Vince Russo recently spoke with WrestleCrap’s RD & Blade, which you can listen to at Wrestlecrap.com. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Rumors He Is A TNA Consultant: “First of all, just for the record, let me make one thing perfectly straight: my contract with TNA was over in February 2012. I do not have a contract with TNA that expires in three months. Where that information came from, I have absolutely no idea. I have not been under contract with any wrestling company since February 2012. So everything you read about ‘Oh, he’s with TNA and there’s still three months left on his contract’…. Who pulled that out of their backside and why, I have no idea. I am under contract with nobody.
“If I’m working as a consultant for TNA, if I’m working as a consultant for WWE, if I’m working as a consultant with Jeff Jarrett, you know what? I choose not to comment on that, because I’m just as fascinated to sit back in my house here in the mountains, in beautiful Colorado, and just see how two years and three months I have been out of the business, but yet every day I still seem to be the topic of conversation. And I am totally, totally entertained by that. So if I say I’m consulting for Jeff or if I’m consulting for Vince or if I’m consulting for TNA, it would take the enjoyment out of that for me. My number one priority right now is pyroandballyhoo.com, that is where I’m going to be spending the majority of my time.
Eric Young Winning The TNA World Title: “On the TNA front, I’m thrilled to death that EY is their champion and carrying the belt. I’ve known Eric for 10 years and in my opinion, there is nobody more deserving who worked hard, who put in the time, who never quit, and who is a great human being. In my opinion, they put the belt on him for all the right reasons. I couldn’t be happier for Eric Young.”
Vince Russo has launched a new official commentary website called, “Pyro & Ballyhoo.” Russo plans to blog about pop culture, television shows, music, movies, sports and pro wrestling.
As of right now, there is only one pro wrestling-related article from Russo up on the site, which covers the topic of the Hall Of Fame. You can check out the article at this link.
Regarding future wrestling coverage on the website, Russo wrote the following:
“Begining on Monday, May 19th, following “Monday Night Raw”, all wrestling related material on this site written by Vince Russo, will be available by subscription only.”
You can check out the website at PyroAndBallyhoo.com.
Apparently many people within TNA are outwardly rooting for Jeff Jarrett and his new promotion to succeed. Not only is it because of the fact that it would open up more jobs for talent in the business, but as a safety net as well.
With every week that passes without an announcement from either Spike TV or TNA about a new television deal, as the current contract between the two is set to expire in the fall, concern grows.
Morale within TNA was said to be high during their recent U.K. tour, as the guys felt like they were part of a major league promotion, when the company failed to draw a decent crowd for Lockdown, their second biggest pay-per-view of the year, the mood changed.
For the most part, faith in TNA creative, as well as Dixie Carter and John Gaburick, is low right now. There’s also a belief that Vince Russo is secretly involved in the creative process, which doesn’t help morale as the feeling is Russo hasn’t led any company to legitimate success since he left WWE nearly 15 years ago.
The following are highlights of a recent VOC Nation interview with Scotty Riggs:
On his current status: “I’ve retired from wrestling due to injuries. The final straw was a fractured ulnar bone in my left arm. 13 screws and 2 steel plates to fix it, and after 2 surgeries it’s still not right.”
On the American Males theme music: “That was the creative genius of Jimmy Hart. He and Michael Hayes did a lot of the music over the years in WCW. (Jimmy) saw in me and Marcus, a mix of the Fabulous Ones, the Fantastics, and the Rock and Roll Express. His passion for those three tag teams came overflowing through that song. The first time we heard it, Jimmy was all excited, and (Marcus Bagwell) and I looked at each other and our jaws dropped. (I thought) ‘Oh my god it’s horrible but it still works.”
On whether or not he could have been a main event talent: “I don’t know; to be honest with you, there’s always a main event run in somebody. I just didn’t play the BS politics game. It really got heavy and deep. Everyone coming in had creative control in their contracts. I was the 47th hire in WCW and creative control didn’t exist back then. I had many influential friends, so I could have played that card, but that’s just not me.”
On Eric Bischoff: “Eric Bischoff never had the final say so in what was being done. Vince McMahon has the final say so. There were too many chiefs in WCW and not enough Indians. Eric was a great business man when it came from going from Saturday night shows to getting us on (primetime) TV. He was never groomed as a booker. He was never groomed to understand the inner workings of an angle or storyline. The booking committee was getting things done for him; he left things in the control of people like Kevin Sullivan and Arn (Anderson).”
