"You have my permission to fire him" - Vince McMahon's ruthless instruction after WWE legend refused to cut a promo
Hugo Savinovich has disclosed details about Vince McMahon’s furious reaction after Lex Luger refused to cut a promo before a WWE show in the 1990s.
Best known for his 17 years in WWE as a Spanish commentator, Savinovich also worked as a member of the creative team. On one occasion, he informed Vince McMahon that Luger had refused to participate in a backstage interview to promote a match against Tatanka.
Speaking to Pro Wrestling Defined’s Jonathan O’Dwyer, Savinovich said McMahon reminded Luger of his responsibilities as a WWE Superstar. He also gave Savinovich permission to fire anyone who refused to cut a promo that had already been approved.
“He took everybody out of the dressing room,” Savinovich said. “He went in, two minutes, came back out, and he calls me back into his office, and he says, ‘He’ll be ready to do the promo.’ And he said, ‘Next time that somebody refuses to do a promo after I have approved it, you have my permission to fire him, or fire her, because I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.’ Went back in, he did the promo, and we did the storyline of Tatanka against Lex Luger.”
Luger worked for WWE between 1993 and 1995 before joining WCW. He famously appeared on the first episode of WCW Nitro on September 4, 1995, one day after competing in a WWE live event match.
Lex Luger left WWE but Vince McMahon did not fire him
Lex Luger’s controversial decision to leave Vince McMahon’s WWE and join WCW came as a surprise to the wrestling world.
Luger was in talks with WWE to sign a new contract with the company when his deal expired. At the request of former WCW President Eric Bischoff, he debuted on WCW Nitro without informing WWE of his future plans.
The two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion’s WWE Icons documentary was due to air on the WWE Network on Sunday, July 4. Following a last-minute change to the schedule, the documentary will now premiere at a later date.
Please credit Pro Wrestling Defined and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.