Maria Kanellis: “I don’t want to be the focus”

ROH superstar Maria Kanellis recently appeared on the Battleground podcast to discuss all things pro-wrestling, including how she doesn’t micromanage talent in the promotion and how she doesn’t mind taking a step back from the spotlight. Highlights are below.

On ROH performing tapings without a crowd:

One of the most interesting things right now about Ring of Honor is the fact that because we don’t have a crowd, we are trying to figure out what comes next. You know, what’s going to be good, what’s not. You’re also trying to play to an audience that doesn’t give any feedback, though, here we are, and we have to make sure we hit those cameras because that’s all we got right now. Our production team is fantastic, they are amazing, and they capture everything with the quick-moving style of Ring of Honor, like the fact that they capture what they do is incredible, but you must remember that that’s who you’re playing to right now.

Talks her on-screen authority role and not micromanaging talent’s promos:

So as far as my part and what I’m doing right now, I am not micromanaging. I don’t do that. Is there an idea? Yes. Is there a concept? Is there a direction? Sure. Can that direction change? Of course, it can. Yeah, but I do not micromanage. I do not give people a script. There are a few women that want more structured scripts. Sure. But for the most part, we do not micromanage and everyone is collaborative. So we will sit down, we will discuss it, if it’s not working, let’s fix it. If someone’s suggestion is better, let’s do that.

Says she doesn’t need to be the focus, nor is she not open to criticism:

I don’t want to be the focus. I’ve spent 17 years in this industry, I can take a step back, I’m totally fine with that. If my idea sucks, and if the segment sucked, I will own it and say, I’m sorry, I will fix it. Like, I am okay with that. Because at the end of the day, everything stops with me. That’s just how I work. But at the same time, we will try things, and whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. There are many things over the course of this tournament that did change and there are many — even the guys have thoughts and ideas about it. Especially, you know, veterans, like, The Briscoes or Lethal, or if they ever have a suggestion, I want to hear it, show them these brilliant minds and wrestling. I want to hear them. I have no ego. I just don’t.