10 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets Revealed By Former WWE Writers

8. Did Vince McMahon Create Russo Vs Cornette?

big dick johnson layla
WWE

The Attitude Era was responsible for producing some of wrestling's most iconic ever feuds, but was Vince McMahon directly responsible for an ugly war of words that has now gone on decades?

As one of the men embroiled in it, former head writer Vince Russo might believe so, at least based on what McMahon attempted to stir up between the New Yorker and the likes of Bruce Prichard and Jim Ross.

Writing on this very website, Russo said;

“Even though it was done with non-malice, Vince just loved stirring the sh*t up with those in his inner circle. He did it for years between me and Bruce Prichard, and especially me and JR. You know the game...say something to me, then say something to them, back to me, yada-yada-yada. Now, let me make this perfectly clear to you, even though there was no ill intent, and Vince was doing it for his own sense of entertainment, it did indeed drive wedges between all of us. No serious gaps, mind you, but enough to just give you a sense of mistrust. Vince was just great at playing that game”

With no obvious motivation to fib about such a thing, this all feels legit. McMahon's obsessed with the idea competition, even if it means drumming it up internally for his own theoretical gains.

 
First Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett