10 Observations From Jim Ross & Jim Cornette's Attitude Era Q&A
8. Both Men Just Did What They Were Told When It Came To 'Fake' Razor & Diesel Ordeal
Late-1996 was a period of unrest for Vince McMahon and the WWF. WCW's ascent had been aided by the signing of both Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, who were bundled together with a freshly-turned Hulk Hogan to form the nWo. Cutting edge and exciting, the group proved troublesome to the WWF.
Still stuck in a cartoon-like bubble, McMahon's organisation decided to reprise Nash and Hall's previous WWF characters. Diesel and Razor Ramon had been wildly successful, so the boss wanted to bring the gimmicks back. There was a caveat, Nash and Hall wouldn't be playing them. Instead, those roles went to Glenn Jacobs and Rick Bognar respectively.
Jim Ross and Jim Cornette believed it was a silly move by the WWF. Still, they had to go along with McMahon's word, so the pair just decided to do what they were told. Ross was the one to re-introduce 'Razor' and 'Diesel' on screen, whereas Cornette had to teach his new charges how to play dress-up.
In particular, JR's assertion that he just wanted to do the best he could for the talent shoved into that position puts a new spin on a situation regularly regarded as an embarrassment.