Former WWE (WWF back in his day) broadcaster Todd Pettengill sat down for an interview with James Delow for Delow’s YouTube channel, and it’s an excellent listen if you were a mid-’90s WWF fan or just want to hear some great wrestling stories.
Around the 7:00 mark, Pettengill tells a story about his audition to get the job with the WWF, which involved selling Vince McMahon a bottle of water.
“First, I met with Linda McMahon, and she was doing the business day-to-day. I had a nice meeting with Linda, and she said, well, Vince would like to see you in one of the studios. So, I went into the studio and here’s Vince, you know, not quite as big as he is now, but still a big intimidating figure, and he threw me a bottle of water and he said: ‘Sell it to me.’
So, I did. I mean, I can talk about anything. I said, ‘This is the most unbelievable water. It’s fresh, it will soothe you, you can pour it on your feet if you’re in the desert. Now, if you’re in the desert, you might want to read it.’ So, I went through this whole thing and it’s crazy, and he goes, ‘That’s unbelievable! Let’s try this,’ and that’s how it started.”
By far the highlight of the interview, however, is Pettengill telling this amazing Vince McMahon toilet story, that completely explains half of the terrible backstage segments that we’ve gotten over the years on WWE television.
“During the interview process, I thought Vince had left the building, so I went to use the bathroom… I turned my mic off, I went into the bathroom and I was going to the bathroom, and there was a fellow in one of the stalls, who had clearly been doing some work, and it was not a pleasant odor. So I, being me, said, ‘Hey, how about a courtesy flush!’ and I hear this laugh… and it was Vince.
So I said, ‘Well, I didn’t get this job,’ and he said, ‘That’s hysterical! Now I’ve got to hire you!'”
Amazing.
Pettengill seems like a delightful guy, but if you want a reason to hate him, look no further than the fact that he is directly responsible for giving the world Michael Cole.
“He used to be my news guy on the radio in Albany, and Sean… sorry, Michael, was a massive fan of wrestling and worked for a CBS radio station. When I was leaving, they said, ‘Do you know of anybody?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, this guy would be great. He’s a huge fan.’ So, I actually brought him to Stamford.”
So, just remember, next time something like this happens, it’s Todd Pettengill’s fault.
Via YouTube
