Gangrel Recalls How Steve Blackman And JBL Handled Backstage Dispute
At a time when tempers have recently flared behind the curtain in AEW, WWE Attitude Era legend Gangrel is reflecting on how his former WWE Attitude Era colleagues handled interpersonal heat backstage during his tenure with the company.
"We didn't see a lot of backstage fights," Gangrel told K&S Wrestlefest. "They'd go into another room and talk it out, or they'd keep it private. I've seen where Steve Blackman got mad at Bradshaw ... Everybody just kind of went in another room and worked it out. I believe if they went out of line and did all the things going on now, there would probably be a lot more fights ... I don't think any of that has any place for fans to even hear about it. We should never hear about that. It should all be worked out and everything should be professional."
Backstage fights in All Elite Wrestling have seemingly become commonplace, with the most recent high-profile skirmish occurring between Sammy Guevara and Andrade El Idolo. Prior to that, there was also been an encounter following the All Out pay-per-view post-show media scrum, where CM Punk, along with his close friend Ace Steel, brawled with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) in the locker room. This, of course, followed a verbal assault made by the two-time AEW World Champion towards the AEW EVPs during the scrum. As a result of that fight, AEW CEO Tony Khan stripped Punk, Omega, and The Bucks of their respective titles, removed the quartet from television, and reportedly suspended them.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "K&S Wrestlefest" and give a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.