10 Biggest Turning Points For WWE In 1997
9. Vince McMahon Hates The Raw Taped In Germany
EFFECT: Vince Russo takes over as head WWE writer
Russo had been increasingly gaining McMahon's ear since the latter half of 1996, providing verbal resistance to the old-hat booking ideas of a lost McMahon. The day after airing a low-rated, poorly-lit Raw from Berlin in March 1997, McMahon began lambasting his staffers for the lacklustre show, even though it was his idea to run it.
Jim Cornette recalls that mass-chewout, and has noted how Russo raised his voice back, pointing out how backwards WWE had it when it came to fresh ideas. McMahon had apparently been appreciating Russo's moxie more and more, and put him in charge of writing television shortly thereafter.
The helter-skelter storytelling that followed would help shape The Attitude Era.