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WWE Hall of Famer Michael Hayes (Photo credit: WWE)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Craig Melvin<\/p>\n
The WWE Hall of Famer\u00a0wore his Philadelphia Eagles hat with pride when he sat down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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These days, Michael Hayes, a\u00a0key player in the infamous professional wrestling rivalry between the Fabulous\u00a0Freebirds and the Von Erich family<\/a> plays a major role backstage with\u00a0WWE, but he still knows how to bring out some heel\u00a0tendencies when called upon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n “I always have a ritual when I go to Dallas during the football season. I wear my Eagles gear,” Hayes told The Dallas Morning News<\/a> in a recent interview.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “I’m a huge Eagles fan. Have been all my life. I was born in Philly. \u2026 Once you’re an Eagles fan, you’re stuck with it, bad as it can be.”<\/p>\n But in the wrestling space, Hayes serves as WWE’s vice\u00a0president of creative writing and booking, along with being a senior producer \u2014 until a new opportunity came along, one the would get him back in front of the camera.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hayes, along with a number of WWE personalities, are starring in the new microdrama film “Agent of Shadows<\/a>,” set to premiere Friday on\u00a0ReelShort and social media.<\/p>\n Microdramas are typically shot in aspect ratios made for viewing on mobile phones, with clips released minutes at a time with potential cliffhangers in every installment. The full movie will also be made available for consumers.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I think it’s a great concept, and I think it has a lot of promise,” Hayes said. “Everybody seemed like they were having a good time. For me personally, you know, playing a prick, not far from who I am. … Housewives seem to like it a lot. I’ve always got along with housewives all my life.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “I was fortunate enough to have a bunch of WWE people with me: Hank & Tank from NXT, Booker T, Nikkita Lyons from NXT, Ethan Page<\/a>, Jacob Fatu, and, of course, Drew McIntyre<\/a>.”<\/p>\n Big stories. Short episodes. WWE\u2019s first ReelShort collaboration “Agent of Shadows,” starring Drew McIntyre and more WWE Superstars, premieres October 23. https:\/\/t.co\/UUVkmYZ501<\/p>\n \u2014 WWE (@WWE) October 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n In a wide-ranging interview, Hayes discussed his role as the villain\u00a0in the film, his\u00a0history wrestling in Dallas, as well as his role today in WWE. Here are\u00a0some highlights, edited for clarity:<\/p>\n On shooting a movie during WWE’s busy schedule…<\/p>\n Hayes: “It’s hard for me to find time to do any outside projects because you know we have Monday TV, we have Friday TV, and then once a month we have a premium live\u00a0event, and that pretty much takes up your time. But we shot out there for three days and got it done. It was kind of a like run-and-gun atmosphere by the way we were shooting the scenes. I mean, after about three takes, if it wasn’t good, we’re taking it. It was a great experience.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Was there any sort of just getting back on the bicycle, being the bad guy again? <\/p>\n Hayes: “Well, it was, you know. I don’t really perform anymore because I’m behind the camera producing everything. It was fun to perform again \u2013 it’s a lot more fun to perform in front of a crowd, you just live for that response. There is no crowd on the movie set. There’s just people telling you killed it. In fact, I think like one kid told me I killed it. He wasn’t even with the project. I don’t even know what he was doing there. But you know, it’s a fun kind of foreign experience for me.”<\/p>\n You have a very long history in your career wrestling in Dallas. I’ve had the pleasure in the last couple years sitting down with Kevin\u00a0Von Erich. You’ve wrestled at Texas Stadium in the whole run with the Von Erichs feud<\/a>. What are your memories of that time in your career?<\/p>\n Hayes: “Gratefulness really comes to mind. You know, I only came out there for one shot of WCWA Star Wars in San Antonio (in 1986<\/a>), because Gary Hart was a good buddy of mine, and at the time I was not doing a lot. And when I got there and saw the crowd, and boy, saw how vastly the\u00a0Von Erichs were over, there was nothing like it. And that’s why I told Terry [Gordy] to give his notice in Georgia to come out here, and we’ll do some business with these boys. And we did. And I don’t know, man. I still look back on them with very fond memories. \u2026<\/p>\n