On Vince Russo: ““Vince Russo came in and tried to turn WCW into another WWE. He didn’t care about wrestling; he cared more about his ‘crash TV’. He had skits and promos longer than the matches.”
On Bischoff versus Vince McMahon: “Eric saw everything in the short term. There was no long term agenda. Vince has a long term agenda. In terms of Wrestlemania, everything (all year) builds toward that one big event. Bischoff ran things week by week, and you can’t be successful without that vision.”
On the eye patch: “It was real. It was a chair to the eye. When the chair landed the wrong way up, the corner of the chair caught my eye. I had a bruised eye and it became part of the character.”
Check out the complete Scotty Riggs interview at VOCNation.com.
In recent weeks, there have been some suspicions that Vince Russo is once again involved in TNA’s creative process, possibly working as a consultant. Russo was CC’d on some creative e-mails, but several people in TNA denied he was working for the company.
People close to Russo are saying that he’s been following the product again.
TNA is working with Japan’s Wrestle-1 promotion, but Wrestle-1 was adamant that they would not do business with TNA if Russo was involved in any capacity. When they asked TNA about the situation, they reportedly did not get a direct answer.
TNA wrestlers have been talking about the rumors of Russo working for TNA again. Bully Ray and Abyss, who have a lot of seniority in the company and frequently deal witih company management, have told the wrestlers that they know nothing about Russo working for TNA.
According to one source, the deal between TNA Wrestling and Keiji Mutoh’s Wrestle-1 promotion in Japan could be in jeopardy if the rumors that Vince Russo have returned to TNA are true.
Apparently Wrestle-1 wants nothing to do with Russo due to their belief that Russo is racist against Japanese people because of comments he made, as well as the way he booked Japanese talent while working for WCW and TNA.
SESCOOPS.COM reader Neal Jones sent along the following:
Recap of Leilani Kai on In Your Head Wrestling Radio by Vic Schiavone
Host Jack E. Jones welcomed legendary ladies wrestler Leilani Kai to IYH Wrestling Radio.
Highlights included the following:
What was the build-up like for you for your match in WrestleMania I? Could you see how big this was going to be?: “I didn’t really realize it at first. I did a match with Wendi (Richter), and I retained the belt, but afterwards I had actually gone to Japan and I didn’t get back till probably two days before the actual event of WrestleMania. I didn’t realize how big it was until I got there. Once I was in the arena, there was so much excitement going on; people running around everywhere, and seeing celebrities and all. I didn’t realize how big it was, not at that moment I didn’t. I realized it afterwards; they had a big huge party and everybody was there and having a good time and dancing. It was a little bit different, but I didn’t realize really how big it was until I was there. I didn’t hear much talk about it when I was overseas…I didn’t really realize how big it was going to be, but it was the most exciting night of my whole life. I loved it; it was a lot of fun.”
Where did your hatred for Vince Russo start?: “It started when he wanted me to do mud wrestling. I had come to the event, I think it was Denver, Colorado, to wrestle a lady named Brandy Alexander, and they just changed it on me and wanted me to do mud wrestling on the show. I was like, ‘You’ve got to be out of your mind; I’m not going to do anything like that.’ Now that I think about it, I would do anything if I can let him get in the mud with me, maybe in a cage, and I’ll wrestle him and let him see what it feels like. I’d love to do that; get in a mud wrestling match with him in a cage. But that was an awful long time ago, and I just didn’t care for that at all. That’s not what I’m about, and it really upset me pretty bad; it wasn’t a very good scene. I really don’t think that he knew what he was doing, I really don’t. It didn’t do a lot for a lot of the young talent getting in the business; it wasn’t good for them at all. I don’t think they were treated right and he just messed it up with that cartoonish-type thing. I think it messed it up for a lot of the guys who were really trying to make it in the business and worked so hard to pave for pro wrestling. I just didn’t care for the way he pursued his characters or whatever cartoonish things he did. It really made me mad when he said that to me; I was really upset, I think I really went off on him.”
Other topics discussed included:
·Who are some of the younger female wrestlers that stand out to her?
·What does she think the differences are between women’s wrestling now and when she broke in?
·How did the match against Alundra Blayze at WrestleMania X come about?
·What is the difference in styles between wrestling in Japan and wrestling in the States?
·Why did they change her name in WCW to Patty Stonegrinder?
