Former WWE head writer Vince Russo recently spoke about a huge argument with Vince McMahon. He used to work closely with the former boss during the Attitude Era.
During the peak of the Monday Night Wars, Russo started writing shows for the WWE. The creative team included several top minds of the wrestling business back then, such as Pat Patterson, Bruce Prichard, Jim Ross, Vince Russo, and even Jim Cornette, all working under the leadership of Mr. McMahon.
During this week’s episode of Legion of RAW, Russo recalled arguing with Vince McMahon in his car. He mentioned that the Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker main event at SummerSlam 1998 would not get over if both stars were babyfaces. However, since the two megastars were great friends, they wanted to proceed with the match, and Vince McMahon agreed. Russo stated that the fans didn’t enjoy the encounter, and he pointed out that the babyface vs. babyface dynamic didn’t work.
“Bro, I remember, I got into a big fight with Vince McMahon in his car, a yelling match almost. I’ll tell you why. Because Taker and Steve were such good friends, they wanted to have a babyface match at SummerSlam. I knew the match was at the Garden in New York, and I knew the fans did not want to see a babyface match between these two. Talent like that and talent at that level, Vince is gonna do what they want to do, and I don’t blame him at all. So they went out and had a babyface match, and it didn’t get over, and they couldn’t understand why. That was the reason. They didn’t want to see a babyface match between those two guys.”
Russo’s revelation highlights how even the best minds can misread fan expectations, a problem the ex-writer believes has plagued WWE’s current product.
