Royal Rumble winners usually go on to challenge for a World Championship in the main event of WWE’s biggest show of the year. However, in 1999, a storyline twist saw Steve Austin replace McMahon before winning the show-closing match at WrestleMania against The Rock.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Dr. Chris Featherstone, Russo said he and fellow writer Ed Ferrara came up with the idea of McMahon’s surprising victory. He also explained that his former boss was never seriously in consideration to headline WrestleMania.
Watch the video above to hear more of Vince Russo’s stories about booking Vince McMahon’s villainous Mr. McMahon persona.
Vince Russo appreciated Vince McMahon’s character work
Vince McMahon appeared prominently on television during Vince Russo’s tenure as WWE’s head writer in the late 1990s.
While some superstars disliked the creative team’s ideas for their characters, Russo said McMahon was always willing to follow the script:
Russo wrote for WWE during a time when RAW drew the highest ratings in the show’s 29-year history. Earlier this week, the one-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion advised WWE to focus more on character development to improve its weekly viewing figures.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use quotes from this article.
77 votes