If you would like to book Leilani Kai, contact her booker, Steve Stasiak, at https://www.facebook.com/BookProWrestlersNow
You can check out the complete Leilani Kai interview below.
There continue to be conflicting reports as to whether or not Vince Russo is in fact back as part of the TNA creative team.
PWInsider.com initially reported that Russo was likely back as a creative consultant, and was at least copied on some recent emails that circulated among the creative team.
F4WOnline.com, however, reports that a few top talents who have input into creative have not heard anything about Russo in several months.
TNA star Samoa Joe recently appeared on the MLW Radio podcast. Here are some highlights of what he said about:
Whether TNA wrestlers are worried or hoping that recent departures mean a better spot for them:
“I think a little bit of both. I mean with guys like AJ gone, he was like the team captain. When you think of Impact Wrestling, you think of AJ Styles.”
Working with Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan:
“Um I think Bischoff is still around, I think it’s just a production capacity. I think with Hogan, some people think he had more clout than he did. I think they really wanted him to do a bit more but I think he just didn’t want to really do more at this time. As far as Hogan as a person, cool cat. As far as working with him, I wouldn’t know. I never worked with them. I never see them, I never talk to them. When they just asked me ‘This is what we need from you’ I did it and that was that.”
The infamous kidnapping angle and Vince Russo:
“You want me to break the silence on that? I don’t like getting in verbal spats with people who I don’t think are worth my time or my effort and a dude in particular is Vince Russo. This cat, I don’t have a problem with Vince Russo. When he left I just told him, it is what it is. He always had 22 million reasons for making the decisions that he made. But when Hogan and Bischoff came in they said, ‘Oh we have this great idea. We are going to do this thing and take you off of TV and re-brand you. Do all this other stuff. We do this kidnapping thing and you come back as a psychopath.’ I was cool with it.
I sat at home for 3 months on a bitching ass vacation. I had one of the best vacations in the history of vacations. Paid vacation. Getting ready so I call them back week after week, ‘What do you guys need me to do’. They would say ‘We are still coming up with something’. Vince Russo with his infinite ridiculousness just said, we are short on babyfaces. So I get a call saying, ‘Joe we need to bring you back to TV.’
So I asked him, how is it that you are going to bring me back. He said, I don’t know how just yet but we need to bring you in. So the dude couldn’t write his way out of a kidnapping. The only reason why I bring this up is because he has the audacity to blame all of his silliness on other people. And by the way wrestlers, pro wrestlers all over the world and people in the business, stop whoring yourself out to shoot interviews. This man couldn’t write his way out of a kidnapping. That’s how much respect he had for the product, how much respect he had for the fans and that is indicative of his style of what he did. He was the head writer at the time and this is the way he felt that was admissible. Now I know this little bitch is going to go back on a shoot and talk all of this shit.”
His TNA future:
“I think with TNA now, especially with the inner office changes. I think hopefully I will be on top. I told them already. I said, ‘Look, you guys have tried to do things in different ways.’ I told them at the beginning of last year. ‘You guys have been using me in a utilitarian way for the past 2 or 3 years. I’m cool with it. I know this is a team effort but I’m ready to run with it and produce for you if you give me the opportunity.’ I’ve told John Gaburick the same thing. ‘You guys have been using me in a utilitarian way for the past 2 or 3 years. I’m ready to get shit done. If you want to run with me, It’s going to be this year.’ The ball is in their hands and we will just see what happens.”
The following are highlights from a recent WZRtv interview with former WWE Superstar Big Vito:
On the sale of TNA: “There is so much financial debt that I think they’re so consumed with that. They tried every different angle to change things. They haven’t had any success. When you change heads of the departments, you change the people who run it. It’s the same thing that happened with WCW and it’s the same thing happening all over. You change, change, change, change.”
On Dixie Carter: “From what I understand, [Hulk] Hogan and [Eric] Bischoff are out now [and] it’s Dixie Carter running it. Dixie Carter, she might be a nice lady [but] she’s not groomed in the wrestling business. She’s been talked to and talked around, ya know, manipulated in the wrestling business, but she doesn’t know the wrestling business. She’s not the Jarrett’s. She’s not Hulk Hogan. She’s not anyone who’s had that kind of pedigree. This has nothing to do with being a man or a woman. When you’re not brought up in the wrestling business from the bottom up and you don’t know, you’re going to spend a lot of money and do a lot of stupid things. I’m not saying she’s a stupid lady. I’m not saying she’s dumb. She’s probably very smart in other areas, but this is the wrestling business. If you’re not groomed in it from the bottom up and polished, how do you not know what kind of product to put out? Another knock against TNA is they’ve had the same talent for 10 and 12 years. There’s only a handful of guys that’s been with the WWE for 10 or 12 years.”
