WWE producer Fit Finlay recently appeared on Sitting Ringside with David Penzer. The former “Fighting Irishman” looked back on his career, both as a wrestler and as an agent. He’s known for his role as a leading producer in the WWE women’s division. In the interview, Finlay described his lengthy run in this role.
“I was there when I had to work with them doing Bra and Manties matches and Lingerie matches and pillow fights and Thanksgiving Dinner Matches, I mean, musical chairs, the whole thing,” said Finlay. “So this really is not in my wheelhouse, you know, it’s not who I am. So I did it, and I tried my best at it, and you know, the girls were doing good but you know, I was getting embarrassed telling these girls how to strip each other off while doing a sunset flip or whatever it may be.
“So eventually I got the girls [together] and sat most of them down and said, ‘Hey, I don’t know how you feel about this, but let me tell you how I feel about it.’ So I told them that I was embarrassed about, not the job, but about how [telling] a girl how to take her clothes off in a wrestling match. It was a little bit degrading to them, I thought. And we all agreed and hugged and high-fived and stuff and made a plan to go, and I’m gonna teach you how to wrestle. And that’s what we did.
“And I got my wrist slapped, and I got told, ‘This is not what we want, we don’t want girls wrestling like guys. We want them pulling hair, and having cat fights, and screaming and yelling and wardrobe malfunctions.’ So I would back off a bit for a week or two, and then go right back to wrestling, and stubbornly, I just kept plugging on and teaching them how to wrestle. And I would have the girls come to the ring and they’d be there four or five hours a day, trying to get this going and, eventually it went more to wrestling than it did gimmick matches. ”
Eventually, the Women’s Evolution changed the game for women’s wrestling in WWE. Finlay reflected on this growth and said he may have played a role in it. “I sort of sparked the flame, I guess,” said Finlay.
The full episode is available here:
