Brian Gewirtz wrote all The Rock's stuff, and most of Stone Cold's success was all from himself. Russo was fine with a filter above him. He could never be the main guy in the writing room. He may have been a head writer, but he answered to Vince McMahon.
Brian Gewritz came in the WWF to write Rock promos right before Russo left in late 1999.
By late 1999 The Rock had been the top draw in professional wrestling for about a year and Russo already established his character for the last 2 and a half years, Rock had his catchphrases established too.
So the idea that Gewirtz wrote all the Rock stuff goes out the window, how you came up with that I don’t know.
As far as Austin, Austin didn’t succeed and was a typical southern heel until Russo became head writer and did the double turn at Wrestlemania 13 before this Austin didn’t draw.
As far as the Russo filter myth thats false, it was reported in 1999 that Vince McMahon would accept Russo scripts without even looking, and as a filter McMahon sucks and makes stuff worse, as evident pre and post Russo with stuff like mantaur, Katie Vick, Mae Young’s hand.
But I’m glad you brought the McMahon Filter myth up, so can post the busting of this myth:
Know what you’re talking about before you engage in a debate with me, because I’m going to come with facts and only facts.