AEW Talent "Hated" Their WWE Job

All Elite Wrestling has welcomed some of the greatest professional wrestling minds into its backstage ranks. Hall of Famers like Jake "The Snake" Roberts, independent circuit veterans like Jerry Lynn, experienced producers like Pat Buck and more make up AEW's non-wrestler roster, with each fulfilling different roles. Among those names is WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson, who operates as both an on-screen manager and a behind the scenes coach for AEW. After debuting at AEW All Out in August 2019, Anderson inked a deal with AEW later that December and has been with the company since.

While his on-screen duties have been significantly reduced following Cody Rhodes' departure to WWE, it doesn't sound like Anderson is itching to join his former colleague. Speaking on his ARN podcast, Anderson revealed that he "hated" his WWE producer job.

"If you want the truth, I hated that job. I hated being in charge of matches that I had no power or authority," Anderson said (h/t WrestlingNews.co). "I was responsible for the end result. If the story that was told or the physicality was not good, the finish wasn't good, whatever, Vince [McMahon] chewed my a-- out."

Before AEW, Anderson worked for WWE for nearly two straight decades. After retiring from in-ring competition in May 2000, Anderson took on various backstage roles, with producing being a primary responsibility.

Anderson elaborated, noting that his issue with WWE producing came with the amount of creative leeway he was given.

"The problem with that was if you're going to give me full reign and let me do what I want to, not what's written and try to take the creative and put it into match terms and make it make sense, it's not fair to have all the responsibility for a segment and no authority to do what you know is right, to having to do what they want you to do," Anderson continued. "I did not enjoy that job.

"You get to the arena, and you have two guys that really don't want to put each other over. I'm on the road just lining the show up. That's supposed to be all I'm doing, carrying the word, 'Hey, they would like so and so to go over.' When you don't have the authority that when they go, 'I'm not feeling that.' Now you have to go, 'Well, what do you think?' versus 'No, I think I'm feeling it and this is what we need to do.' It's a straw boss position. You're a scapegoat for something they don't like. It's automatically your fault."

Anderson inked a "multi-year contract" with AEW in June 2020.