Whilst it is unclear as to when WWE started to script wrestler's interviews, it is clear that there was more creative leeway and room to ad-lib in WWE in 2005 than there is today. In 2015, everything is so regimented and scripted out that the show has, inevitably, lost some of its spontaneity. Yes, WWE was scripting superstar verbiage in 2005. But they weren't over-scripting promos. Wrestlers were, for the most part, given some story points or perhaps a line or two and told to go out and do it. They could still be themselves and express their character the way they felt. In 2015, everything is scripted. The scripting of promos has irked some major stars, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, who is a frequent critic of the process. Even current stars, such as Dean Ambrose, have spoken out about it. On a December 2014 Talk is Jericho podcast interview Ambrose said that:
The first time that somebody handed me a sheet of paper with a promo on it, it was like a 'throw up in your mouth' kind of moment. And it's not like their fault, you know? It's not the writers' fault. But if was my world, there would be no written promos, there'd be no scripts€ That wouldn't be a thing.
In an environment where everyone is trying to stand out and get noticed, scripted promos are not the way to go.
