A Reddit user leaked eight pages worth of WWE guidelines. The documents show that WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon has specific rules that he expects announcers to follow during events and broadcasts, according to Deadspin.
User KINGJOBBAH on Squared Circle, a subreddit dedicated to professional wrestling, uploaded the supposed documents with the subject line: "The reason why WWE commentary is so bad...HERE ARE OFFICIAL NOTES/RULES FOR COMMENTATORS STRAIGHT FROM THE [sic] HORSES MOUTH...yeah buddy."
The document was reportedly given to WWE announcers and commentators a few years ago. It details suggestions and "dos and don'ts" on what to wear, how to react and what to say during live broadcasts and recorded events.
Most of the company's guidelines are straight-forward: cursing isn't allowed and neither is reading directly from the script (the document states that this creates a "total disconnect"). Announcers are also expected to prepare notes before the show and their voices should vary in intensity and tone when describing matches and the environment.
Some of the more comedic rules are the hyper-specific ones from McMahon himself, referred to in text as VKM. His personal advice is to use the words "superstar," "star," and "athlete" when describing the talent instead of "pro wrestler."
Another special request from the CEO is that commentators should avoid describing the WWE event "Wrestlemania" as the "granddaddy of them all" because he feels "it makes Wrestlemania feel old."
See images of the eight-page document, linked below.
