As you can probably guess from his mouthful of a job title, Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and General Manager of Raw and SmackDown John Laurinaitis has been through quite a bit in his 30-year career. A veteran of multiple wrestling promotions and an invaluable member of WWE’s behind-the-scenes team, Big Johnny is a journeyman in the truest sense, which is to say he’s navigated almost every nook and cranny of the sports-entertainment landscape.
And as you can also probably guess from his title, Laurinaitis is, at this point, a very, very powerful man. He’s steadily grown in power and presence throughout the years. From his humble beginnings as a Dynamic Dude, to his career-making years in Japan, Laurinaitis has steadily maneuvered his way to become one of the most influential – and controversial – figures in WWE history.
But his dubious legend has just begun, it seems. With his recent victory over John Cena, “Mr. Excitement” and his “People Power” regime are officially the driving forces of WWE. There are very few aspects of the squared circle that Big Johnny does not control, and if that weren’t enough, Laurinaitis has a team of Superstars at his back to ensure that things stay that way for a very, very long time.
But, to paraphrase another timeless product of the 1980s: “How did he get here?”
PHOTO'S FROM JOHN'S RISE TO POWER
