Partial Source: The Torch Newsletter
– The word making the rounds within the SmackDown brand is that Kurt Angle is continuing to use his influence behind the scenes in order to get his point across. The overall feeling among many SmackDown wrestlers is that although he is an amazing worker, he is mentally off-base when it comes to the wrestling business as a whole. One SmackDown worker even went as far as to say that Angle’s storyline ideas aren’t great and causes many guys to simply shake their heads – coming off as unknowledgable in the process. To make matters worse, many SmackDown workers have said he carries an “I’m better than you” type of attitude that rubs many the wrong way.
– A number of people within the WWE are reportedly talking about John Laurenaitis (aka Johnny Ace) and his current transition as Vice President of Talent Relations. Many have pointed out that Laurenaitis still has to win over confidence among many workers, including Triple H who isn’t said to be sold on him quite yet. Although Stephanie McMahon is one of the biggest supporters for Laurenaitis, the overall opinion among many is that he is a “yes man” when it comes to his relationship with Vince McMahon. Some have even labeled Laurenaitis as both sneaky and devious, with many under the impression that he basically tells McMahon what he wants to hear in order to keep his spot secure with the company.
