Wrestling INC: Was Vince McMahon ever apprehensive with the change? It was so new with a move from a cartoony product to an edgier product because there are different levels one could go. Was Vince ever apprehensive about suggestions in the beginning?
Russo: He never was apprehensive. Rarely did I have to sell something hard. I think it was a point in time for Vince when he had to ask 'what do I have to lose? Could it be any worse than what we are doing now?' We were balls to the wall and this week's show will be better than the last one. There was nothing hindering us what so ever.
Wrestling INC: You could tell in the product that personalities were coming out more. You saw people completely break out of their shells. How closely did you work with the talent during that period?
Russo: Very closely. I can remember the night Steve [Austin] won the belt and Vince taking me to the side and basically saying 'from here on in you don't leave Steve's side. You are with him 24/7 and nothing else matters.' I worked really closely with all the talent - from Mick [Foley], to The Rock, to DX. It was a team effort and everybody was in for the ride. There was no argument or fighting. It seemed everyone was on the same page. More importantly, it was a time when everyone was on top of their game. I don't think there'll ever be a period like that again because so many things fell into place and so many things worked to capacity. I don't think you can ever get that again.
Wrestling INC: Back then, was there a line between the creative team and politics? For instance, we've heard stories about Triple H and Shawn Michaels wanting The Rock to lose to Bret Hart on an episode of RAW, but Bret didn't want The Rock to be beaten cleanly. Did you have times when you wrote something out one way and then were told from the higher-ups that it's going to change?
Russo: No and there were never higher-ups. Vince and I were writing the TV during this period. I'd say there were a handful of times when maybe a top talent went to Vince the day of TV and wanted to do it a different way. Vince would directly call me to discuss it. If that happened three times over that five year period, it was a lot. What we had written and brought to TV was 95% of what you saw.
Wrestling INC: So we've been talking about wrestlers working with you and getting their characters over. When you look at The Rock, Steve Austin, Mick Foley, and DX, do you think they'd be as successful had they come along now where you have scripted promos?
Russo: I scripted their promos back then. The wrestlers got a script and I worked with them. Sometimes the wrestlers would go off script, but when I started writing TV every single word was scripted. I don't know if this is true, but I hear today wrestlers are given a scripted promo and they need to stick to every word. That's what I hear, but I don't know if it's true.
It wasn't like that back then. I would write a promo and discuss it with the wrestlers, who would then collaborate. Never at any point would I tell anyone this is your promo and you need to go out there and do it word-for-word. That's ridiculous because I had to write an outline for them on what you should say and what you need to get across. At that time, the wrestlers have to take the outline and put it into their own personality and flavor. That's why you had to work with the talent. If a writer writes something today and talent has to go out there and read it for verbatim, it isn't going to work because you need input from the talent.
Read more at http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2014/0603/576668/vince-russo-talks-getting-his-start-with-wwe/#sHX7mlI5fqgZJsUr.99
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