On Vince Russo: “Well from what I know, Vince Russo, me and him back in the day, I helped him start out in the wrestling business and he helped me get into WCW. When he was in TNA, I was there when he was there. When he left, you know, I left. And then really just a couple of phone calls here and there, but ya know, nothing of nothing. I mean, he mentioned me in his books, he mentioned me in a nice way. I appreciate it, but as far as friendship and all that other stuff, ya know, he’s his own man. He does things his own way. He never returns a phone call, just like a lot of guys, but you know that’s Vinnie Russo and I can’t say nothing bad about him. He gave me my chance in WCW, and people remember [this] — giving somebody a chance doesn’t mean they gave you a spot. When you get a spot you have to earn it and I carried the ball and I ran with it, just like I did in every organization. I never was on the bottom, I always rose to the occasion and came to the top. So anybody who thinks that somebody gives you something — they can put you in any spot in the business, but if you don’t carry the ball, then you ain’t doing nothing. I carried the ball in all my positions, in all my companies and I’m very happy and very proud of my time. Whether it was in ECW with Da Baldies as Vito Skull LaGrosso, or Big Vito in WCW, Big Vito in TNA or Vito “The Toughest Man To Wear A Dress” in WWE.”
On Johnny Stamboli and a WCW reunion show: “Johnny Stamboli is still wrestling. He’s doing his own thing and he’s got his private life. He’s doing very well. You know everybody still asks when are The Mamalukes coming back and you know that would probably be one of the best things to happen if they ever had a WCW reunion show.”
On the current WWE product: “I think that the gimmicks they’re putting on are interesting. The guys are doing a good job down in NXT developing these guys. They have a lot of new faces [and] they’re trying to make new stars, but at the end of the day they’re still going with the name guys. You have the big names and they’re making the angles around them and you can’t change that. People wanna see them.”
On the WWE return of Goldust: “They brought back Goldust for a reason, ya know? Not because he was Dusty Rhodes’ son, ya know, Cody Rhodes or whatever. That’s Goldust. He’s the best gimmick in all of wrestling. That’s one of my favorite gimmicks. He is a gimmick and that’s something you wanna watch.”
On John Cena: “You know everybody can say what they want about [John] Cena, but that guy is still drawing money. Whether you love him or hate him, he gets a reaction.”
On Ryback: “They brought Ryback in, you know? Ryback was up and then he was down. If I could work a program with him, you’d never hear Big Vito complain about how he ever got [hit] too hard. I would love to work with that guy because it’d be a hart-hitting thing.”
On the way wrestlers come up in WWE these days: “A lot of guys who they’re bringing up today, like the problem they had in the past, they don’t have that experience and they’re not polished. They’re pushing guys up and you can’t learn everything from wrestling school. You gotta go out there and earn it and do it and when they try to polish you up and put you out there before you’re ready, sometimes it doesn’t come off as good as it can be.”
For more information on the Big Vito Wrestling Academy, visit the official website online at BigVito.com.
The following are highlights from a recent Lex Luger interview with Steve and the Scum of WGD Weekly:
On the passing of Miss Elizabeth: “It was a very dark, sad time in my personal life…I’ve made a lot of bad choices outside of the ring over the years that led to me giving up my family, my beautiful wife and two children…I developed a double life and there was a lot of collateral damage from that to my friends, my family and those closest to me including Miss Elizabeth. She always will be the first lady of wrestling…it was a real tragedy, I was living a lifestyle back then, a lot of drugs, alcohol, I call it the life of folly in my book, it led to a lot of tragic things and that was the biggest tragedy you could ever think of to have a close friend like Elizabeth as a result of it. People say well Lex, you didn’t make her drink or shove pills down her throat, but I was a very big influence on her life at the time and I was doing that and she wanted to do what I did, so if you talk about regrets in the past guys, we can’t erase the past and we have got to take responsibility and I take a lot of responsibility for that tragic event and what happened.”
On Vince McMahon buying WCW and the last edition of Nitro: “I was happy for Vince because I knew, man, he had won, that was a genuine moment for him, I was like, yeah, buddy, everybody had you counted out there when we were beating you for “x” amount of weeks straight, I was happy for him.”
