Vince Russo Rips WWE Creative in Sarcastic “Promo” Styled Podcast Ahead of WrestleMania 43 Reveal
Former WWE/WCW head writer Vince Russo dropped a combustible episode of his Thursday Thrashing on Friday stream just hours before WWE’s Las Vegas announcement about WrestleMania 43. Framed as a confessional but delivered like a work-shoot promo, Russo laced into the modern product, mocked Vince McMahon’s old demands, and sarcasm-bombed Triple H as “the greatest booker ever” to underline how unimpressed he is with today’s shows.
💡 Editor’s Note:
If fans aren’t tuning in to Vince Russo’s podcasts, they’re missing out on one of wrestling’s most unique voices. Russo’s mix of insider knowledge, blunt honesty, and satirical storytelling shines a different light on the past, present, and future of the business.
One of his standout shows pairs him with Jonathan “The Coach” Coachman, but don’t get it twisted—when Russo goes solo, he’s a pure storytelling artist.
👉 Check out his channel here: Vince Russo on YouTube
“Drop the veil… speak my truth”
Russo opened by telling viewers he had “a lot to get off my chest,” promising to “drop the veil… and speak my truth.” Then he rewound to September 1999 and the moment he says pushed him out of WWE: McMahon’s suggestion that he “hire a nanny to watch your kids.” Russo hammered the memory in exaggerated, caustic fashion—clearly mocking the idea that the company should outrank family.
From there he leaned into pointed sarcasm to make his point: “Screw my kids. Screw my wife… My real family should have been the WWE.” The bit wasn’t literal; it was a barb aimed at the work-first culture he says defined that era.
How the WCW jump happened
Russo detailed the immediate fallout—calling friend Matt Miller, who put him in touch with J.J. Dillon. Within days, he was on a plane to Atlanta and signing with WCW. That connective tissue (Miller → Dillon → WCW) was one of the few straight, non-performative beats amid the theater.
“Greatest booker in the history of bookers” (said with a smirk)
The second half of the stream targeted Triple H’s creative—couched in praise so over the top it read as pure sarcasm. Russo said we’re witnessing “the greatest booker in the world. The greatest booker in the history of bookers,” then skewered what he sees as flat dialogue (name-checking Judgment Day club segments and banter he felt wouldn’t pass muster on prestige TV) and questionable elevation/usage of talent (riffing on the company’s pick-and-choose pushes with a string of tongue-in-cheek examples).
He even lampooned the credit-claiming culture around “genius” booking meetings—cracking about “graphs of phone tag” and a room full of suits fighting over who sparked the “greatest heel turn” in history—before puncturing the myth with a knowing wink.
When he said, “I don’t need proof. This is the wrestling business,” it landed as a jab at corporate self-mythologizing and the docu-style framing that surrounds modern WWE.
A “promo,” not a confession
Russo repeatedly called himself “bitter” and “irrelevant,” but the cadence, escalation, and punch-line pivots turned the episode into an on-air promo—satire with a point. The message beneath the bluster: today’s shows aren’t good, and plenty of industry voices agree, even if they won’t say it as loudly.
He closed with theatrical contrition—“Triple H, I’m sorry. Vince McMahon, I’m sorry”—which played like the final beat of a heel monologue more than a genuine mea culpa.
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Russo’s stream was classic work-shoot theater: loud, provocative, and designed to trend. Strip away the sarcasm and there’s a real critique—creative bloat, corporate chest-thumping, and uneven character work—that echoes what we’ve heard quietly from some veterans. Dropping it hours before WWE’s “big” Vegas moment only sharpened the contrast between the company’s global expansion victory lap and a segment of fans/insiders who feel the week-to-week product hasn’t kept pace with the business wins.
Whether you love or loathe Russo, he still knows how to command attention—and he just reminded everyone how a promo is supposed to feel. We can't wait to hear him talk further about the 'official' announcement that WrestleMania 43 will be in Saudi Arabia.
