I think they laid off 10% of all employees in WWE. But all in all, they were launching the Network around that time, there were a bunch of layoffs, and there was a lot going on around that time. We go back to me owning Lights Out and the name rights. One of the biggest holdups I think too was this whole Lights Out thing. Now I’m trying to work out schedules and now I’m talking about contracts. I told my publicist, ‘Go back to the hotel, I’m staying.’ Me and Dusty sat in this little office and we talked football for three hours, and it was one of the best conversations that I had. That’s one of the best promos I’ve ever seen out of anybody who hasn’t had any practice ever.’ Everything was good. When I got done, JBL pulled me over to the side and said, ‘Listen. Former NFL and San Diego Chargers player Shawne Merriman today took athletic equipment giant Nike to court in San Diego alleging unfair competition and trademark infringement of his LIGHTS OUT brand. I started ripping on certain people who I already saw do their promos because I was watching the whole time, so I just started ripping on certain people. I got up there and did what I knew best without having anything put together or practicing. If Dusty tells you to get your a** up there, you’re going. I got 20 seconds to figure out what the hell I was going to say when I went up there. Right as I’m getting ready to get up and leave, Dusty said, ‘56, I bet you didn’t know I was going to do this, but bring your a** on down.’ No practice, no nothing. Two hours go by and I tap my publicist and say, ‘Let’s get ready to get out of here.’ Everybody who is on the main stage now was down there. I got done with my workout and everybody is there for about two hours doing their promos. Buffalo Bills defensive end Shawne Merriman is calling a timeout to make a play for animals on fur farms.Shawne is one of the toughest linemen in the NFLso tough that he has been given the nickname Lights Outand now he’s tackling the fur trade as hard as he tackles his opponents on the football field. After we were done, we did the weekly promo cut with Dusty. Billy Gunn was my in-ring coach, and then Regal did the grappling side and some other stuff. Shawne Merriman spent eight NFL seasons with the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills terrorizing quarterbacks and celebrating with his Lights Out sack dance.

When I got done with this workout, I was all bruised up. I try to tell people that those ropes, there’s metal under those ropes.

I think they wanted to see if they could take me to the ringer, but it was a straight hour non-stop. I want everybody to know that the workout was brutal. I told Paul, ‘I’m going to retire here in the next whatever.’ The plan was to work with the NFL Network and then have time enough to train in Orlando at The Performance Center. I got really good feedback and we started to keep in conversation. I think I came out to One Night Stand, or some PPV I did in San Diego, and I was a part of the show. We started going back and forth at an event in L.A. I started talking to Paul, Triple H, before I retired, probably in 2011. “Growing up and being a fan of it, I don’t know anybody that was around my age that didn’t watch WWE. During his interview on Renee Paquette's 'Oral Sessions' podcast, Shawne Merriman said he was considering wrestling for WWE after his NFL career:

Shawne merriman lights out