In a recent discussion, former WWE writer Chris DeJoseph delved into his thoughts regarding Dana Warrior’s tenure with the company, shedding light on her past role and contributions.
As a WWE ambassador for several years, Warrior transitioned into a creative team member from 2019 to 2022, following a stint in community outreach before her release in 2023.
DeJoseph, familiar to fans as former on-screen personality Big D*ck Johnson, shared his experiences of working alongside Warrior during their time on the writing team from late 2019 to early 2020.
Speaking on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast, he expressed skepticism about the extent of Warrior’s influence behind the scenes, questioning the rationale behind granting her significant power:
“I thought there were people that were employed there at the time that were not to the level that they should be, specifically Dana Warrior. I think she was like a courtesy hire. She had too much power, in my opinion, to have any opinion at all. It’s not like her writing was great or her producing was great. It wasn’t, but she was there. She had quite a bit of power and I didn’t like that at all.” [50:12 – 50:53]
DeJoseph’s reference to a “courtesy hire” alludes to Dana Warrior’s marriage to wrestling legend The Ultimate Warrior, whose untimely passing in 2014 left a profound impact on the wrestling community.
Drawing comparisons, DeJoseph highlighted the hiring of former WWE writer Jan Pepperman by All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as the Vice President of Content Development.
He expressed admiration for Pepperman’s talents, emphasizing her significant contributions:
“I’m not saying that I didn’t support women there because there were a lot of women, like Jan, who is now in AEW, that is a talented girl. She is a star (…) I didn’t think that Dana really was a very good star.” [50:56 – 51:15]
Amidst his reflections, DeJoseph also shared insights into Vince McMahon’s management style, revealing challenges faced due to timekeeping and the occasional presence of less favorable ideas.
As discussions continue, the wrestling community remains divided on the implications of Warrior’s involvement in the WWE creative team.
