Vince Russo reveals the real reason why WWE started the SmackDown brand

Former WWE head writer Vince Russo joins EC3 and Dr. Chris Featherstone as the three men go BROing down memory lane. This time they touch upon the origin of the WWE SmackDown brand. Russo reveals why he wasn't a fan of the SmackDown concept, to begin with. He also sheds light on whether the idea was inspired by WCW Thunder.
Also, did Vince McMahon sabotage Booker T vs. Buff Bagwell? Find out in this edition of The Wrestling Outlaws.
#WWE #SmackDown #VinceMcMahon
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[@TheSlamSociety]

Dr Chris frustrates me sometimes because he should have known or done the research that April 1999 was the pilot. You have Vince Russo on the show, you should know exactly what you are talking about and there should be no moments when anything is questioned. This is your job. I dont mean to be too critical but this is essential stuff.

[@robnizzy]

And yet, time and time again he still gets these ppl to come and do his channel. So he’s doing something they like. If you don’t like it, don’t watch. Simple

[@geminikid609]

It's just time that you make a show

[@TheSlamSociety]

@@robnizzy that is a bullshit response. I came across this video, found a fault, commented on it. I can't not watch something I come across the first time and I have the RIGHT to say he should do his job better.

[@TheSlamSociety]

@@geminikid609 I have a show.

[@AzulQueso_]

Dr Chris and ec3 were confused it's April 1999 pilot and august 1999 after SummerSlam first weekly back to back

[@shootwithjets]

Is EC3 falling asleep? Lol

[@e2go]

They also did the Booker/Bagwell match in Tacoma, Washington instead of waiting one week when Raw was in Atlanta, GA. The whole thing was set up to fail and JR has sounded shady af when he's been asked about Bagwell by Stone Cold, Chael Sonnen, etc.

[@AzulQueso_]

Wasn't April 1999 first episode of smackdown pilot episode after backlash

[@diamondlife8086]

You are correct that was the pilot episode where the ministry was formed and Rock and Austin got thrown off the ramp to end the show. The official first episode was Rock vs HHH main event with the HBK super kick

[@AzulQueso_]

August 1999 was episode after SummerSlam the kick to rock

[@benjaminvalenti1242]

Hearing stuff like this makes me very happy and her became a professional wrestler

[@anthonycummins9558]

McMahon should have respected Russo an Ferrera's quality of life and come to an arrangement with them to lighten their schedule - goes to show how McMahon does not care about anyone's welfare.

[@AzulQueso_]

Didn't they forget Saturday nights main event on nbc tv network

[@SuperGuitarDude7]

I always felt sorry for Buff. He had the look and he had a great character. He was the good looking pumped up jock that you hated because he was an a-hole. He was the guy that shoved you in the hall and stole your girlfriend in high school. Was he a top tier guy? No. But that's because they never made him that in WCW. He could have had a long career in WWF/WWE but they weren't going to take everybody from WCW and they screwed him over. I wouldn't have been pissed if they were just honest with him but they dicked him around instead of just telling him like it was.

[@fantasticdavidson1179]

Ok but in all fairness it was tiff to get over in wcw and the ones that were took there roles in that for granted

[@eamonnmaccionnaith5761]

The Godfather book isn't great. It's overblown. It's two hundred pages longer than it needs to be. Coppola made something brilliant out of something very ordinary.

[@rafaelcabralwilliams]

I was gonna comment on that too, the book is just vulgar literature, Coppola refined the story and presented it in an elegant manner.

[@miamimagicians]

The first few years of smack down where great

[@Inequities]

Russo, a little distracted there? Lol

[@dustin6528]

Baseballlllll brooooooo

[@Inequities]

@@dustin6528 ohhhhhh 😂😂😂

[@travisclark9134]

I don't understand russo's point of writing two shows.. didn't wcw have two shows at the time

[@AllHailKingKurt]

I get his point about it hurting the quality, basically it would be quantity over quality because of the money, but it could be a lot of reasons, it basically doubled there work load and if him and ed wasn’t getting paid any more to do two shows I can’t blame them for going to wcw. I’ve heard a few people from wcw say adding thunder was a mistake too.

[@VirgilZandig]

He got a big raise by leaving. You'll compromise pride in quality for that.

[@Matt-cr4vv]

It’s multi faceted in context. When he discusses quality of show it wasn’t possible for Smackdown to be as good as Raw. Have to keep in mind that you can’t truly write Smackdown until after you’ve had your live Raw on Monday. But when you record smackdown on Tuesday that means you’re putting in possibly 5 days to Raw but have to turn around Smackdown in less than 24 hours. You can’t match quality that way. You’d have a shit if both were live. As for the issue in writing two shows putting out two shows for WCW wasn’t the time drain as WWF because you didn’t have a Vince McMahon controlling things. He also made substantially more money to go to WCW while he was expected to write another show in the WWF without any extra money. So if you have to accept diminished quality either way might as well sign on for diminished quality for 6 figures more a year in your paycheck.

[@gabeguzman9478]

It was because of Thunder and because raw was 3 hours and needed to get rid of an hour so they made smackdown

[@norbertschnurrbart936]

Raw wasn't 3 hours long in 1999!

[@Michiganfan105]

🤦‍♂️

[@humblehugh23]

Because the Rock

[@rubenarriaga3029]

It was most likely because of WCW Thunder

[@Inequities]

EC3 really is a snore-fest. He adds little to nothing

[@dantedlane2]

I remember rock saying smack down hotel ,maybe a year before smack down idk if they were marketing the future smack down or the rock was just saying catchphrases

[@texasjack6289]

Take a drink every time Vince says "Bro" and you'll be trashed in 10 minutes

[@kriscody3577]

My god this dude bastardized the word bro. My skin crawls everytime he says it. Why say it constantly bro? Broooooo 🤣🤣

[@geminikid609]

What do you mean bro? He says bro a good amount of times bro. It's not that many times to be he honest bro

[@niteporter]

Bro I'm mad bro my welfare check bro is on a pole bro ok bro

[@jermaineroane1509]

I disagree WWE has so many wrestlers you have to create something too show the other talent

[@GLPitt1]

The fact that WWF RAW was such a ridiculous fiasco to write should have made them reconsider adding another weekly show. McMahon couldn't stop making 8,000 revisions to scripts. Just go with what you have after say 3 or 4 drafts. Get them done by Friday, if adjustments are needed improvise.

[@MidnightPodcastGaming]

EC3 is a clown.