Amidst all the shake-ups and corporate changes in the WWE, former writer Freddie Prinze Jr. recollected how difficult it was to work with Kevin Dunn. As a member of Vince McMahon's inner circle and currently operating as the company's Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution, Dunn wields a lot of power in the WWE, meaning that his views end up shaping a lot of programming.
Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Frustration Writing For Kevin Dunn
On the most recent episode of Prinze Jr.'s podcast, Wrestling With Freddie, he detailed the frustrations of working with Kevin Dunn, and how his antiquated and misogynistic attitudes towards women on the roster could upend a writer's work. Prinze Jr. was a member of the WWE writing team from 2008 to 2009 and referred to pitching ideas to Kevin Dunn as "throwing sand against a tidal wave", with hard work being brushed aside in a matter of seconds.
In reference to writing segments and storylines for the women's division, Prinze Jr. shared some vital insight into how Kevin Dunn's views have drastically damaged the division over the years;
You could pitch for twenty minutes and Kevin would be like; "Well I don't think she's pretty", and all of a sudden, like, six weeks of story were just gone.
Though Prinze Jr. didn't recall this over any specific example, the story sheds light on how Dunn has affected things for the worse and contributed to the stagnation and decline of women's wrestling before its recent resurgence within the company.
Kevin Dunn's Power Could Be Slipping Away
In speaking on his experience writing with Kevin Dunn, and Dunn's refusal to push certain women based on their looks, Prinze Jr. brought up the double standard of that way of thinking, discussing how the WWE has had plenty of male champions who don't fit the criteria of being 'pretty'. Having been high up in the company since the 1980s, Dunn's views and actions have likely impacted the careers of countless superstars.
As the right-hand man of Vince McMahon, it felt that Dunn's role within the company was as assured as McMahon's own, despite the reputation he has garnered over the years. But, with McMahon's sudden retirement, Dunn might no longer have that same security, especially with Triple H heading up WWE creative. Triple H helped to usher in the renaissance of women's wrestling via his work with NXT and talent development, an achievement he is sure to push even stronger in his new role. With Dunn's reputation of holding the women's division back, perhaps his influence could be waning soon enough. He even infamously "didn't get" the appeal of Billie Kay, one of the most beloved personalities in WWE's Women's Division.
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