On WrestleMania X, not becoming WWE Champion and internet rumors: “Contrary to what is said, Vince never promised me the belt…he never made me any promises at WrestleMania between Bret, or I, or Yoko…nor did I expect him to make any, why would he, I was thrilled to be a part of the main event of WrestleMania…it’s funny I was talking to a guy in an interview recently and a guy said, ‘It was on your Wikipedia that you were drunk the night before at a bar at WrestleMania 10 and you were supposed to win the belt and Vince got mad at you,’ I wasn’t even anywhere near New York. I was with my wife and two kids in Hartford, Connecticut, staying with friends the night before WrestleMania…I did a lot of stupid stuff back then, but that wasn’t one of them…rumor becomes fact sometimes, I laughed at that for years, of all the stupid dumb stuff I did outside of the ring, that was one that I didn’t do…I always found that humorous, crazy how rumors can start…Who came up with that one?”
On Vince Russo coming in as head writer for WCW: “I think that Russo and Ferrara did their best to create a young, fresh group of guys, kind of doing an invasion like the now did and really on paper, a pretty good idea. They had a great reputation coming from the WWF for being very creative, really when we found ourselves slipping, consensus wise most of the guys were pretty excited that they were coming in and I think they gave it their very best effort, and the young guys came in and gave it their best effort, I think part of the problem was for when the young guys, when they came in and were beating these legendary guys like Hogan…in the middle of the ring…I think the fans as much as they love seeing young talent emerge, I think it was almost like a little bit too much too soon in my opinion and the fans didn’t really buy into it like they had hoped. It was a good idea but the fans didn’t quite buy into it…they did their best, but things just didn’t work out the way they hoped, it wasn’t from a lack of effort on the new guys part, the writers or the young wrestlers, it just didn’t get over the way they had hoped…but I didn’t think it was a bad idea.”
On Ric Flair and being in the Four Horsemen: “Ric lived his persona both in the ring and out of the ring, I found that out right away, I feel like for about three years there hanging out with the Horseman, I feel like I didn’t sleep for almost three years…Ric could stay up all night…then he go to the gym and work out with me, then he go and wrestle and hour broadway, I don’t know how he did it…Ric will always tell you image is everything, he always had a limo waiting for us, we flew usually private or if we flew commercial, first class, stay at really nice hotels…Ric was everything he said he was both in and out of the ring, that’s for sure.”
On Ric Flair leaving WCW and taking their world title to WWE with him: “I was scheduled to wrestle Ric in the cage and I was scheduled to win the title that night…I wasn’t told a lot, but they told me, we’re putting you in the cage with Ric and you’re winning the world title…as far as what happened after that, it was political stuff behind the scenes that I was not privy to, I heard that Ric was trying to negotiate a new contract, and I wanted the best for Ric, so when Ric ended up on television with the belt in the competing organization, I never had any hard feelings about that because I knew Ric had worked so hard and had such an incredible career, he was trying to do what was best for him and his family, from a business sense, I never took it personally…I was disappointed I didn’t get to wrestle Ric in the cage to win the world title, but I wasn’t upset with Ric that he went and did what he had to do and what he thought was best business wise for Ric Flair…WCW at the time, they were negotiating with Ric almost right up until the day of the match …to still come in and do the match, it just fell apart at the last minute…Ric almost was WCW, so for Ric to leave was a huge void and vacuum that myself and nobody could possibly even entertain the thought of replacing…they didn’t even have a belt ready yet…I think a lot of the guys were disappointed that Ric wasn’t there, but the show must go on.”
You can listen to the complete Lex Luger interview below:
– Among the talking heads in WWE’s nWo: The Revolution DVD and Blu-ray video title, scheduled for release tomorrow in the United States, is former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Vince Russo. He was the creative mind behind the group’s reformation in late 1999.
Russo’s involvement with the video release is the first time in ten years both he and WWE have worked together. After leaving the sports-entertainment organization in 1999 for WCW, he was rehired in 2002 to aid WWE’s creative process. However, he quickly left on his own accord, and explained during a later interview, “No way in the world that this thing would work out…I felt there were layers upon layers of people to go through to get my ideas accepted.”
Another talking head of note is former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger, who notably battled the nefarious group before becoming a member himself.
