Vince Russo Explains What Happened Backstage To Triple H After Kliq Curtain Call, Says Bruce Prichard Wanted To Fire Triple H

In an interview with 411’s Jeffrey Harris for the 411 Wrestling Interviews Podcast (which you can listen to below), Vince Russo talked about being the main person backstage in WWE fighting for Triple H following the Kliq curtain call at Madison Square Garden that left him in the doghouse with WWE management.

“Well, here’s what happened,” Russo said. “Curtain Call happened at Madison Square Garden. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall went to WCW. Shawn Michaels was the champion, so they weren’t going to touch him. So, who was going to be the whipping boy? Triple H. They were gonna bury Triple H, and they were gonna torture Triple H. And they were gonna humiliate Triple H. And they were going to make his life miserable for doing that one thing. And because I was there, I was able to say, “What are you guys, Children? First of all, nobody believes wrestling is real. So, you’re getting all upset with this freaking ‘Curtain Call.’ I mean, at the time, Bruce Prichard and Jim Cornette wanted Triple H fired. They wanted him fired. That’s how pissed off they were.

“So, now the guy was in the doghouse. Couldn’t open his mouth. Couldn’t say a word. Luckily, I was there, and I was like, ‘Will you guys freaking grow up? Will you get over it? This guy has talent. This guy has a look. This guy can make the company money. Get over your freaking ego, power trip bull****, and let’s get behind this guy because this guy could benefit the company and make a ton of money for the company.’ No one’s there to do that for Kurt Angle because I would. I would be in Vince McMahon’s office saying, ‘Baron Corbin, bro?! Like are you out of [your mind]? This is an Olympic gold medalist, Vince. Check your ego at the door that he left the company 20 years ago, and now, we’re finally gonna get payback,’ and all that bull**** that goes with wrestling. There’s nobody there to do that anymore, bro.”

In the full interview, which you can listen to below, Russo talks about WWE botching how they booked Ronda Rousey from the start, why he thinks vindictiveness was at the root of WWE picking Baron Corbin as Kurt Angle’s WrestleMania 35 opponent, if WWE has anything to fear in AEW, why he didn’t push Samoa Joe as the face of TNA in 2006, why Triple H doesn’t have the right mind to change WWE, and more.

If using any news or quotes from our interview, please credit 411mania.com and please embed the podcast audio player or YouTube video of the full interview in your post.

Intro
WrestleMania weekend (0:17)
What match should go on last at WrestleMania (3:40)
How Ronda Rousey has been booked (7:20)
Baron Corbin being picked at Kurt Angle’s opponent (10:15)
If AEW is good for wrestling (14:00)
If WWE should fear AEW (15:35)
Why Samoa Joe wasn’t booked as face of TNA (18:10)
Triple H’s main event push and the curtain call (23:35)
Triple H’s mind for being a wrestling executive (26:38)
Triple H/Batista and Kofi Kingston storyline booking (29:00)