This pro-wrestling autobiography takes a different angle than most
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Managing Editor
Brian Gewirtz isn’t a name a lot of people may know, even if he’s had a more prolific career in his field than most. Currently a vital part of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s production company “Seven Bucks Productions,” he was a long-time employee of the pro wrestling company World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). For sixteen years, he helped put together weekly television for the company as a writer, and had a direct influence on much of what made it onto the screen… and some of what didn’t.
Pro wrestling autobiographies are not in short supply, but pro wrestling biographies by someone who was on the writing staff are. In “There’s Just One Problem” (a title taken from something said by an angry Bill Goldberg) Gewirtz recounts his beginnings of his wrestling fandom, which would eventually lead to a career with the company that lasted from 1999 until 2015. His tenure corresponded with wrestling as a whole becoming a more scripted form of entertainment, which did not always endear him to some of the talent he had to write for. Gewirtz pulls no punches, and recounts all of this in great detail. He does so with humor, ownership of his actions and ideas (not all of them great) and most importantly, with dignity.
Gewirtz, while having a very important role in the direction of the company, preferred to stay in the background. His introverted nature both helped and hurt him during his time there, and it’s something he had to grapple with continuously as he progressed further into his tenure. In the book’s very first chapter (a sort of Mock Trial called “Wrestler’s Court”), this struggle is highlighted, as certain friendships he made made his life difficult.
He recounts many stories with a large cast of people, most frequently The Rock. During his time as a writer, he formed a close working relationship and friendship with the charismatic wrestler which eventually led to other opportunities outside of the business. He also details a heartwarming friendship with childhood idol Roddy Piper, which provides one of the book’s funniest and saddest chapters.
Along the way, he recounts tales of the numerous interactions over the years with other wrestlers, including current high-level WWE executives Bruce Prichard, Triple H and now former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon, who retired in disgrace shortly before the book’s publication. He also fondly recounts his working relationship with current Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon, who was his direct superior for much of his time with the company.
Gewirtz’s interactions with the McMahons throughout his tenure are covered throughout the book, as he had more access to them than most wrestlers may have. This is especially true for Vince McMahon, as the relationship between the two fractures somewhat in the book’s closing chapters. It is perhaps the most unique look into what Vince McMahon was like off-camera; not much is known about Vince’s life outside of wrestling. While the book doesn’t offer any groundbreaking information, it does mostly portray Vince in a fatherly, compassionate light.
There are also some stories that don’t have anything to do with wrestling, even if they have significant wrestling tie-ins. In one of the book’s most interesting chapters, Gewirtz recounts his brief stint working in the disastrous first incarnation of the XFL football league, a project spearheaded by Mr. McMahon. Gewirtz does not hide from the fact that he did not want to be there, something reinforced when vignettes he produced fall below standard. All of this makes it somewhat humorous (which he admits) that he may be involved with next year’s reincarnation of the league anyway, albeit under The Rock’s ownership.
Overall, “There’s Just One Problem” may not be a book that appeals to non-wrestling fans, but for wrestling fans that do pick it up, it may prove to be quite a treat. For non-wrestling fans who read it, however, it may come across as an unprecedented look behind the scenes of a unique television production.
