10 Things We Learned From Vince Russo On Stone Cold's Podcast
2. It's Impossible To Force Your Way To The Top Now
Stone Cold is one of the many wrestlers who forced their way to the top back in the nineties, despite the powers that be thinking they didn't have what it took to be main event talent. His story is well told and parallels those of others at the time such as Mick Foley or Diamond Dallas Page.
He doubts that his method of getting to the top is now possible and Vince Russo takes it further, mentioning that modern workers like Cody Rhodes, Adam Rose and Damien Sandow have definitely suffered by the modern politics of the WWE.
The mention of Sandow hits a particular nerve with Stone Cold Steve Austin who says that the he thinks he has suffered the most in recent years. He originally thought the stunt double gimmick bestowed on Sandow was one of the stupidest things he'd ever seen before it became one of his favourite parts of the show.
Russo makes the point that in his day the show was written week to week so they could respond to the wishes of the crowd. They both agree that the current system would have handicapped the rise of someone like Stone Cold Steve Austin breaking through the glass ceiling and taking the company to previously unseen heights.