, former WWE writer and producer Michael Leonardi decided to go public about his experiences working under McMahon.

During the interview, Leonardi revealed the main reason why he originally left the company. He originally joined WWE in 2001 as an associate producer, but quit his job in 2005 after telling his superiors that he was wasn't comfortable with a storyline he was instructed to work on. That story was the infamous angle involving The Undertaker and Muhammad Hassan, where Hassan and a number of masked individuals attacked The Undertaker in a style that resembled a form of terrorism. As many fans already know, the angle aired on tape delay on July 7, 2005 the same day as a string of terrorist attacks took place in London, England.

For speaking up about his distaste for the angle, Leonardi says he was both demoted and stripped of his responsibilities in WWE, leading to his resignation. Leonardi stated that he was given his original role as associate producer back, but he couldn't move past his experience of being punished for simply voicing an opinion that many people agreed on — that the angle was offensive. Hassan's character was quickly written off of TV later that year and he was later released by WWE, while Leonardi would wait another 10 years before he was re-hired by WWE, this time as a writer. However, that stint ended after just 10 months, as he was reportedly "not fit for the role," when in reality, he was fired for going against McMahon's unusual wishes.