Justin Credible Tried To Go To WCW In 1997 But WWE Wouldn’t Release Him

In an interview with Fightful, Justin Credible said that he tried to leave the WWF to join Kevin Nash and Scott Hall in WCW in 1997, but Vince McMahon wouldn’t release him from his contract. He eventually did leave the company to go back to ECW later that year. Here are highlights:

On wanting to go to WCW: “What I remember happening — and actually it’s funny I just had the conversation yesterday with Mikey Whipwreck — it was 1997 and I had been Aldo Montoya for a couple of years. I’d had quite a few years on the road working full time. I was 23 years old, but working a full time schedule for three years coming into my own as a performer. So, I was like, “Vince, this character was great to start with, but it’s a joke. I feel like I can contribute.” Kevin [Nash] and Scott [Hall] just got started with the NWO and that was blowing up, and I had the opportunity to go down there (to WCW).”

On not getting his release: “So, I literally schedule a meeting in Stamford with Vince. I was like, “Vince, can I please have my release?” He said “No, but what I can do is send you to USWA to train to be a heel, work down there with Jerry Lawler and then we’ll bring you back up and repackage you.” What happened in that short six / seven weeks was, that was when ECW was down there working the angle with Jerry Lawler and USWA. I reconnected with Chris Candido, who was there as Skip and Zip from the Bodydonnas, and he offered me a job. Vince basically signed my contract over to Paul Heyman and the rest is history.”

On Vince McMahon always willing to listen to his ideas: “I just always reached out to the old man. You gotta understand it’s not the way it is today. From what I hear nowadays if you wanna talk to Vince, it takes a couple of weeks. Back then Vince was very much on hand, like you could go up and talk to him personally. Well, when he offered me my job, he literally—we were at the War Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts—he said, and I was a jobber, “PJ, can I talk to you?” He took me outside on the balcony, and he gave me the speech of WWF, at the time, is the land of opportunity and we’re going to offer you an opportunity. So, I had that relationship. So, anytime I wanted, it was either Vince or Jim Ross. ‘Cause JR was still their Head of Talent Relations at the time. So, it was either of those two guys. But, now it’s very different.”

On Vince McMahon: “Honestly, it was so Mafioso style I thought he was either going to kill me or something, dude. It’s intimidating. I’m a kid. He’s the most powerful man that I’ve watched for years and years growing up. One on one in a very remote, dark place in a side corner of an arena. It was very intimidating, very scary. Ultimately, Vince is very fair. He is who he is. But, what he expects from you is nothing more than what he’d expect from himself. He’s a nut. He works crazy hard and he expects you to do the same, and I respect that. I hold no resentments towards WWE, although creatively they could have done a lot better. But, nonetheless it was always a positive experience and I’ve always had a good relationship, and been very fortunate and blessed. To this day I still have a relationship with WWE in some capacities. It’s cool. They’re a great organization.”