– In this week’s episode of WWE Download, Dolph Ziggler rips a rapping John Cena as well as more of YouTube’s worst offenders, including a strip club gone wrong, a Jeep gone under and role playing gone awry.
– Following recent productive weekends with Angelina Love at various events, Velvet Sky posted a message on Twitter Sunday thanking Vince Russo for teaming the two together five years ago when he devised characters and storylines for TNA Wrestling.
“Wanna shout out Vince Russo & thank him 4 creating the team of #TBP. After all this time we r still going stronger than ever @ActualALove,” Sky wrote. “I for one never forgot where I came from and who helped create my success along the way. Thank you Russo!!”
Love added, “He was always wonderful to us!!”
Sky was then notified of the “bad things” Russo did for professional wrestling. She responded to the fan, “Fortunately I am a positive person and focus on the good on people.”
She also re-tweeted, “That’s very nice of you & I hope people realize that Vince Russo did great things in wrestling & should not be bashed.”
– Sunday at Bound For Glory, Kazarian had a bad fall while executing a leap from the top rope into a hurricanrana off the apron on Hernandez as he landed hard on his shoulder and side torso. He is said to be fine following the event, minus some soreness in his ribs, according to PWInsider.com.
Kazarian and Christopher Daniels lost the TNA World Tag Team Championship to Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez in a three-way match, which also included AJ Styles and Kurt Angle.
The Inside The Ropes podcast just interviewed former WWE, WCW & TNA writer – Vince Russo.
‘In this full 80 minute interview, Inside The Ropes hosts Robert and Kenny go head to head with the most controversial man in professional wrestling: Vince Russo. In addition to what you heard on the broadcast episode of ITR #19 – Vince discusses the worst of mid-90s WWF, his relationship with Bret Hart and the Montreal Screwjob, how Steve Austin may have been the most paranoid WWF champion of all time, and his further dealings as head writer for both WWE Raw, WCW Nitro and TNA Impact.’
CM Punk was scheduled to retain the WWE Title at WrestleMania 28 from day 1 of the Chris Jericho feud being planned. There were never plans for Jericho to win the WWE Title in Miami.
– Kayfabe Commentaries announced the following:
“YOUSHOOT LIVE: VINCE RUSSO” TO BE BROADCAST WORLDWIDE ON iPPV
The first and only uncensored Q & A with Vince Russo will now be available on iPPV, producers Kayfabe Commentaries and Legends of the Ring have announced today. Internet pay-per-view providers World Wrestling Network Inc have secured the broadcast which will be shown live on June 1st, at 8pm EST. Viewers can order now and get locked in for the show by visiting www.WWNLive.com.
The “YouShoot LIVE” event, which takes the popular shoot-style DVD program “YouShoot” and puts it before a live audience, will take place at the Crowne Plaza in Monroe, NJ. Tickets for the live event, including VIP Packages which include a private booking seminar with Russo prior to the show, are on sale at www.youshootlive.com.
The following announcement was sent out on Tuesday morning by Vince Russo’s booking agent, Bill Behrens (SHOWBIS@aol.com):
BABY FACES, BLADE JOBS and BOOKING
Everything you wanted to know about writing a professional wrestling show but were afraid to ask.
A SEMINAR HOSTED BY VINCE RUSSO
During the years of 1995-2012, Vince Russo was one of the most controversial figures in the history of sports entertainment/professional wrestling, while serving as the head writer of all three major wrestling companies, WWE, WCW and TNA.
During that tenure, Russo wrote over a thousand televised wrestling shows–which achieved some of the highest ratings of all time– while also having a hand in helping create some of the biggest stars in the history of the business. From Stone Cold Steve Austin to “The Rock”, Russo has written for just about anybody who’s anybody in the world of sports entertainment/pro wrestling.
Whether it was in front of the camera, or behind the scenes, Russo has played an influential part in helping to bring the drama of the squared circle to the forefront of American pop culture.
Now, in this limited engagement and for the first time ever, Russo is going to bring the “behind the curtain” aspect of his job, into the spotlight, by sharing his craft and experience with wrestling fans around the world. In his ground-breaking seminar entitled, “Baby Faces, Blade Jobs, and Booking, “, Russo is going to share first hand, what it takes to be a successful writer in the world of sports entertainment/professional wrestling.
Just some of the topics Russo will be covering in this no-holds-barred presentation:
· Where to get your start in writing for a professional wrestling organization.
