Interview Recap - Vince Russo

Posted in Interview Recaps by Jack at 20:49, Jan 26 2006

By Hunter Shull

Former WWF, WCW, and TNA writer, and author of "Vince Russo:
Forgiven", Vince Russo joins Jack and The OIB on In Your
Head. The first caller, Buck, asks Vince whether 2 Cold
Scorpio had enough talent to be a world champion. Vince says
that as far as talent goes, 2 Cold could?ve definitely
been champion, but at the time was battling a lot of
personal problems, so it wouldn?t have been for Scorpio
himself or for the company to put the world title on him.
Jack then asks if there was anybody else who could?ve been
on top but wasn?t. Vince always felt that way about Booker
T., and was very happy when Booker won the WCW Title because
he definitely earned it.

The next caller thanks Vince for making WCW watchable in
late 1999. Vince says that it was really unfortunate that he
and Ed Ferarra didn?t get a chance to fulfill their plans
for the company. Vince is positive that if they had been
given the entire three years in their contracts, WCW would
still be around today. Vince knew with in 2 weeks of his
going to WCW that it wouldn?t work out because of the
political backstabbing atmosphere. Vince never played
politics, he just wanted to do the best job possible. Vince
is very happy with the product he and Ferarra turned out
during that 3 month period.

Vince definitely feels that part of what?s missing in
wrestling today is that not everybody has a character. When
Russo worked in the WWF, all Vince McMahon cared about was
the top 3 or 4 guys, and it was up to Russo and Ferarra to
make sure that everybody else had something to do. According
to Russo it is the writer?s job to give everyone a vehicle
to get themselves over, because if they have made it to the
WWE, they are good enough to be there. Russo is sad to see
so many talented midcarders who don?t get the opportunity,
and puts the blame for this on the writers, saying that if
they can?t come up with something for everybody, maybe
they shouldn?t be writing.

When Russo heard that Wade Keller was hosting the Ultimate
Insiders DVD, he was happy because it gave Russo the chance
to tell Keller what his problems with the wrestling
newsletters were over the years. Russo never had anything
personally against Keller or Dave Meltzer, but didn?t
agree with them printing their opinions as facts, without
going directly to the actual source for the truth, or at
least for the other side of the story.

A caller asks about the night Owen Hart died and whether the
stunt was originally part of the show. Vince confirms that
it was not written in the original show.

Russo believes that he could still write for wrestling today
without compromising his religious beliefs. He feels that
the problem with wrestling today is that the writing is
?atrocious?, and written for 12 year olds. According to
Russo, wrestling is basically the story of ?good vs.
evil?, and what makes people watch are intelligent
characters and storylines. It has nothing to do with naked
women or anything like that.

Vince goes over his rise to power in the WWF. It was not an
overnight process. He started out as a freelance writer for
WWF magazine. Then he was promoted to editor, and began
editing Raw magazine went it was introduced. Russo then
started writing promos for wrestlers for local house show
commercials. After that, he began writing promos for certain
wrestlers, including Goldust and Shawn Michaels during his
first title reign. Bill Watts cut through the red tape and
allowed Russo to sit in on the booking meeting.

Speaking of Bill Watts, Vince believes that Watts is a very
smart man whom a lot of people are afraid of because he
rules with an iron fist and is a true ?cowboy?. Watts
only lasted for a couple of weeks in the WWF because in
wrestling, it has nothing to do with what a person brings to
the table, it has more to do with the people who are afraid
of that person and will lie, cheat, and steal to bring that
person down.

Vince doesn?t miss wrestling now because he is doing the
Ring of Glory shows, which are the greatest shows he has
ever done. None of the negative aspects of the wrestling
business are present in Ring of Glory. To learn more about
Ring of Glory, check out www.ringofglory.com

Russo?s favorite people to work with in the WWF were Mick
Foley and The Rock. They were very easy to work with, smart,
creative, and just ?got it?.

Russo was always very flexible when wrestlers didn?t want
to go along with his ideas, and never made anyone do
anything that they didn?t want to do. If the wrestler
doesn?t want to do it, it won?t work, says Vince.
That?s why the Goldberg heel turn in 2000 didn?t work
out.

When asked about the Self Destruction of the Ultimate
Warrior DVD, Russo feels it?s unfair because the WWE has
the ability to tell their side of the story, but the Warrior
doesn?t. Russo always thought Warrior was a great guy who
was smarter than a lot of people, and people held that
against him. ?Why attack anybody,? Vince says, ?Just
let it go.?

-Vince thanks all of the fans who supported him over the
years, and says that all he was ever trying to do was to
entertain the fans.