Vince McMahon had a different type of creative process to the one that happens now. While it was certainly on the more unpredictable spectrum, it led to insane moments like the prank he pulled on an ex-WWE figure, who revealed what happened.
On the latest episode of The Wrestling Outlaws, the discussion went from being about WWE not pushing Scarlett to the state of the creative team in the sports entertainment giant. Vince Russo singled out the WWE Unreal trailer on Netflix and saw a still from the writer’s room. He roasted Triple H for how the room liked, i.e, people in suits in a board room. Russo argued that this was not conducive to creativity.
In contrast, Vince Russo drew images from his own experience. He revealed the informal nature of the creative process that he had while he was in WWE, along with another retired figure, Ed Ferrera. Russo revealed that when Vince McMahon was in charge, things were drastically different and less informal. He revealed that McMahon once even farted on him during a creative meeting:
“I’m not kidding, we’d go to Vince’s house. Vince would be in sweatpants and a cut-off shirt. His hair was never combed and quaffed. He’d be lifting up his leg and farting on me and Ed [Ferrera]. This is a shoot! This is what you’ve got now? That was Vince McMahon, bro! (7:52-8:18)
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The corporatization of the WWE’s creative happened under Vince McMahon, but a shift occurred recently
It should be noted that the informality of the creative meetings that Vince Russo had with Vince McMahon was a product of their time, and the corporatization of it all had changed things under McMahon’s regime.
The meetings in suits and board rooms likely began after WWE went public and things changed massively for the sports entertainment juggernaut. While they were a profitable and successful company when private, the ballgame changed when they went public.
With that said, the clip of WWE Unreal where the writer’s room was filled with men in suits was likely something that has unfolded and changed more in the Triple H/Nick Khan era.
With the TKO merger, the corporatization has gone further, and in an attempt to create greater revenues every quarter, the formalization of things backstage has likely manifested in a greater way. TKO’s influence on the WWE product wasn’t seen initially, especially since Ari Emanuel directly overruled Vince McMahon and gave Triple H complete creative control.
However, TKO’s influence and need to generate more revenue have ultimately begun to show, especially in 2025, with the creative process in WWE seemingly going into a disarray.
Many believe that WWE is flying a bit too close to the sun with the amount of money they’re charging for ticket prices for events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Clash in Paris, etc.
But to end it on a more positive note, the bubble that WWE has been in for the last few years could still burst, and this might lead to a more down-to-earth approach like the one we saw in 2022 and 2023. This approach was exactly what led to the era of success today.
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