Former WWE VOD Content Director Discusses Directive Changing On Chris Benoit With WWE Network

Before WWE Network, there was WWE Classics on Demand, an on-demand video service that was provided through various providers. In 2014, WWE launched WWE Network, its OTT video service. 

John Carlan worked with WWE from 1998 to 2020 as a production assistant and producer before becoming the video on Demand Content Director/Supervising Producer in 2014. 

Speaking to Wrestlenomics, Carlan explained the directive when it came to scrubbing Chris Benoit from Classics and the Network. 

“Certainly, that was a major directive, especially pre-Network. For Classics, he was a ‘no go.’ Matches were removed, mentions of him were removed, graphics were removed. That was a tough cut, like blurring the WWF logo. You would have to make notes of it and they would say, ‘scratch logo, massive cursing, Benoit,’ it would have to be noted. It was more when we got to the Network, he was allowed. We didn’t want to lose any integrity of any shows. I guess, he did a lot of good wrestling. He did. Things changed. Legally, it changed. Feelings changed. We just followed direction. It was never something I made any calls on. I just did what I was told,” he said.

Benoit committed double-murder and suicide, killing his wife Nancy and son Daniel along with himself, in 2007. 

When asked if there were other names who he was told “note,” Carlan replied, “Certainly, down the line, one I can remember in the last five or ten years was Rock N Roll Buck Zumhofe. You guys know the story about that dude, it’s not a good one. He did a lot of really bad things to a lot of young women. He was on the list. He jobbed for [WWE] a lot in the 90s on Superstars.”

Zumhofe was also part of the AWA. 

WWE Network moved over to Peacock in 2021. 

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