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After posting a blog yesterday where he bragged about doing a 1.3 rating while only having 16 minutes of wrestling on TNA Impact, Vince Russo posted an apology last night for his comments. Well, he kind of apologized anyway.
In a nutshell, he took offense to a blogger who timed the actual in-ring wrestling on the show and counted 16 minutes of it (as if a wrestling fan was out of his mind for wanting to see a decent amount of wrestling on a two hour wrestling show). Russo being Russo, he took offense because to him the sizzle is more important to the steak. People have joked for years behind the scenes that if Russo had his way, there wouldn't be any wrestling on the show, it would be all bits. No matter where you stand on the issue, it's reasonable to understand that some wrestling fans like actual wrestling, so Russo should have taken that in stride. Instead, he posted yesterday's blog where he acted pretty childishly in using the rating as justification for his way being the right way, referring to “fake wrestling on a fake wrestling show”.
TNA announcer Taz took offense to Russo's wording on his Twitter page last night, as it was offensive to every wrestler who took bumps, and Russo saw the light as to the stupidity of what he wrote and he posted the following last night.
Being a New Yawker, when we talk, we tend to spout off at the mouth–that’s what we do. With that comes saying things, that we may have not necessarily thought through–that’s how we get ourselves in trouble.
Today, I got myself in trouble.
“Fake wrestling on a fake wrestling show”.
Those were my words today, and that’s what I said. Those words came out of anger when I was told about a columnist who actually sat there and watched “IMPACT!” last week, then wrote an entire article based on how many minutes of “actual” wrestling there was on the show. And, being that it is a “show”–that’s what upset me.
But this isn’t about that article–I already said what I’m going to say about it. This is about the words I chose to use, to describe how ridiculous the notion of sitting there and watching our show with a stop watch was. But in using those words, without thinking, I offended an entire family who make it possible for me to support my family every week–the wrestlers.
“Fake” was a real, bad word to use–a real bad word. There is nothing fake about the thousands of injuries that occur in our sport. There is nothing fake about the thousands of hours that are spent away from families. There is nothing fake about reaching the twi-light of your career . . . and not knowing what you’re going to do next because wrestling is all you know–there is NOTHING fake about that.
To anybody who ever laced up a pair of boots, I am deeply sorry for my choice of words earlier today. Nobody knows about the sacrifices more then I do–NOBODY. For the past 18 years, it has been every bump in that ring, by every wrestler who ever graced it–that put food on my family’s table. It was their injuries that put a roof over their head. It was their blood who put my kids through college. I am forever grateful for that–and it is something that I understand every, single day.
I thank Taz, for making me understand how the boys could have taken my words today. When he brought it to my light–I was devastated. Nobody respects their craft more then I do. For those who think Vince Russo doesn’t like wrestling, and isn’t a wrestling fan–you are wrong–dead wrong. I still have the Polaroids I took at the Commack Arena when I wasn’t even a teen yet, of Chief Jay Strongbow, The Valient Brothers, Haystacks Calhoun and Ivan Putski. I still remember the first Hogan/Savage match at MSG in the early 80’s–I was there with the rest of the 18,000 who actually felt the rafters shake. I saw Bruno, I was there for Backlund’s run–I even witnessed Spiros Arion shove Chief Jay Strongbow’s head dress down his throat. I was there because I was a fan, and regardless of what anybody thinks–I still am.
I was the biggest mark in the locker room when Ric Flair came to TNA. It just made me feel good to put Ric on the highest pedestal I possibly could. I got goose bumps on January 4th, when Hulk walked out into the IMPACT Zone for the first time. I watch Mick . . . and I am still in awe. I’m rooting for Scott Hall and Sean Waltman. I do all this . . . because I am a fan . . . and always will be.
What I do hate–is bad wrestling. I hate when it looks “fake”, I hate when people laugh at what we do. That’s why I try my best to add as much reality as I can–to make people believe . . . because at the end of the day that’s what they want . . . to believe. They always have wanted to believe. I wanted to believe when I was 10–and I want to believe next Thursday.
I look at the business a bit differently now, because as a writer, it is my job to get ratings–period. It is my job to treat our product as a television show, because at the end of the day–that’s what it is. The more people we get to watch our show–the more successful we become. And, it is my responsibility to get them to watch the show. It is my responsibility to make wrestling all things . . . to all people. That’s what I get paid to do.
In closing, I just want to stress to any of the boys that I may have offended earlier today–from the bottom of my heart . . . I’m sorry. At times, I get very emotional about this business because this is what I do–this is what I’ve been doing for nearly 2 decades now. This is my life . . . and you have no idea how damn proud of it I am.
Peace,
Vince
After reading this, all I can do is offer up two bits of advice to Russo.
1) Stop reading internet columns. If you are firm in your beliefs, write your TV and be done with it. Not only does "defending yourself" make you look thin-skinned, it also opens your mouth to put your foot in there.
2) Shut down the blog. You have a pretty important job that takes up a lot of your time. Focus on that. It will be better for your mental health.
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