Vince Russo Talks Not Liking Eric Bischoff After First Meeting, WWE Employees Not Stepping Up, More

Vince Russo made headlines when he moved to WCW in 1999 in the middle of the hottest pro-wrestling era of all-time. Things almost happened three years prior, according to Russo on the most recent edition of Nuclear Heat.

Russo said that he was growing frustrated with the content on WWE TV in 1996. He reached out to his friends in WCW in hopes to join the company, which was gaining momentum on the back of the New World Order angle. Russo ended up getting a call from Eric Bischoff, but said the two didn't mesh well upon their first conversation.

"I had friends working for WCW at the time, Jeff Jarrett and Kevin Nash. I contacted them and said 'You gotta tell Eric Bischoff about me. I would love to be a part of what you're doing.' Sure enough one night Eric Bischoff called me. This guy had a chip on his shoulder like nobody I had ever spoken to in my life. I immediately did not like him, but I realized he had a chip on his shoulder because he had earned it. For the first time ever, WCW was kicking the backside of WWE," Russo said.

"He said he'd get back to me. I didn't know if he would, and I didn't particularly care," Russo continued. "I felt dirty that I talked to the enemy while I was working for the WWE. What I did the next day was make an appointment with Linda McMahon."

Russo said that he made a pitch to the WWE to help them, and that he wanted to know if the McMahon family thought he was capable of doing so. Vince McMahon flew off the handle, asking Russo who he thought he was, as we mentioned yesterday. Three days later, Russo was brought on and the creative direction started to change. Russo also said that if things had went differently, he'd have likely sought out that role in WCW.

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As Russo has stated on both Nuclear Heat and the Wrestling Inc. Podcast, he feels very similar today as in 1996, when he spoke to Vince McMahon about changing the nature of WWE programming. Russo also had some pretty strong words about who's in control of the WWE and what would have to happen in order for another creative direction change.

"I know writers that are working on the show that are frustrated, miserable, not happy there and what it all comes down to is that there is one man in charge, and that man is Vince McMahon Jr. The only way you're going to make that change is put your balls in your hand, you know you're right, know your character, go to the man and tell him the truth and your not afraid of the consequences. That's the only thing that will change everything. As far as I'm concerned, you have Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, who are literally waiting for Vince McMahon to die so they can take that spot," Russo said.

Russo also said that although WWE Superstars have creative ideas, they often don't have the confidence to pitch ideas, and then fall in line. Russo thinks that talent and writers are all too intimidated to approach Vince McMahon about bad ideas, and help out by taking things into their own hands.

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