Steve Carrier on December 5, 2023
During a recent interview on the “Developmentally Speaking” podcast, Vince Russo delved into why he believes he wouldn’t last more than 24 hours if he were to make a return to WWE, the company where he once played a significant role in shaping its creative direction. Russo initially joined WWE’s creative team in 1996 and was later promoted to head writer in 1997 before departing for WCW in 1999.
Russo reminisced about a different era when he and Vince McMahon were the primary creative forces behind WWE’s programming. However, as the Attitude Era gained momentum, the workload became too much for McMahon to handle alone, leading to the addition of Ed Ferrara to the creative team. This period was marked by a more streamlined creative process, with just two individuals at the helm.
In stark contrast to that era, Russo highlighted the current landscape within WWE, which boasts a sizeable creative team comprising over 20 writers and various other personnel. Russo expressed his belief that he would struggle to adapt to such an environment, even for just one day.
“You know, bro, there was a time when it was just me and Vince [McMahon] writing the show,” Russo explained. “That’s it. And then, when the Attitude Era really started taking off, Vince couldn’t do it anymore, so that’s when Ed Ferrara came in, and it was just two guys. Now, you’ve got 20-something writers and all these people, and, bro, I would not last in that environment for 24 hours, man.”
He went on to emphasize the challenges of managing creative input from numerous individuals in the fast-paced world of producing two live weekly shows. Russo believed that the time-consuming process of gathering opinions from a large team and participating in meetings and committees ultimately contributed to what he perceived as a decline in the overall quality of WWE’s production.
“Bro, especially when you’re doing two live weekly shows,” Russo continued. “There’s no time for that, bro. There’s no time to get the opinions of 20 people and sit in on meetings and committees. There’s no time for that, bro. And I think that has to do with, in my opinion, why you see a very lackluster production.”
Despite his storied history in WWE and a brief return as a creative consultant in 2002, Russo’s perspective on the current creative process in WWE suggests that his approach may no longer align with the demands of the modern wrestling landscape. After departing WWE, Russo went on to work with TNA, with several on-and-off stints with the promotion, including a secretive run from 2013 to 2014.
What are your thoughts on Vince Russo’s perspective on the current creative process in WWE, particularly his belief that he wouldn’t last in the modern environment with a large creative team? Leave us a comment.
December 5, 2023 1:26 pm
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