By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE Hall of Famer "Road Warrior" Animal says he would like to work behind-the-scenes in WWE coaching current talent, but he believes office politics in WWE are preventing him from getting a shot.

"To get in that, it's a good old boy club. You would think with the people I know, I could get a job in the company, but it's just one of those deals - maybe I'm just not a butt-kisser," Animal told Brian Fritz on BetweenTheRopes.com in an interview.

Fritz followed up by asking why his brother, WWE VP of talent relations John Laurinaitis, can't help out. Animal replied, "Nepotism, Brian, nepotism," suggesting that would be whispered around WWE's offices if Animal were given a look for a job.

Animal added: "I've had the pleasure of working with the best guys ever in professional wrestling my whole career. I know more on my pinky than most of those guys in that whole office and I would be the first one to tell them that, and in a respectful way."

Animal also explained why he was pulled from WWE's recent house show tour as live event host. Animal said WWE management got wind of a one part of an interview he conducted with Powerslam Magazine in the U.K. before WrestleMania that was published after WrestleMania where he seemed to be disparaging the Wellness Policy. Animal says he was doing the opposite.

"There was some comment in there that I blasted the WWE Wellness program. I did not blast the Wellness program," Animal said. "I was doing the interview and it came up. He said, 'Well, it looks like some of those guys are on.' I said said, 'Off the record, yeah, it looks like some of them are.' But, I did tell him the Wellness program is very stringent and they take care of the guys when they get hurt. I actually put over WWE."

Animal recalled a conversation with his brother, who told him WWE had to pull him from the house shows because of the comments that were publicized online. Animal says he hasn't talked to WWE since then after their decision based on what he called misinformation.

"I don't have anything to prove to anybody after all of these years," Animal said. "If they actually are going to think I'm that stupid after getting into the Hall of Fame and I'm going to be that disrespectful and slam them...So, it was a misunderstanding and they made a big mistake taking me off those shows. I didn't do anything to get taken off the shows. It's just that stupid political game. You talk about before, 'Why aren't you in there?' There's a prime reason."

Animal also talks about the success of his recent autobiography, the longevity of the Road Warriors, teams he wishes he would have had a program against, his son, James Laurinaitis, in the NFL, and other topics.

Link: The interview can be listened to at betweentheropes.com.

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