The Rock initiated the break-up of top faction without being told to do it, says Vince Russo (Exclusive)
The Rock's full-time WWE career was relatively short, but the run was so impactful that it left a lasting legacy. According to Vince Russo, the former World Champion once initiated the break-up of a top faction without even being instructed to do so.
On the latest episode of Writing with Russo, Dr. Chris Featherstone asked Vince Russo to go in depth about his time working with The Rock in WWE. They discussed The Great One's time in The Nation of Domination - arguably the most crucial phase in his wrestling career as he transitioned from being the bland Rocky Maivia to a pro wrestling icon.
Talking about The Rock's split from The Nation of Domination, Vince Russo revealed that The Great One initiated it only using facial expressions. He was not instructed to do so, and it just played out the way it did:
"You could see it. It was all non-verbal. When Farooq [Ron Simmons] was in the front cutting the promos, and you're watching him [The Rock] in the back, you could see the facials. You could see he thought he should have been the head of the group. It was a matter of time. All facial [expressions]. That's a tremendous performer, bro. When they're not saying a word, and they're giving you the facials, then you know exactly what they're thinking." (6:56 - 7:32)
Russo confirmed that there was no plan to split the group then, and The Great One did it all by himself:
"1 billion percent. I remember watching those in-rings and watching him. My eyes were glued to him. He did all that himself. There was no plan for him to take over The Nation [of Domination]. He did that all himself." (7:39 - 7:59)
You can watch the full video below:
Vince Russo said The Rock invested a lot in himself, including on his wardrobe
Besides parting ways with the heel group, the 10-time World Champion began to invest in himself heavily. Vince Russo revealed that The Great One, who was broke only a few years before, spent a lot of money on himself and the clothes he was wearing:
"The way he was dressing. The money he was spending on his wardrobe as a shoot. That was all him, man. That was all him." (8:14 - 8:23)
Dr. Chris Featherstone pointed out that Rocky received a quick return on investment because of his swift rise to stardom.
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