10 Uncredited Architects Behind WWE’s Gigantic Success

4. David Sahadi

Kevin Dunn, deserved target of homogenised production criticism, is an honourable mention here; for all his faults, perceived and self-evident, he developed the production values innovated by World Class Championship Wrestling and presented WWE as an ultra-glamorous entity. WWE just feels big time. Dunn is the lifeblood behind the glitz.

That said, David Sahadi - who served as the WWF's Creative Director of On-Air Promotions between 1992 and 2003 - was the man who devised the company's still-peerless pre-match vignette mode. His work was so powerful that the embedded video, apocryphally, reduced Vince McMahon - a man so afraid to display weakness that he does allow himself to sneeze in public - to tears.

Sahadi pioneered the art by ingeniously distilling storylines into three minute teasers. Thumping hard rock was fused with intense stare downs and spectacular spots. The synergy was perfect; every impact move was rubber stamped with a power chord in order to assault the senses and instil a primal desire to watch the violence unfold.

Even now, Sahadi's influence is felt. In a way, his work has been as a damaging as brilliant. It almost doesn't matter that storylines are often bloated and repetitive; the blueprint is so strong that WWE can still hook you, within minutes, on the night.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!