Podcast Summary — The Steve Austin Show: "Former WWE Writer Vince Russo Sits Down With Steve Austin (Part One)"

Published: April 1, 2025 | Host: Steve Austin | Guest: Vince Russo

Episode Overview

In this episode, Steve Austin reconnects with former WWE writer Vince Russo, diving deep into Russo's life, career trajectory, and their shared history in pro wrestling. This first part of their conversation covers Russo’s personal background, formative years as a wrestling fan, entry into the wrestling business and creative process, the impact of regional accents, his appreciation for KISS, and the turning point in WWE's creative direction during the ‘Attitude Era’.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catching Up After Years Apart

[01:26–02:17]

• Austin and Russo haven’t seen each other in person for 15 years, since Russo left WWE in 1999.
• Russo shares he’s moved to Colorado after years in Atlanta working for WCW, explaining his discomfort with the South’s slower pace compared to the fast energy of New York.

“When you take that lifestyle and you go to the south...everything's at such a slower pace. It's really, really hard to adjust...” — Vince Russo [02:50]

2. Wrestling, Regionalism, and Accents

[03:18–06:07]

• Russo discusses challenges he saw with Southern accents and regional personas in wrestling, noting exceptions like Dusty Rhodes and Sid Vicious.
• Austin and Russo debate the myth that Southern wrestlers can’t get over nationally, pointing to Terry Funk and others.

“Texas to a New Yorker isn't the south, it's Texas. ...the Texas accent...that's a whole different type of dialect.” — Vince Russo [03:48]

3. How This Podcast Came To Be

[06:09–07:15]

• Austin and Russo rekindled contact on Twitter, which quickly evolved into a direct conversation and the podcast recording.

“Right there in the middle of my workout, we started talking on the phone, and I said, hey, man, we got to do my show tomorrow...” — Steve Austin [07:09]

4. KISS Fandom & Pop Culture Parallels

[07:15–16:22]

• Both share a passion for the rock band KISS, with Russo recounting becoming a fan at age 16.
• Russo tells stories about meeting Gene Simmons and discusses the impact of KISS’s theatrics and branding on wrestling personas.
• Biographies of KISS members are discussed, with Russo praising Peter Criss’s honesty and noting the effects of drugs on the band.

“How great a character did Gene Simmons create as the demon on stage? ...he never even said a word. It was all facials, it was all mannerisms...” — Vince Russo [09:25]

5. Falling in Love with Pro Wrestling

[16:22–21:54]

• Russo traces his fandom to age 12, with New York’s TV wrestling and local shows shaping his perspective. Entertainment and personality over in-ring work always attracted him.
• Both men reflect on the suspension of disbelief required to enjoy wrestling as kids.

“With me it was always that entertainment aspect from the get go. And that was just my philosophy once I got in the business.” — Vince Russo [17:50]

6. Russo's Early Career & Starting Out

[21:54–28:08]

• Russo was an unremarkable, “loner” student, sped through high school and college in Indiana.
• He worked in publishing and owned a video store before returning to wrestling.
• The Blockbuster era pushed him out of business, prompting him to reignite his wrestling passion via a radio show, “Vicious Vincent’s World of Wrestling”.

7. Breaking into Wrestling: Radio to Ring

[28:08–33:43]

• Russo’s first experiences in wrestling media leaned “too negative”, associating with John Arezzi and Dave Meltzer who were critical of Vince McMahon during the steroid scandals.
• Shifted to a more entertainment-focused style, then enrolled in Johnny Rodz’ wrestling school—not to wrestle, but to better understand the business from within.
• Managed a few matches independently as "Vicious Vincent".

8. From Magazine Writer to WWE Creative

[34:05–40:24]

• Russo sent a candid letter to Linda McMahon (not Vince), sharing his ambitions and financial struggles.
• Started as freelance writer for WWE Magazine, created the “Vic Venom” persona, then became editor.
• Initiated the launch of “Raw Magazine”, infusing real angles and stories during an era of lackluster WWE programming.
• Formed a key relationship with Bill Watts, which led to his inclusion in WWE’s creative team.

“Bill cut through all the red tape to be able to put me in a position where I was now sitting in on the creative meetings.” — Vince Russo [38:41]

9. The Creative Room: Earning Respect & Attitude Era Origins

[40:24–44:52]

• Russo’s early days in creative, sitting quietly among Patterson, Bruce Prichard, and Bill Watts.
• Frustrated with lackluster booking, but hesitant to speak up initially.
• Russo was courted briefly by WCW’s Eric Bischoff, but his loyalty to McMahon made him confess to Linda McMahon. Vince soon recognized his innovative ideas (after a disastrous RAW rating, [46:08]) and pushed him further onto the creative team.
• Russo shares the moment Vince McMahon “threw the magazine down...and says, this is what our television show needs to be.” [47:03]

