WWE Legend recalls teaching Vince McMahon how to wrestle (Exclusive)
Gerald Brisco has fond memories of the times he helped teach Vince McMahon how to perform as a WWE in-ring talent.
In 1998, McMahon began competing sporadically as a wrestler after the Montreal Screwjob caused him to become one of the company’s most despised characters. Brisco and Pat Patterson worked closely behind the scenes at the time with the then-WWE Chairman.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Riju Dasgupta, Brisco recalled how McMahon’s feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin launched The Texas Rattlesnake into superstardom.
“Here’s the thing about Stone Cold: we knew what we had of course with Stone Cold, we knew we helped develop the hottest character ever, and each night you could feel that growth,” Brisco said. “That was what [I] really prided myself and Patterson with, was experiencing the growth of Stone Cold during that. Not only the growth of Stone Cold, but the growth of Mr. McMahon.” [6:50-7:17]
Brisco and Patterson performed as McMahon’s on-screen “stooges” during the Attitude Era. Away from the cameras, the WWE Hall of Famers also educated their former boss about the basics of performing wrestling moves.
“We’re taking a guy who had never been in the ring, basically,” Brisco continued. “Vince is a character off-screen, but he had never been an on-screen character like that, and watch him develop into a professional wrestler instead of a promoter. He just soaked it up. He was a lot like Patterson.” [7:17-7:36]
In the video above, Brisco discusses more about his friendship with the late Pat Patterson. He also reflects on Steve Austin’s monumental rise to the main-event scene.
Gerald Brisco debunks the myth about Vince McMahon’s attitude
Happy birthday to my good friend, WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco! https://t.co/fSjqFigAoW
In Brisco and Patterson, Vince McMahon was able to call upon two of the most knowledgeable minds in the wrestling business.
The one-time WWE Champion had a positive attitude toward his trusted associates and frequently asked them for wrestling advice.
“He would come to us and [say], ‘Okay, here’s what I gotta do. You guys help me out,’” Brisco recalled. “We would bounce things off of each other. I gotta say a lot of people look at McMahon and say he’s arrogant. When it came to learning time, he was a sponge also. He would ask Pat, ‘How would I get out of this situation?’ and we would teach him.” [7:37-8:00]
Vince McMahon performed as WWE’s top villain in the late 1990s. His rivalry with Austin is still widely viewed as one of the greatest wrestling storylines of all time.
“The development of Pat, of Steve, and the growth of Vince in the ring as an in-ring performer, he never got to be the greatest in the world, but he got to be where he was as good as just about anybody out there and had a hell of a lot more heat than most guys out there,” Brisco added. [8:01-8:18]
News broke on Friday that Vince McMahon is stepping back from his position as WWE Chairman and CEO. Stephanie McMahon was named as his interim replacement. The 76-year-old is being investigated by the WWE board after he agreed to pay $3 million to a former employee with whom he allegedly had an affair.
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