"These guys are going to bury me" - Former WCW World Champion reveals why Vince McMahon canceled his WWE return [Exclusive]

Vince Russo was set to return to WWE creative in 2002 and had a meeting with members of the creative team. However, according to Russo, he was buried in front of Vince McMahon after the meeting which led to his return to WWE falling through.

Vince Russo is a former writer for WWE and WCW, best known for his work in the WWE Attitude Era. Russo held a major role in WCW after his WWE departure. During his time in WCW, Russo was also an on-screen personality. He also briefly held the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Russo has also worked in a creative role in TNA Wrestling in the past.

Vince Russo recently spoke to SK Wrestling's Lee Walker about his canceled WWE return in 2002. During the conversation, Russo revealed how Vince McMahon had offered him a big role on WWE RAW and WWE SmackDown and then took him to a creative meeting which also involved Paul Heyman and Michael Hayes. Russo said that while he was in the meeting, he was afraid that he would be buried in front of Vince McMahon after he left the room:

"Vince brings me to meet with the writers. You've got to understand, this is 2002. When I left in 1999 there were two writers, me and Ed Ferrara. Vince McMahon brings me into a room with the writers, bro, there's twelve people in that room. So immediately, my jaw hits the ground and I go how do you go from two people to twelve. The way it was, was not broken. Vince brings me in that meeting and leaves. Now you gotta understand bro, I'm not an idiot. It's safe for me to say because I was not born in a wrestling bubble and I came from the real world. The fact of the matter is, I'm a lot smarter than a lot of people in the wrestling bubble and they think they have one up on you and they don't even have a clue that you're ten steps ahead of them."

"So he brings me in this room and there were a lot of young writers. I didn't know who they were. I didn't know their names or nothing. The only people I knew in that room were Paul Heyman and Michael Hayes. Now bro, I know, 'okay Vince, you're going to go in this room and talk to twelve people or however many there were about your ideas for creative'. Now you have to understand, it's 2002, they're hovering around a 3, and everybody in that room is failing at their job miserably. So now I know in my mind, 'Vince you're gonna lay out a creative plan to them and that is going to blow their minds and the minute you leave and Vince McMahon comes back in this room, they are going to bury you because they know that if Vince hires you, there's no need for any of them. None of them'. So I'm going in there knowing that these guys are going to bury me when I'm on the plane on the way back."

Vince Russo reveals why Vince McMahon decided not to offer him the role in WWE creative

Vince Russo went on to reveal how Vince McMahon had been calling him while he was flying back home from his creative meeting in WWE. When he finally spoke to Vince McMahon, he was informed that he was no longer being offered the role in WWE. Russo went on to give the details on what happened:

"While I'm in the air, Vince McMahon is calling my house. So as soon as I land, my wife says Vince is trying to call you. I call Vince and he's like, 'pal, this is not going to work out'. I said, ' let me guess why, the second I left and the second you walked in that room every single person in that room buried me, right?'. And he didn't say anything, what their main weapon was, they sold Vince on the fact that I hadn't been watching the product so I didn't know what was going on at the time."

"So Vince says to me, 'well they pointed out to me that you haven't been watching the product'. I said, 'Vince, why would I be watching the product if the product sucked.' The reason I was here was because the product sucked so why would you expect me to waste my time watching a show that sucks. No bro, I'm not watching the product, a lot of people aren't watching the product and I told them in that room why people aren't watching the product and this is what you need to do. Vince knew I was right. Stephanie was also not happy Vince hired me without her knowing."

Vince Russo went on to say that Vince McMahon offered him the role of a consultant for WWE instead, which he ended up turning down.

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