Raj Giri of WrestlingInc.com recently spoke with Lucha Underground Co-Executive Producer Chris DeJoseph to discuss the return of Lucha Underground this Wednesday on the El Rey Network. DeJoseph worked on the WWE creative team from 2004 – 2010, and appeared on-camera for the company as Big Dick Johnson.
You can read the entire interview HERE and read some highlights below:
It had to be hard working there during the Chris Benoit tragedy. You all were having Vince McMahon’s storyline funeral on that episode. What was that day like?
That was a horrible day. As a character, I was in a couple of scenes crying at Vince McMahon’s casket. We had shot all the scenes; I guess “Big Dick” was really upset Vince had passed away. It was a weird feeling. I remember they called everybody out ringside and they announced that Chris was dead and they found his kid and his wife. The thing that sticks in my mind is Vickie Guerrero screaming. I’ll never forget that. It was a strange, strange day. Some people had some feelings that something wasn’t right because he didn’t show up at the pay-per-view the day before. At that point they gave everyone the option of hanging around if they were comfortable. I don’t think they knew the details of it, and that’s when we started putting the show together of a mini-tribute to Benoit and his moments. Halfway through the show it went from a tribute to a retrospective when they found out that there was foul play involved. It was a different day from when Eddie died. The circumstances surrounding that were so strange.
What was the plan with Vince’s limo blowing up?
The plan was that we would see who would rise to power in his absence, but Vince McMahon had faked his own death to see where everyone’s hand was. That was kind of it. I don’t think we ever found a solution for ending that, which happens a lot with Vince. That’s how some stories get lost there.
Where you around for the “Vince’s son” angle?
Yeah I was there. The original idea was for Mr. Kennedy to be his son. I think Vince hated Kennedy. The crowd loved him, and everyone there loved him, but he didn’t wanna go there. The ending of the story was taken away and before you know it, it was Hornswoggle.
