Vince Russo gave an update on pro wrestling legend Konnan during the latest edition of The Coach and Bro, revealing that his longtime friend has undergone a double leg amputation and that WWE has covered all of his medical bills.
Konnan, the 62-year-old former WCW and nWo Wolfpac star and AAA creative figure, was reported by multiple Mexican outlets in March to have had one leg amputated in San Diego following serious health complications, with concern at the time over his remaining leg. Russo said the situation has since worsened.
“I was smartened up about a week ago,” Russo said. “You know, Konnan, I’ve known Konnan forever, and Konnan, man, he had my back in WCW in 1999, and I’ll never forget that.”
He continued: “Konnan has gone through a double leg amputation. Yes, both legs. And I was smartened up on it. I knew he had the one leg amputated and the second one was in question. That was the last time I talked to him, probably about two months ago. They had to remove the second one.”
Russo said he spoke with Konnan the day before the show and kept the call short. “So I called Konnan yesterday. I didn’t talk to him long, man, because, you know, he’s very weak. He’s going through grueling rehabilitation, you know, learning how to cope with it,” he said.
It was during that call, Russo said, that Konnan wanted to make a point about WWE. “So he really, really sounded exhausted. I’m like, ‘Brother, go relax, man. We’re praying for you. We love you and all that, but I do want to point this out.’ Konnan said to me that the WWE has paid every single cent of his medical bills,” Russo said.
Russo stressed how significant that was given everything Konnan has endured. “And that’s got to be pointed out and that’s got to be said, because I can’t imagine Konnan, first of all, who could imagine losing a limb, let alone two limbs, then going through… he was in rehabilitation for six months, and then on top of that if he would have had to worry about how he’s going to pay for this,” he said. “So he said, ‘Vince, the WWE have paid every penny, and I was only working with them for a short time.'”
While Konnan is best known for his WCW run, Russo noted his WWE ties stretch back decades and continued more recently through AAA. “Well, he was Max Moon years and years and years ago, but he was also working with them most recently with the AAA stuff,” Russo said. “You know, every time there’s something happening in Mexico, Konnan’s involved in it.”
He added: “He even pointed out, you know, ‘Vince, I’ve only been working with them for a little time.’ Every single penny they’ve picked up, and that has to be pointed out.”
Co-host Jonathan Coachman called it “tip of the cap to TKO, tip of the cap to Nick Khan,” noting the bill could run into the hundreds of thousands or even a million dollars. Russo agreed the total was likely even higher. “Oh no, it’s, I think, well over a million dollars for something like that,” he said.
