There's Just One Problem...: True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE

Product Information

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Twelve Books for an advanced copy of this biography and history on the world of professional wrestling.

I helped Evan and Jason based on my relationships with some of the wrestlers. I reached out to one of my heroes and one of Dwayne's heroes as well, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, because we needed him if we were going to do an episode on the Calgary Stampede territory. And part of the reason he wanted to come on the show was because we got Abdullah the Butcher to be on the show—there's not nearly enough television shows with Abdullah the Butcher talking. Brian grew up wanting to follow in his uncle’s steps of becoming a television script writer. After a couple of failed shows, Brian falls into becoming the lead writer of WWE at the height of the Monday Night Wars. Brian shares many of his job details, the history of major WWE storylines, and behind the scenes stories.The other issue I had which is entirely a me thing and not Gewirtz’s fault is I already knew a lot of the revelations he shared due to being perpetually on the internet for the majority of my life and learning about these things in real time. There are a few instances in the book where I learned new information by reading about it from his side, but I’d say 70% of the information I gained was nothing new to me, so I spent a good portion of the book bored and ready for the next chapter. This was a totally enjoyable read. I’d recommend it to anyone who grew up with a WWE themed bedroom (like my son) or kept John Cena’s autographed picture on their wall (like my daughter). But also anyone intrigued by the inner workings and day to day highs and lows of working for a cultural behemoth like World Wrestling Entertainment. Gewirtz weaves in WWE terminology, explaining the wrestling vernacular early on with lasting impact. So when he uses these terms in context throughout the book as it moves forward, you feel like a bit of an insider privy to the wrestling lingo and experiencing these situations like you’re in on the storylines. And he does all this coming off as your best friend sitting around the picnic table at the company appreciation day barbecue. I mean, the guy IS a writer. First, the good. I truly enjoyed the perspective of someone in the wrestling industry that isn't a wrestler. His point of view is interesting and unique, mainly because most wrestling related autobiographies I read have been written by wrestlers. Wrestling doesn’t get nearly the level of appreciation it should. You look at all this insane work that goes into making seas of people happy from everyone from the road crew setting up the ring to the camera crews to the writers to the wrestlers and the amount of time dedicated to this craft and everyone just blows it off.

In There’s Just One Problem, former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz tells of a contentious meeting with Vince McMahon that ultimately soured their then decade-plus working relationship. With RAW taking place in Miami that night, Brian pitched a line surrounding Dwayne Wade, then superstar player for the NBA’s Miami Heat, for The Miz to use to rile up the local crowd. Unaware of who Dwyane Wade is, Vince, dismissed the line essentially saying that because Vince himself isn’t aware of who Dwayne Wade is, then no one else would be. The CEO is IN IT, too. Not sitting somewhere else figuring stuff out like it’s an abstract thing - we’re talking headphones on, papers in hand, CONTROLLING things. The wrestlers need to stay in top physical condition, they need to choreograph, they need to memorize lines, shoot promos, deal with writers, AND get themselves to the next show. Gewirtz is set to release his book "There's Just One Problem...True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in WWE" on August 16 detailing some behind the scenes stories from his time in the company.

Customer reviews

Brian Gewirtz has presided over one of the most transformative periods in pro wrestling history and been one of the right-hand men of its kingpin Vince McMahon. Surely, you'd think, there'd be enough interesting stories to fill an anthology. I mean, Randy Orton WAS Sabretooth. John Cena WAS Wolverine. Their battles were epic. But behind much of this narrative were writers like Gewirtz, scripting the story to maximize impact, and, above all, generate fan interest which translates into profits. And boy, did WWE succeed in that endeavor. I gre up in WWE’s “attitude era.” It was the first time WWE had actual writers and it was a great time to be alive. Most of it wouldn’t fly today, but in the broadest of strokes, we had a legion of doom, a walking dead man, a porn star, an androgynous but very sexual being, two friggin’ VAMPIRES, a pretty racist (even for the nineties) representation of minorities, feuds like you wouldn’t believe, and, of course, Stone Cold Steve Austin. I realized these storylines, for me, were far more compelling than the actual wrestling. When done right, I couldn’t wait for the next tv episode. My kids just wanted to see their heroes and villains; I went along for the drama (well…ok. I also fan watched quote a bit still).

Growing up, I had little interest in professional wrestling. It wasn’t until the early 2000’s when my kids became addicted to WWE that I embraced the events and even had my favorite wrestlers (Batista was my guy!). So it’s accurate to say the tenure of Brian Gewirtz, author of THERE’S JUST ONE PROBLEM…, had a hand in my indoctrination to actually enjoying the world of professional wrestling. Vince always encouraged Brian to fight for his ideas but if he ever had a disagreement with Vince himself, Brian would never win, which is what ultimately damaged their working relationship. Brian knew he couldn’t win in an argument based on what should or shouldn’t be on television, but even after years and years of loyal service, Vince still would only listen to himself and if he didn’t get what Brian presented, it didn’t go on the show. I can only imagine how frustrating this can be for someone who knows the product inside and out and has proven time and time again to be of considerable value. The only thing that didn’t resonate with me is that there are quite lot of American tv references that I just didn’t get, similar to Justin Roberts’s book. In fact, as a whole this is a very similar experience to Justin’s effort, which isn’t a bad thing at all, both are great!