10. Steve Austin’s Rise: Behind the Curtain

[49:14–54:13]

• Russo reveals the story of Austin’s earliest days as The Ringmaster, when Vince McMahon wanted him to have Ted DiBiase do all the talking—Russo disagreed, knowing Austin’s personality from his WCW run.
• Details Austin’s first opportunities on commentary and the moment “Austin 3:16” was born after King of the Ring.
• Russo wanted “Austin316” as the magazine cover headline, but McMahon initially vetoed it:

“‘What’s this? Austin316?’...I said, Vince, he said this last night at King of the Ring. This is freaking gold...He looked me in the eye and said, ‘I don’t get it. Take it off.’” — Vince Russo [53:23]

11. The Attitude Era: Creative Process and Power Shift

[59:07–62:25]

• Russo, Cornette, and McMahon formed the core creative team after Bruce Prichard left.
• Russo pushed a “new wave” Attitude direction versus Cornette’s classic style; continual arguments led Russo to lay it out plainly for Vince, who ultimately chose Russo’s direction.
• Explains working with Vince McMahon one-on-one, preparing pitches in detail, and McMahon’s genius in “tweaks and nuances” that took storylines from good to great.

“No matter how great I thought that segment was, bro, he would just make those little freaking tweaks that made it great...He called them the nuances.” — Vince Russo [65:01]

12. Art & Science of Writing Against Nitro

[65:44–68:04]

• Russo sharpens the point that Raw was written as if he were holding a remote between the two shows, striving for continuous engagement.
• Vince McMahon’s key trait was staying the course, giving new story directions a full year to gain traction and succeed.

“Vince stayed the course, and that’s why we reached the heights that we did, because he realized we’re putting out good programming...This is just going to take time to reach people.” — Vince Russo [67:31]

13. Measuring Success & Legacy

[68:04–68:23]

• The show closes on the rise in TV ratings, seeing direct results from their creative risks after about nine months.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “When you take that lifestyle and you go to the south...everything's at such a slower pace. It's really, really hard to adjust...” — Vince Russo [02:50]

• “Texas to a New Yorker isn't the south, it's Texas...that’s a whole different type of dialect.” — Vince Russo [03:48]

• “How great a character did Gene Simmons create...he never even said a word. It was all facials, it was all mannerisms...” — Vince Russo [09:25]

• “With me it was always that entertainment aspect from the get go.” — Vince Russo [17:50]

• “I want to know everything about this business. I want to know how it works.” — Vince Russo [31:35]

• “The minute I heard you [on commentary] and I knew Vince [McMahon] heard you, I’m like, this is...gonna open the door.” — Vince Russo to Austin [51:18]

• “He [McMahon] took that magazine in front of all those guys, throws it down on his desk, and says, ‘This is what our television show needs to be.’” — Vince Russo [47:03]

• “No matter how great I thought that segment was, bro, he would just make those little freaking tweaks that made it great...He called them the nuances.” — Vince Russo [65:01]

• “Vince stayed the course, and that’s why we reached the heights that we did...” — Vince Russo [67:31]

Important Timestamps

• [01:53] — Last time Austin and Russo saw each other; Russo relocates to Colorado.
• [03:18] — Discussion on Southern vs. New York pace, wrestling regionalism.
• [07:26] — KISS fandom, posters, and parallels to wrestling personas.
• [16:50] — Russo’s first exposure to wrestling and how it shaped his philosophy.
• [22:21] — Russo's early college and loner tendencies.
• [28:08] — Russo explains his early radio show persona, negative vs. positive wrestling coverage.
• [31:09] — Russo attends Johnny Rodz’ wrestling school to understand in-ring work.
• [35:05] — Russo’s pivotal letter to Linda McMahon, start at WWE Magazine.
• [38:41] — Bill Watts brings Russo into WWE creative.
• [46:08] — Russo called into Vince McMahon’s office after a low RAW rating.
• [47:03] — McMahon’s epiphany: "This is what our television show needs to be."
• [49:14] — Austin’s early days as the Ringmaster; Russo pushes for him to speak.
• [53:23] — The birth and rocky path to acceptance for “Austin316.”
• [59:07] — Writer’s room: Russo, Cornette, McMahon debate Attitude vs. tradition.
• [62:25] — Creative process details; how Russo prepared to pitch to Vince McMahon.
• [67:31] — The importance of patience in ratings success.

Final Thoughts

This in-depth conversation charts Vince Russo’s unlikely journey from fan to creative force, his early hesitations in WWE’s inner circle, and how his ideas—backed by boldness and a sense for character—helped shape the Attitude Era. The chemistry and contrasts between Russo’s and Austin’s backgrounds provide a revealing look at the wrestling business during one of its most transformative periods.

Stay tuned for Part Two, where Russo and Austin dive deeper into iconic moments, controversies, and further behind-the-scenes insights from their WWE days.