Former WWE Superstar Rico Constantino is opening up about the moment he believes led directly to his WWE release after asking Vince McMahon for more money.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Rico recalled going to Vince McMahon after finishing his original three-year rookie contract. At the time, Rico felt he had proven himself enough to deserve a sizable raise after becoming a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion and regularly appearing on television. Rico explained that he approached Vince asking for an additional $1,000 per week on top of the $75,000 annual salary he was already making.
“I said I want $1,000 a week.”
Rico noted that the raise would have added another $52,000 annually to his contract and felt justified considering how frequently he was being used on WWE programming. He also pointed out that he, Charlie Haas, and Miss Jackie were preparing to appear on the cover of SmackDown Magazine around the same time. According to Rico, Vince McMahon completely shut the request down.
“He told me I wasn’t popular.”
When Van Vliet directly asked if the contract discussion led to Rico’s WWE release, Rico answered without hesitation.
“Yeah.”
Rico then claimed Vince McMahon never fully supported him from the beginning because of his age and suggested WWE may have expected his character to fail.
During the interview, Rico contrasted his real-life background with the flamboyant WWE persona he portrayed on television. He detailed his law enforcement and emergency medical experience, including graduating first in two police academies, receiving life-saving awards, and helping capture a homicide suspect wanted out of Los Angeles. Despite believing WWE placed him into a difficult gimmick situation, Rico said he ultimately managed to make the character work anyway.
“So here Vince gives me this style and some feminine character, they may be hoping I fail. Well, I turned it around.”
Rico became one of the more memorable acts from WWE’s Ruthless Aggression era thanks to his over-the-top personality, manager role, and tag team success alongside Rikishi and Charlie Haas before eventually departing the company in 2004.
What do you think about Rico’s comments regarding Vince Mc Mahon and his WWE release? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
