Jason Sensation nearly took his famous wrestling impressions to WCW after his WWE career came to a standstill, and Vince Russo was apparently more than willing to make it happen. According to Sensation, Russo sent word that he would have a job waiting for him if he could get out of his WWE contract
During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Sensation discussed the frustrating period that followed his appearances alongside DX during WWE’s Attitude Era. After becoming a recognizable performer through his Owen Hart impressions, Sensation found himself sitting at home for extended periods without appearing on television. His immigration issues had already disrupted his WWE momentum, and the company struggled to find a way to bring him back.
With little happening in WWE, Sensation began considering whether joining WCW might give him the opportunity he was missing. The idea became particularly interesting after Vince Russo left WWE to work for its biggest competitor.
“I was sitting at home for like a good year and it was like, they’re never going to use me again. So I thought of going to WCW when Russo defected.”
Sensation explained that he wanted to know whether Russo would be interested in using him if he could somehow secure his release from WWE. Rather than making the jump without knowing what was waiting for him, he decided to find out whether there was a legitimate opportunity.
“I reached out to him like, would it work if I went there? If I ended, if I got out of this contract, would I have a job there?”
To get an answer, Sensation turned to his friend Dave Curran, who was able to speak with Russo backstage in WCW. According to Sensation, Russo’s response was exactly what he wanted to hear. The former WWE writer was willing to bring him into WCW as soon as he became available.
“I asked my buddy Dave Curran to go find out. So he was backstage. He was asking Vince Russo this and Russo was like, ‘Bro, tell Jason he has a home in WCW. If he can get out of his contract, we will hire him right away. You tell him he has a home here, bro.'”
The possible move wasn’t just about reconnecting with Russo. Sensation also learned that some WCW wrestlers were already familiar with his work in WWE. He recalled Curran telling him about an exchange backstage involving Booker T and Scott Steiner. When Sensation’s name came up, Steiner apparently recognized him immediately as the performer who had impersonated Owen Hart during the famous DX parody.
“He’s like, ‘You don’t know who Jason Sensation is? He’s the guy who did Owen Hart.'”
Although Sensation never ended up joining WCW, he admitted that he sometimes wonders whether taking a different path might have been better for his career. He also revealed that wrestling agent Barry Bloom had previously shown interest in representing him. However, Sensation claimed Russo told him Vince McMahon didn’t want him signing with an outside agent and encouraged him to trust WWE instead.
“Russo called me. He’s like, ‘Bro, Vince does not want you to sign with Barry Bloom, bro. He doesn’t like dealing with these agents.'”
Sensation decided to remain loyal to WWE, and McMahon eventually gave him a three-year contract. Looking back, however, he questioned whether that decision cost him the chance to capitalize financially on his popularity.
“If I had went then before they had signed me or went with Barry Bloom and tried to see if I would get to WCW, I probably could have made more money over those three years than I made in WWE.”
Sensation ultimately remained with WWE and spent part of his remaining contract working as a heel manager in Memphis, where he managed developing wrestlers including Bryan Danielson, Brian Kendrick and Lance Cade.
The WCW opportunity never became a reality, leaving Sensation to wonder what might have happened if he had switched companies while his Attitude Era appearances were still fresh in people’s minds. With Russo interested and established WCW talent familiar with his work, Sensation believes there may have been another path available when his WWE career stopped moving forward.
Do you think Jason Sensation would have been more successful in WCW under Vince Russo, or was staying with WWE the better career decision? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments below
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
