Little-known details about Shane McMahon in WWE revealed by ex-writer (Exclusive)

Shane McMahon often appeared on WWE television in the late 1990s. Vince Russo, a writer for the company at the time, recently recalled how he played a part in Vince McMahon's son becoming an on-screen character.

In 1988, Shane McMahon debuted as a referee in the first Royal Rumble match under the name Shane Stevens. A decade on, the 55-year-old began using his real name and featured prominently in high-profile storylines alongside his father.

Russo was WWE's co-head writer with Ed Ferrara before both men joined WCW in October 1999. On Sportskeeda Wrestling's Writing With Russo, he told host Dr. Chris Featherstone that he and Ferrara pitched the idea of putting Shane on WWE programming.

"I don't even know if Shane would have been on TV if Ed and I weren't there," Russo said. "I mean, that was not Vince's idea. I mean, we wrote him into that show. We wrote Stephanie [McMahon] into that show as well, but I think Vince would have found Stephanie's way into TV. I don't know if he would have done the same thing for Shane." [9:34 – 9:55]

In the video above, Russo questioned whether Shane McMahon has ever had a good relationship with his sister Stephanie.

Vince Russo explains why Shane McMahon did not become like his father

Many people expected Vince McMahon to pass WWE on to his children when he retired in 2022. However, the 79-year-old returned in 2023 and sold the company to Endeavor.

Expand Tweet

According to Vince Russo, Shane McMahon is not as ruthless as his father when it comes to business. The veteran writer also addressed the possible reason why Shane received backstage heat over his role in the 2022 Men's Royal Rumble match.

"I don't think he has it in him. I just don't think he has A-hole in him, man. I just don't. That [Shane McMahon's 2022 Royal Rumble incident] was because, bro, he was probably excited, nervous, anxious to be put in that position, and he probably maybe overstepped his boundaries without even realizing it, and I'm sure it probably had a lot to do with him being very excited and nervous at the same time." [11:44 – 12:21]

Russo added that he can see Shane returning to WWE if Vince McMahon gets involved with the company again one day. However, he does not think the former SmackDown Commissioner would make a comeback under Triple H's creative guidance.

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.

Know More

Edited by Danny Hart