Ex-WWE writer says Vince McMahon lectured him for eating junk food (Exclusive)

Vince McMahon maintained an impressive physique throughout his time as WWE's head decision-maker between 1982 and 2022. Vince Russo, the company's head writer in the late 1990s, recently gave an insight into how his former boss judged others' nutrition habits.

Russo and Ed Ferrara were WWE's co-head writers before joining WCW in 1999. The two men often shared car journeys with Shane and Vince McMahon after events. They also traveled with them on airplanes.

On Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo, the 64-year-old recalled how McMahon criticized him for eating junk food.

"When me and Ed, when we're stopping at the gas stations for coffee, freaking me and Ed are eating Twinkies and Zingers," Russo said. "Oh, bro, every time we put something in our mouth that wasn't healthy, it was like you remember you're trying to get your hand in the cookie jar and your mother [stops you]? Oh, he would freaking lecture us, and we're like, 'Bro, it's two o'clock in the morning, Vince. You wanna go somewhere and get a freaking salad? It's two o'clock in the morning. I'm eating a freaking Twinkie, man.'" [10:20 – 10:54]

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In the video above, Russo explained why he decided to leave WWE after working closely with McMahon for several years.

Vince Russo on Vince McMahon's favorite post-show food

While Vince Russo opted for junk food to stay awake in the early hours, Shane and Vince McMahon fueled their bodies with protein-rich jerky.

Russo joked that the experience was "brutal" due to Vince McMahon's frequent lectures about his poor diet choices:

"You know what's the only thing they would have gotten to eat at like two, three [o'clock] in the morning? Jerky, bro. That's the only thing. They would buy their bag of jerky. You guys eat your freaking jerky. I'm eating my Reese's Peanut Butter Cups back here, man. Brutal, man, brutal." [11:00 – 11:26]

In the same episode, Russo revealed why McMahon often prevented him from sleeping after WWE events.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart