Jimmy Jacobs Explains How Writers Had To Speak To Vince McMahon

After having a successful run on the Independent scene that included stints in ROH, PWG, and more Jimmy Jacobs joined WWE in 2015 as a writer. 

Jacobs was part of WWE for just under three years before he was released after taking a photo with members of the Bullet Club during their “invasion” for Being The Elite. 

Speaking on AdFreeShows, Jacobs was asked about the hardest part of being a writer in WWE.

“Navigating Vince (McMahon) was the hardest part, for sure. It’s difficult. There is a certain way you have to talk to Vince, or what you say doesn’t matter. That’s difficult. There is a certain way you have to look for Vince to take you seriously. It’s all those things that I didn’t line up with,” he said. 

When asked for an example, Jacobs said, “You have to keep it brief, but you have to explain everything. You have to make sure he pictures it right, but you have to be brief because he’ll stop paying attention or you’ll lose him quickly. There is a certain art to it. ‘Sir, based on what you were saying last week about trying to get more heat on our heels, I was wondering if.’ Right off the bat, I’m attributing the idea to Vince. I’m saying, ‘I bring to you, and based off what you said, I was wondering.’ I’m not saying, ‘This is what we should do.’ Ed Koskey used to say, ‘I’m almost thinking,’ and I used to laugh, ‘You’re almost thinking?’ It would be too aggressive to actually think it, you have to almost think it. You have to paint the picture for it and do it concisely, if you start using pronouns he’ll get lost, that’s one of the big things with Vince. Fair enough, when you’re talking about two different Hes when you say He, it can get confusing. If you don’t do that well, it’s difficult to get Vince to take your ideas seriously. I remember pitching something to him one time talking about ‘Roman Reigns coming out here and what about this.’ He looks at me, I give him my pitch, he turns to Ed and whispers something in Ed’s ear and we move on. I have no idea what happened. I get a message from Dave (Kapoor) about an hour later, ‘Vince thinks you dress too gimmicky, you should probably change your tie.'”

Jacobs noted that Michael Hayes got to dress like Michael Hayes, but conceded that Hayes had reached a level to where he could get away with being himself while still being respected and his ideas being heard out. 

Jacobs currently fulfills a backstage role in IMPACT Wrestling.

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