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Learn more at vccs dot edu forward slash g3 coming up. We didn't know so we called somebody well on zoom anyway the

DO double g joins the podcast as a tv starts now

Welcome, welcome, welcome to after the bell. I am still Corey Graves and I am all stoked about this week's episode a very good friend of mine that I haven't had a chance chat with in quite some time.

He's no stranger to anyone who watches WWE then now or forever. In fact, he's in the hall of fame. He is a good friend of mine, one of the most entertaining men to ever step inside of a ring.

He is the road dog Jesse James unless we're talking behind the scenes, which I think is the goal of today and which case we call him Brian James. It's confusing to me. He's got way too many names, but he's my guest the road dog Jesse James.

We went from seeing each other every week for seemingly forever to now it's it's a bit of a special occasion when we get to interact in the same room.

But you are still a very very busy man. Yes, yeah, very very busy. Probably will be answering text and emails while we do this just because I woke up to those this morning like even during this crazy time.

We're still long arduous creative calls and and take over in your house is coming up so we got a lot of preparation to do.

Yes, still a busy man and I do miss our long talks on the jet and then on the van rides slash limo depending on what the budget was at that period of time.

It was very very bougie therapy is what it was. It was and I again don't know what bougie means, but I'm going to take it as a compliment.

So I want to talk to you a little bit more you mentioned take over in your house coming up. That's kind of what I want to use today for if it's cool with you is is to sort of explain what road dogs been up to obviously you know your career has been covered in depth as a member of the B Hall of Fame no shortage of exploits and memorable moments, but you you had your hands in the W. W.

W. W. We system for quite some time now dating back to to the creative end of Smackdown. How did that all come to be well I started in 95 in your house.

You know that's that's what's crazy that's come full circle for me personally and there was a little bit of time in between where I was roaming down the yellow brick road but was sort of I got sober my brother Scott kept pitching to Hunter.

Hey, he's doing well. He's doing well. He's doing well and and you know that's what that's what you hear about recovering drug addicts right before they relapse and so so so hunter about a year after I got sober I went to Atlanta for my father's induction into the W W Hall of Fame and I got a chance to look people in the eye for the first time sober and a little more mature that it was when I left the last time and so I got a chance to look at events himself and Kevin and and take her and rock and so some of these things

people that I feel like I had done a little wrong. So I got a chance to make some amends and look people in the eye and kind of let them know in person hey I'm doing well but like any recovering addict or alcoholic knows you're just you have a daily reprieve today that day I was doing well and so about a month after that hunter called and said hey remember how we used to do DX back stages and skits and you know back of the day me and him and I'll give China a lot of credit to would

literally sit there and spitball scenario you know and maybe Ventruso would write us into a setting or something like that and and have a rough outline we would always take it and make it our own it was kind of me and him we're kind of that.

I think so so when he called he said hey remember we used to do that I was like yeah he said you want to do that again and I was like well yeah I want to do that that was some of the best times of my life I just wish I remembered him a little more clearly but so it was an opportunity to come back on the road and I came back on as it has just an agent.

And just putting together matches and I think that saw that I did have some television knowledge about an a vision because that's where look I wasn't a good wrestler like I was I think I was a decent character but it was just me that times five you know and and so.

What I do bring to the table today and it sounds braggadocious but it but it's just a knowledge of television and a vision and then I'm not scared to try to tell you that vision you know what I mean a lot of people.

Look you watch TV you watch movies you watch these things if you're observing at all you pick up how to how to shoot things well and how what angle it should be at what camera we should use how to tell the story properly not only verbally but visually so so I'm just not scared to say my you know idea out loud and a lot of people are especially in that environment you know it's pretty cutthroat in that producers room or that writers room I got a chance I think that saw that I think hunter saw that I think

some people saw that said hey maybe he should be on the creative side and not just a producer and man the rest is history but the first creative conference call I was on with Vince we waited a really long time for him to hop on the phone you mean it's not just an urban legend.

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