Vince always encouraged Brian to fight for his ideas but if he ever had a disagreement with Vince himself, Brian would never win, which is what ultimately damaged their working relationship. Brian knew he couldn't win in an argument based around what should or shouldn't be on television, but even after years and years of loyal service, Vince still would only listen to himself and if he didn't get what Brian presented, it didn't go on the show. I can only imagine how frustrating this can be for someone who knows the product inside and out and has proven time and time again to be of considerable value. What I didn’t like about the book is honestly a taste thing that’s specific to me so this might not impact other readers, but I’m not a big fan of Gewirtz’s writing style. I really don’t like it when I’m reading a book and the author throws in intentional jokes like he’s working on a tight 5 for the Improv. There’s a lot of that in here, and frankly Gewirtz comes off rather dorky (which he admittedly is, he talks about it constantly) and not as funny as he thinks he’s being. I don’t particularly enjoy the feeling of “man if I had to spend time with this guy I’d hate him too” when I’m reading from someone’s POV, but that’s just me. In There's Just One Problem, former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz tells of a contentious meeting with Vince McMahon that ultimately soured their then decade-plus working relationship. With RAW taking place in Miami that night, Brian pitched a line surrounding Dwayne Wade, then superstar player for the NBA's Miami Heat, for The Miz to use to rile up the local crowd. Unaware of who Dwyane Wade is, Vince dismissed the line essentially saying that because Vince himself isn't aware of who Dwayne Wade is, then no one else would be. This book covers very, very little of that era as this writer didn’t start then. This guy got the gig because the writers who HAD done the attitude era had split suddenly. THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM is a story about perseverance, tenacity, and steel chairs. Most writers in the WWE last for a matter of months; Gewirtz was there for over 15 years, writing some of most memorable and infamous storylines in WWE history (covering the “Attitude Era”, the “Ruthless Aggression Era” and into the “PG” and “Reality” eras).

The book is an account of what Gewirtz saw, and in many cases did, that might not have gone over with the fans. The author is honest about his mistakes, and takes credit for both writing and interpersonal problems, which is rare in wrestling. Actually this is an odd wrestling book as it it written more from the office and management side, rather that a WWE puff piece biography, or a book by a wrestler who hates the promoters, other wrestlers and everyone else, who uses the book to settle scores and sling dirt. There is little dirt, and little settling of scores. A mention of another writer maybe, or stories about Bob Holly, who has always been known to be a lot of jerk. Vince McMahon seems more of a driven business owner, with a strong ego and sense of righteousness, with a few quirks. Once you learn that he is currently working with the Dwayne Johnson on wrestling projects, shows and a rumored WWE return, you can understand why the book is the way that it is.As a life long pro-wrestling fan, I was excited to dive into “There’s Just One Problem…” by Brian Gewirtz. Considering he was the head writer for WWE for over a decade and one of Vince McMahon’s inner circle, I had some pretty high expectations. Now that I’ve finished the surprisingly brisk memoir, I have to say I found it pretty mid. It’s not bad, mind you. I just expected more, and frankly that wasn’t the only disappointment I had during my experience. BOOK REVIEW: There’s Just One Problem – True Tales from the Former, One-Time, 7th Most Powerful Person in the WWE With untold stories from a career spanning over 15 years and featuring the biggest names and controversial moments in wrestling history, THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM is an honest, unflinching look on how an introverted life-long fan unexpectedly became one the most powerful men in all of professional wrestling. After talking to Dwayne about it, we were like, “How do we take the success of Dark Side of the Ring and translate it into another docuseries but not focus on the dark of it?” There's also so many great, crazy, fun stories, especially with the territories in the 70s and 80s. Each region had its own empire, basically, and so many of these amazing stories are only known within wrestling circles and inner circles. With Dwayne having his dad and his grandfather as wrestlers, and having been both in the Hall of Fame, and his grandmother being the first female promoter in Hawaii, he is instilled with the stories of the territories. The truly fascinating moments in this book involve Vince McMahon. With all the recent news surrounding the former CEO of WWE, Gewirtz’s peek behind the curtain shows just how endlessly challenging it was working for a man who always insists he is right. While there are a few stories collected in here that have certainly made the rounds over the years (having to completely rewrite shows from the ground up at the drop of a hat), there are others that will make your head spin. If you’re a life-long watcher of WWE, you’re likely well aware of Vince McMahon’s penchant for toilet humor (vomiting, farting, etc). In one of his first meetings with Brian, Vince told him that WWE “doesn’t do comedy, we do humor” and that “there’s nothing funnier than someone stepping in dogshit. If I could, I’d write a whole show on people stepping in dogshit, I would.” Speaks volumes about what we’ve seen on TV for decades.