WWE News: Former Employee Claims Vince McMahon Thought His Departure From The Company Was A Joke
Vince Russo, a former WWE writer who was responsible for creating some of the most famous moments of the Attitude Era, revealed that Vince McMahon thought his move to WCW in 1999 was a joke. The former employee chronicled his experience during a conversation with Sportskeeda‘s Chris Featherstone on a recent episode of the site’s Off the Skript podcast.
Russo was employed by WWE from 1992 until 1999. He began his career as a magazine writer before joining the creative team in 1996. One year later, he was given the role of head writer and became an instrumental member of McMahon’s staff. However, this led to him becoming unhappy in the company.
The former staff member said that working for WWE caused him to burn out. He also stated that McMahon didn’t care about his well-being, which is why he decided to leave and join the company’s biggest rival at the time.
Russo then went on to talk about the final conversation he had with the chairman, which was when he noted that McMahon thought he was messing with him.
“Bro, Vince was expecting me at The Meadowlands on Monday, so the only time I could call, bro, was my layover between Philly and Connecticut. I had to call and say, ‘Bro, I ain’t coming to work tomorrow. I signed with WCW.’ So, bro, I called him and I’ll never forget this, Chris, he thought it was a rib, and I’m like, ‘No, bro, I’m not gonna be there tomorrow. I’m working for WCW.'”
Russo also talked about McMahon’s reaction after learning that he’d jumped ship. According to the ex-employee, McMahon threatened to sue him for leaving, but it wasn’t possible as he wasn’t contracted to the corporation when he joined its rival. Russo then added that the chairman was initially stunned after finding out and was lost for words during their call.
While Russo no longer works in a creative capacity for any wrestling promotion, that hasn’t stopped him from sharing his thoughts and offering nuggets of advice. As The Inquisitr previously documented, he recently shared his thoughts on Drew Gulak. According to Russo, the superstar has no personality and that’s why he isn’t over.
He also said that this is the case with several superstars, which is why viewers don’t care about their matches. Even though some of them are great in-ring workers, the lack of opportunities to show off their personalities is a hindrance.
