Matt Striker Talks About Working For Vince McMahon, Banned Words On Commentary And More

Former WWE announcer Matt Striker was recently interviewed by John Corrigan Temple-News.com. Here are a few highlights:

Physicality: "I think [McMahon] enjoyed watching me get beaten up. I think the joke amongst the producers was that Striker takes a pretty good ass kicking. You hit [Matthews] a few times, he might break. You can't really slam Renee [Young]. But if you want to convey that the Big Show is pissed off, Striker can take a good punch."

Translating Vince McMahon: "If [McMahon] wanted me to get a point across, he would say it to me in his own words. For instance, 'Talk about how Sheamus is so strong that Mark Henry is afraid of him.' So then I would turn around and put it in my own words: 'You know, Mark Henry is the world's strongest man, but just the other day I saw Sheamus bench pressing 550 pounds, and Henry was watching him through the mirror in the gym. There's something interesting brewing here, let's keep our eyes on it.' Then [McMahon] would say, 'Ah, that was good.'"

Banned words: "No words are banned. There are some phrases [that are] not part of the dialogue, but there are good reasons why. For example, a championship is not a belt. A belt holds up your pants. Someone that doesn't watch wrestling might ask, 'Why are they fighting over wardrobe accessories?' When you say how you're coming after me for the championship, then it adds importance."

Appearance: "[McMahon] wants you to look good. You have to look the part. Perception is reality. Put on a nice blazer, comb your hair, carry a little compact with some makeup to put under the eyes. Those are a few tricks to be more camera-friendly."