On a recent episode of his “Grilling JR” podcast, Jim Ross shared recollections of Vince McMahon’s response when Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara chose to leave WWE for WCW.
Key insights from the podcast include:
When Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara announced their decision to leave WWE for WCW, Ross recalls Vince McMahon informed him that both Russo and Ferrara were relocating to Atlanta and planning to undertake their business there. Ross noted that Russo, who held a lot of responsibilities, should have expanded his team to ease his workload. Despite their departure, Ross admired WWE’s resilience – they continued without skipping a beat and their success today speaks volumes about their determination. Ross feels that this also kindled Vince McMahon’s involvement, which was beneficial for the company at that point.
However, Ross admitted he was taken aback by their decision to leave WWE and assumed that a compromise would have been met before Russo and Ferrara made the final call. Despite people on staff being able to fill Russo and Ferrara’s shoes, it was an intriguing period in WWE’s history, yet Ross felt the company reacted constructively. He found evidence of this during a particular show discussed in the podcast, which demonstrated the depth and talent WWE had within their roster.
On McMahon’s response to Russo and Ferrara leaving, Ross recalled McMahon’s surprise, which was far from pleasant. Ross acknowledged that Russo and Ferrara had contributed significantly, but their abrupt departure caught many off-guard. Several wrestlers were also concerned since they had built strong relationships with Russo and Ferrara. This unexpected exit forced WWE to swiftly find replacements for two critical roles, all the while continuing their regular show schedule.
Overall, it was an extraordinary and challenging period in WWE’s history, as recollected by Jim Ross in his “Grilling JR” podcast.