Former tag champ Paul London says WWE is a 'horrible place to work'

If you've been on the wrestling internet for any significant amount of time, you've heard some tales of life backstage at WWE. These range from political games to physical fights, good-natured pranks to full-blown bullying, and they vary in whether they're told in unsubtantiated whispers or company-produced documentaries.

Paul London, who along with Brian Kendrick was a tag team champion back in 2006 for a still-record 331 days, isn't mincing words about his time with WWE... and probably making it less likely he'll appear on any of those WWE Network interview specials. He was a guest on the Pancakes and Powerslams podcast, and offered the following description of life backstage:

When you work there, you eat so much crap. It's like middle school all over again when you work there, on any level that you're at. I don't care if you're the megastar or the opening guy, corporate office guy, whatever. At some point in your tenure there, you're gonna be treated like garbage, absolute garbage. And like less of a human being, like the stuff you wipe off of your shoe that you stepped in by accident. And you're gonna be treated like that constantly.

It's a constant mental hazing. It's disgusting. It's a horrible, horrible place to work, absolutely awful place to work. So, it's not good for human beings of any nature. It was just things that would numb you to life working there.

The examples he provides - one where Billy Kidman got on him about using a Shooting Star Press, and another where Ted DiBiase told Joey Mercury and John Morrison/Mundo they were dropping the tag belts to London & Kendrick despite the letter duo not deserving them, while Paul & Brian were listening - do sound pretty disrespectful, but maybe not the worst thing ever?

It probably comes down to individual temperament. Some people can compartmentalize, and focus on enjoying their job despite other aspects of working for the company - even alleged abuse; others carry slights with them whatever they're doing.

Regardless, it doesn't sound like London's experience with WWE worked for him, and that's probably why he hasn't been even rumored for a comeback since his release in 2008.

And no matter how much they pull back the curtain on kayfabe, we'll never really know what backstage WWE is like - except that it's probably not like most other workplaces in the world.