Freddie Prinze Jr. Recalls WWE Star's Reaction To Being Ribbed On Live TV

Ex-WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. has recalled a rib that then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon played on a former WWE Champion involving a chair. A rib, of course, is a prank – whether good-natured or somewhat unpleasant – performed on another individual or group to tease them. 

"This was a rib that he just pulled on live TV on Big Show," Prinze Jr. said on the "Wrestling with Freddie" podcast. "The chair Big Show was going to sit in when he was gonna read a Santa Claus story because that's good TV, was gonna break when he sat in it. I was just like, 'Oh, Jesus.' He's [Vince] like, 'And you better not frigging tell him!' I was like, 'What am I gonna hear, man?' Every creative bone in my body hates this. Every ounce of morality I have hates this. But that's my boss, like, what am I going to do?"

Prinze Jr. explained on the podcast that he ended up telling Big Show about McMahon's cunning plan that would happen during his holiday-themed segment. Despite Prinze Jr.'s concerns, The Big Show ultimately did not care and advised Prinze Jr. that he would "play it off." In the end, the segment, which took place on "WWE SmackDown" in 2010, saw Big Show head to the ring dressed as Santa alongside Rosa Mendes and Hornswoggle. And, as arranged by McMahon, when Big Show took his seat on the chair in the middle of the ring, the chair broke, and he fell backward. However, just as Big Show told Prinze Jr., he played the incident off and turned it into a comedic moment. 

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling With Freddie" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.