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Vince Russo Interview on Monday Night Mayhem Radio
- February 1, 2010
- Live recap by Marty Hotts
- Hosted by Mosh, Blade, & Todd Vincent
"Monday Night Mayhem" started at 8pm EST/5pm PST. The hosts speculate about why Russo's book "Rope Opera: How WCW Killed Vince Russo" was reportedly pushed back for a month to March 1 (as per Barnes & Noble & Amazon). The hosts talked about having the opportunity to read the book and are excited about asking Russo questions about it. They also say since Hogan and Flair are at TNA, they should take Sting and Foley off the front cover of the book to put Hogan and Flair on it to sell more books.
Vince Russo appeared live on "Monday Night Mayhem" (http://www.mondaynightmayhem.com) at 8:53 pm EST/5:53 pm PST. Host says Russo's book is one of the most anticipated book of the year and credits Russo for helping to get TNA the highest rating they got on Thursday (1.4). Host says you can interact with Russo on http://www.facebook.com/vinnyru
Russo is in Music City and quotes the hosts by saying, "the most hated man in professional wrestling? That's pretty stiff, don't you think?" Regarding why Russo wrote both "Forgiven" and "Rope Opera", he said he enjoys writing because that's what he does. He says it's difficult to write wrestling 52 weeks a year, 12 pay-per-views a year, but he enjoys writing because that's what he does. He says he wrote Forgiven and Rope Opera as an outlet to write outside a wrestling script. To him, to take what's inside and put in on paper, get it out there, as real as raw and truthful as possible - that's a freeing experience to him.
Second host asks about the book - is there anything that they cannot get into on air. Russo says no and that he's up for anything. Host asks about "Bash At The Beach 2000" and says Russo revealed that Hogan/Bischoff were in on everything except Jeff Jarrett - Russo had to work Jeff Jarrett. Host says that Russo never followed-up on calling Hogan and asks Russo to follow-up on it. Russo says there really isn't enough time to go over everything because it's a long story but he can say that if they want some insight, news, scoop that he has never spoken of before. Before January 4, 2010 - he, Eric, Hulk had to sit down. He said he had spoken to Eric on a few occasions before January 4 came and it was going okay, smooth, cool, but he knew he had to have a face-to-face with Hulk before January 4 as it was something he wanted very very much. He wasn't running from it and he looked forward to it because 10 years after the fact, so much was said, reported, spoken about. He said Bash At The Beach was the last time he ever saw and had contact with Hulk outside of lawyer depositions. He was looking forward to meeting Hulk Hogan; when he sat with Hulk and Bischoff in a room in Tampa, he was able to get his side of the story out and hear their side of the story for the first time in 10 years.
He said what it came down to was Russo thought he agreed to do things one way and they agreed to do things one way. It was a major major miscommunication. After that night, all parties never spoke again. He said it took him 10 years to really understand and really know what happened that night and he didn't know that until he had the chance to sit with Hulk/Eric. After they heard each others' sides, it came down to a huge misunderstanding as to what was supposed to take place that night.
The host says that Russo in his book said he had a huge respect for Hulk Hogan for what he did in the business and that fans think after the promo, fans thought that Russo thought Hogan was a piece of crap. Russo said when people talk about Russo being "the most hated man in professional wrestling", he said when he was writing for the WWF and McMahon, nobody knew who he was. He did this Vic Venom thing but he stook to writing so that there wouldn't be ripping apart and tearing apart of Vince Russo because nobody knew who he was.
He said when he went to WCW, he became an on-screen character. That was it. It was a brash, arrogant New Yawker. He says everyone bought into the character and thought that was Vince Russo was and hated him for it. He said that's when all the negativity came; all the attacks on his philosophy, his shows, his personality. That came after he became a character. He said when he cut that promo at Bash At The Beach, it was his character cutting the promo. He said when he worked with Hogan, he didn't work close enough to draw that kind of opinion. He said he had a contract for 2 years but only worked 9 months. Hogan and him didn't even work that much together and he didn't know Hulk that personally at all. He said when he cut that Bash At The Beach, he played that arrogant, cocky, New York character that he was portraying. He said people bought so much into the character, not only did they believe what he said in that night, they believe that's who Russo is. Ten years later, people still think that's who he is.
Host Todd Vincent hypes Russo's book and TNA's February pay-per-view "Against All Odds". He mentions the dynamic with TNA with Russo, Hogan, Bischoff, Flair and that if you combine everyone into one thing, they're working together and that the ratings are high and that people are talking about TNA. He talks rumours about WWE possibly going 3 hours if TNA goes on Monday and the rumours of another live TNA Monday show. He asks if TNA is ready head-to-head with WWE. Russo says it's the first time he's hearing about 3 hours and that he doesn't think TNA has any plans to go 3 hours. He said either show going 3 hours would be a mistake. He said 3 hours a week is a lot of programming. It's difficult to come up with 2 hours. He said 3 hours is a bad idea and he says TNA hasn't talked about that. As for being ready, Russo says the Internet, he's not sure it's an obligation to create controversy/negativity, controversy sells, he says for him and his backgrond and what he has accomplished with WWF/Vince McMahon, to have the opportunity to go head-to-head against a former boss who when it's said and done, not a man he's really fond of - to go head-to-head with him and work side-by-side with minds like Hulk Hogan/Eric Bischoff/Ric Flair/Jeff Jarrett - to have that opportunity, he says he couldn't ask for a better opportunity than that, because everybody has an opinion, has years and years of experience, he said to get an opportunity to hear from everyone, he feels he is in a great working environment to go head-to-head against Raw.
Host mentions http://www.facebook.com/vinnyru - Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff/Bubba The Love Sponge were taking fan questions a while back. Host says "Rope Opera" is in a diary style, very easy reading and critics will enjoy the book. Host asks about how TNA has happened over the past few years. Russo says from the perspective of writer/producer, TNA was really built on the backs of very young unknowns. That is how the company started. Russo said he was the first one to say that there were a lot of guys that were on the TNA roster that quite frankly really didn't have the experience and seasoning that they needed in order to be on a primetime television show: that's not a knock on them and their abilities but it's a fact. A lot haven't been in front of the camera, working in a major promotion, and all of a sudden they're on 9pm primetime on Spike TV. Russo said they built the show around these young guys and stayed with these young guys, and stayed with them. He said as a writer/producer, he could tell as time went by, some of these guys just didn't have the "it" factor. It's not a dig on any of the wrestlers, you either have "it" or you don't, he says. It's one of those things. In the wrestling business, you need to have "it". Russo thinks TNA as a company may have been guilty for staying with these guys too long, putting some guys on television every single week when they didn't have the "star factor". Reality was, it was their roster and who they had week in and week out. A lot of the guys became complacent, comfortable, and maybe didn't work as hard as they should as they knew they were on TV.
Russo said when Eric/Hulk came, Russo had no problem with the new guys they brought, because now there's 7-8 guys that have lit a fire underneath the guys who have been at TNA who were complacent. Now there's some other guys "nipping on our heels". He says it now forces the talent to fight for their spots, and it's not going to be handed to them. Russo thinks it's good and that is how it should be. If you have a spot on Impact, you need to have it because you earned it. Because Hulk and Eric are on board, you have guys in their locker room, people are working harder than they have previously - and he thinks that's a good thing.
Host brings up WWE in 2002 - when Russo almost worked for WWE again. It is discussed a lot in the book. "Vince McMahon made the biggest decision when he put Stephanie in front of creative... Vince can never replace her" Host says that WWE has lost half their audience in a 8 year period. The host talks about the chapter with Stephanie was in charge and the ratings have gone down. Russo says when Ed/Vince were writing, Stephanie just started with the WWE. Russo never thought in a million years that McMahon would put Stephanie as head of creative. Russo says Stephanie is a great girl, but the meetings she sat in with Russo/Ed/McMahon on, Russo never saw anything creative in her. She never threw out any ideas/suggestions; she's smart/intelligent, but not creative. Russo says he's creative but he's not a smart guy. When Russo left and Stephanie was head of creative, Russo says he was shocked. Russo knew right off the bat that McMahon made a huge mistake. If Stephanie fails in that role, Russo says McMahon can never replace her. Russo says he has a daughter and will never do anything to make his daughter look bad. Once McMahon put his daughter in that spot, good or bad, she is going to stay in that spot and he thinks that is exactly what has happened over the years. Russo says to check history. Since he left back in 2002 up until today, that needle has not moved, that is eight years.
Russo says when he first heard it, he thinks Stephanie is the wrong person for the job and once Vince McMahon put her in that position, there was no turning back and in the long run, it may have hurt his company.
Host asks if Shane McMahon would have been a better choice. Russo says he doesn't think so because he spent a lot of time with Shane, and there wasn't that creative mind. On the other hand, when you talk about heart, soul, energy, passion and excitement, that was what Shane McMahon added to the WWF when Russo was there, he says. Russo says Shane McMahon was one of the top five characters in the history of the WWF - passion to do anything in the comapny. Russo says that was the fire Shane McMahon brought - WWF was in Shane's blood and he would have done anything for the brand. Russo doesn't know what happened but they lost a lot of emotion, he feels, when they lost Shane.
Host asks about Hogan/Bischoff bringing guys in, they feel Desmond Wolfe, Pope are the future. They bring up Jeff Hardy/Shannon Moore tweeting about possibly coming back. Jeff Hardy is said to be one of the most popular wrestlers - they ask about his future in TNA compared to his last run at TNA. Russo said great things, working with Jeff on the 4th was great. He said Jeff Hardy has "it". Russo said it's difficult to answer because he doesn't know anything about Jeff's legal issues (court dates, etc). He says that has a lot to do with his future at TNA - when they can use him, etc. Russo says he hopes that stuff works itself out so they can put him on full-time on the roster sooner than later.
They go to << commercial break >> and say they will take questions from fans. Mosh promotes Russo's http://www.facebook.com/vinnyru again.
Mosh hypes Rope Opera's book, TNA's "Against All Odds" pay-per-view. A TNA correspondent asks about the difference between "Forgiven" and "Rope Opera" and when Russo became a born-again Christian, there was a narrative written afterwards which may have taken away from the "Forgiven" book. He asks if "Rope Opera" would be written the same. Russo said "Forgiven" - he didn't talk about a lot because it hurt when he talked about it. When he wrote "Rope Opera", in 2002, when he was thinking about going back to work for Vince McMahon, that gave him the closure that he needed. Once he got that closure and a lot of the hurt that was done to him in the wrestling business was released, he had no problem and write about his WCW experience as they really happened. In this book, there is a lot more wrestling, there isn't any subject that he didn't talk about, he was open with everything. There will be much more insight in this book than "Forgiven" because when he wrote this, he was in a different place in his life than when he wrote "Forgiven".
Mosh says Russo is one of the most criticized personalities/characters in the history of professional wrestling. Host says Russo talks about his critics in his books. Mosh wants to get into some comments that came from Jim Cornette, although some may say that Jim has an ax to grind. Mosh reads a Cornette quote with Cornette saying that Russo can't honestly believe that he wrote a wrestling show in his life, among other things. Mosh asks if it is difficult to let the critics bother him, or will it just be that Russo will always be the most criticized guy in wrestling even if TNA drew 7.0 in the ratings. Russo says TNA could do a 7.0, 8.0, or 10.0, Russo would be criticized no matter what. Russo says he doesn't take what he does as passionate as maybe some of the people that watch the product, or involved in the business. Russo says what he does is his job, he gets paid to do what he does. His job is to be a television writer and to achieve the highest number rating that he can. It's that simple, Russo says, and that is his job description. It's what he tries to do week in and week out from the day he started.
Russo says many come and go in the wrestling business. When he looks back from the time he had his radio show, looking back now, 18 years ago, he has made a living in this business. The reality of it is, that's the bottom line. If he is able to support his family in the wrestling business for 18 years, then obviously he has done his job and continues to get paid to do his job. That is how he looks at it- Jim Cornette and the critics will get hung up on whatever they want to get hung up on. He does his job the best he can - he can do nothing more or nothing less.
Another host says when he was in college, he took a class from Tom Fontana (writer of Oz - the HBO series) who taught a writing class. He said all writers do is write - even in holidays, they'd wake up and just write. The host asks what is Russo's process exactly how his day goes. He said people don't really have an appreciation for that and what changes were made when Hogan/Bischoff came on board.
Russo said people don't understand it. He said when you talk about the critics - about the show, about finishes - everything he writes gets criticized on a weekly basis. Russo says unless you have done it, you can't imagine what it is like to write 52 weeks a year and make each finish, show, character different. Add the pay-per-views to it - as of 1996 more or less, he has been doing this straight through. He says you can tear apart the shows, but when you look at the content and look at what has been created, you have to respect it. He said unfortunately, people don't. The writing process: you're thinking something, you're writing something, you're calling one of the boys and bouncing things off each other - it never stops, as you have another show. When Eric and Hulk came on board, it's like a double-edged sword and great because you're getting a different perspective and different way to look at things. On the other hand, it's a little more difficult as you have to hear more input - and it eats up more time. Russo says being responsible for writing TNA Impact, he has to make sure they have to stay on schedule every single day. First draft is in, the boys have their copy. It's difficult now as there are more people with great ideas, but he has to really stick to the schedule, make it the best it can be and stay within the constraints of time.
Host asks where did the name "Rope Opera" come from. He mentions he knows Russo pitched the title of "Rope Opera" to television networks. Russo says it was "How WCW Killed Vince Russo" because it was humourous to him that he had read "Vince Russo killed WCW" so much so it was comical to him. He said he wrote 9 months in a 2 year contract. He said how in those 9 months he killed a company that has been around for decades - he has no idea. Russo said he was working in WCW and he can't even tell people who killed WCW. It had nothing to do with Russo, Nash, Bischoff, Hogan - the decision was made in a boardroom with the suits for financial reasons. He said he found it humourous. Then ECW Press wanted Russo to call it "Rope Opera" and if he can make it a combination of the two. Russo says that was fine.
Host says who Russo would like to go to TNA from WWE and notes Russo previously mentioning Randy Orton five times. Russo says he has to be honest with them and made that comment and got criticized. He says he can't watch the competition that often because he is always writing the show. He's in the hotel room writing the show and will be writing the show the next day. He said he does not have the time to watch Ring of Honor or all WWF shows. Russo says McMahon can't name one ECW wrestler and McMahon's philosophy was to watch your own company and everything will fall into place. He says TNA has so many guys on the roster, so many guys to develop. Russo's concentration is the roster, what's on this week's show, what's on next week's show. He said people in the company like Director of Talent Relations - Terry Taylor - that work there and do that. Terry would send Russo something and Russo can react to it. Russo says he doesn't have the time to watch a Raw, Smackdown, an ECW, a Ring of Honor and sometimes has to rely on others to do that.
Host says Russo is also a father of three. The host says one of Russo's sons wrote the Forward. Host mentions about some of the fan questions. Fans are concerned about Russo's health - in reaction to one of Russo's recent blogs. Host asks if Russo is very happy in this time in his life - based on all angles/perspectives. Russo says that's a real good question, "Are you happy?" The rut you fall into, Russo says, in what he does - as he says, with having to write a show every week and not stopping and it's year after year after year - it really gives you very little time to enjoy anything. People ask Russo all the time what it's like when it was 1999 and they were doing ratings of 6s and 7s. Russo says the answer to that question is "I don't remember" because they never had the time to smell the roses and enjoy it. They were always concentrating on the next week's show. He said there's a lot of pressure as you're not allowed to run out of ideas - that is not an option. Doing 2 hour weekly shows, a 3 hour pay-per-view. He said it's a stressful job - so he has that frame of mind - it's a job, to support his family. That is what he does. He says if he doesn't have that frame of mind, he might be one of the "obsessed" that will criticize everything that comes out of his mouth.
He wants to enjoy life, enjoy things outside of wrestling. The only way to stay sane is to go about it as a job and outside of that he has a family that loves him and he loves them. Devote the time outside of wrestling to them. He says if he doesn't think like that, he will be online and saying how much he hates this and hates that.
Host talks about Jim Ross talking about creative writers and how much JR feels a lot of compassion to the writers. Host promotes TNA Impact's card, the February pay-per-view, talks about the controversy from Genesis' pay-per-view.
To the fan at the edge of their seats going through thick and thin, they bring in Eric Bischoff/Hulk Hogan, they're charging $5 more for pay-per-views. Host asks what is in store for "Against All Odds"? Russo says of course, they will continue the trend of surprises, expecting the unexpected, the cliffhanger. Russo says as a wrestling fan, regardless of what anybody thinks his personal feelings were to Hulk Hogan/Eric Bischoff, "Vince is saying he's getting along with them because he has to say it". Russo says as a wrestling fan, he's spending that extra $5 to see what's going in the mind of a Hulk Hogan, an Eric Bischoff, and see what dynamic they can bring to TNA. If that's not worth $5 to you, he really thinks you're missing the boat. He says these guys bring a new perspective, fresh ideas, something new, and if that isn't worth $5 to the consumer, he really doesn't know what is. The interview ended at 9:51pm EST/6:51pm PST
Vince Russo's Blog can be viewed at http://vincerusso.wordpress.com and his Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/vinnyru
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