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Former WWE writer Vince Russo recently gave an insight into the discussions that took place between himself and Chris Jericho in 1999.
Jericho made his WWE debut on the August 9, 1999, episode of RAW after three years in WCW. The current AEW star famously featured in a segment with The Rock during his first RAW appearance.
On Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws show, Russo recalled how he received assurances from a WWE attorney before speaking to the WCW-contracted Jericho. Once he got the go-ahead, the 62-year-old found out that the Canadian star was open to the idea of joining WWE:
"He wasn't happy, his contract was up, he contacted me," Russo said. "It was cool and legal for me to talk to him. We had several conversations talking about what was gonna happen when his contract expired. We discussed the countdown, the entrance (…) I can't recall a hundred percent [who created Jericho's countdown entrance], but I do think it was his [idea]." [2:51 – 3:15]
Watch the video above to hear Vince Russo's thoughts on WWE canceling a major moment in Chris Jericho's feud with The Rock.
EC3 and Vince Russo on Chris Jericho's unforgettable debut
The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla's WWE debut is widely viewed as one of the greatest in wrestling history. As a giant clock ticked down to the new millennium, the lights went out and Jericho appeared. To make the moment even more spectacular, he interrupted one of WWE's top stars at the time, The Rock.
More than two decades on, Vince Russo believes WWE's presentation of Jericho was perfect:
"We see the way characters are introduced on TV today. What did we do with him, bro? He interrupted The Rock. Those are the moments you never forget." [3:34 – 3:49]
Former WWE star and current NWA wrestler EC3 appeared on The Wrestling Outlaws alongside Russo and Dr. Chris Featherstone. Having grown up as a big wrestling fan, he has fond memories of Jericho's debut:
"That's why I'm sitting here, moments like that," EC3 said. "We do not have these moments anymore." [3:53 – 3:57]
On this week's episode, Russo also explained why a current superstar does not match the level of believability that Shawn Michaels possessed during his career.
What did you make of Chris Jericho's WWE debut? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Outlaws and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.
