10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1999
4. Chris Jericho's Rocky Start
Long before Vince Russo's name became associated with some of the worst moments in wrestling television history, the New Yorker's creative vision was credited constantly as to how and why WWE had turned their business around. The ramifications when he left seemed enormous, and allegedly had a knock-on effect on Chris Jericho. 'Y2J's earliest days in the company weren't the happiest, and as Wade Keller reported at the time;
"Vince Russo had scripted Jericho to defeated Rock on the Oct. 4 Raw. The new WWF booking crew changed the finish to Rock winning. Jericho has not impressed management or his fellow wrestlers yet with his in-ring work or ability to sustain heat during matches."
Presumably a Russo favourite anyway (his reputation for booking newer/fresher talent was established in WWE then doubled down on in WCW), Jericho losing to The Rock was the closest either man had to a payoff from the Canadian's iconic debut.
As it was, he wasn't able to score the huge victory, and in fact would be forced to wait another two years before The Rock became the first of the established WWE top-line crew to put him over with genuine conviction.