· How to use the experience you’ve built to get in the door of one of the major companies
· How to create larger-than-life personas and personalities
· Writing effective dialogue for specific characters
· How to format a wrestling show
· How to generate new ideas 52-weeks out of the year
· How to present and sell your idea to a talent
· How to create a successful working environment between talent and writer
· Dealing with egos
· Overcoming writer’s block
· Avoiding the pitfalls of politics
· How to generate ratings
· The difference between “writing” a show and “booking” a show
Baby Faces, Blade Jobs and Booking; nothing will no longer be sacred!!
Vince Russo was scheduled to participate in an interview with PWInsider.com next Monday to discuss his departure from TNA Wrestling. The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, however, decided against doing the interview and issued the following statement to the website regarding his TNA departure:
Despite the continuing rumors, speculation, and hearsay surrounding my departure from TNA Wrestling, in an effort to set the record straight, I was not fired, terminated, released, or let go from the company–it was my decision to walk away, and from there the separation was mutual, amicable and professional.
It simply makes good business sense that where someone of my talent and ability was not going to be used to their capability or capacity, that a parting of the ways was inevitable.
In closing, I’d like to thank my fellow writer and friend, Matt Conway, for giving me purpose, my friend and brother, Jeff Jarrett, for hiring me, Dixie Carter and the entire Carter family, for keeping me employed, but, more importantly, every man and woman in the locker room for giving me the opportunity, and ability, to work in the professional wrestling business for the past twenty years. Without their blood, sweat and tears . . . I would have not been able to support my family and make a living. My greatest loss by far is leaving them behind.
And truly, from the bottom of my heart, I wish TNA all the best in their future endeavors.
PS: I couldn’t help myself with that last line, but I truly DO wish TNA all the success in the world!
TNA President Dixie Carter just announced the following on Facebook and Twitter, confirming our weekend report that Vince Russo is in fact leaving the company:
“TNA and Vince Russo have mutually parted ways as of this week. The separation is amicable and professional. We are glad for the opportunity to have worked together and wish each other nothing but good luck and success in the future.”
Check out our exclusive report from the weekend regarding the backstage power struggle in TNA and details on what turned out to be Russo’s final days with the company
Despite TNA officials’ claims to the contrary, there is a very real power struggle going on behind the scenes at TNA Impact Wrestling, and the bad blood dates back many years.
When Vince Russo ascended to the top of the WWE creative power structure in the Attitude Era, he did it at the expense of Bruce Prichard and Pat Patterson, who were WWE Chairman Vince McMahon’s closest confidantes at the time.
Even Jim Ross, who was head of talent relations, found himself out in the cold when it came to creative pitches to McMahon, who used Russo to “fill in the blanks” (according to a well placed source who was in WWE at the time) as McMahon took total control of his product and went forward with the Stone Cold Era.
Now, Bruce Prichard seems to be in position to, as a key insider in TNA points out, “deliver one hell of a receipt to Russo,” as no one is alllowed to pitch directly to TNA President Dixie Carter anymore, everyone must go through Prichard.
“Russo is on the chopping block, no matter what anyone else says,” our key insider told us exclusively, “and Prichard is the one swinging the axe!”
To update our earlier report about Vince Russo being removed as the head booker of TNA Wrestling, Dave Lagana is not taking over Russo’s role. Lagana was at Sunday’s Against All Odds pay-per-view helping out with backstage segments.
Russo is not at the pay-per-view tonight and while many believe he is gone, nothing has been announced to the TNA crew yet.
Bruce Prichard remains the head of TNA creative. Russo and Matt Conway have been writing the scripts for Impact in recent month,s with those scripts going to Prichard for edits and then Eric Bischoff for his own feedback in production meetings at TV tapings or pay-per-views.
Vince Russo has reportedly been removed as the head writer of TNA Wrestling.
Former WWE creative team member Dave Lagana will be taking over some Russo’s duties at tonight’s Against All Odds pay-per-view. We are hearing conflicting reports as to whether Lagana will be taking over as the head of TNA creative or if he’s just helping out until a new creative structure is put in place – but Russo’s out.
Lagana tweeted the following messages on Sunday afternoon:
“And we are off and running.”
“The calm before the storm.”
Lagana signed with TNA back in October and most recently has been booking TNA’s Ring Ka King promotion.
Jesse Neal appeared on the Running The Ropes podcast (interview available here). Highlights are as follows:
* Neal says that Christina Von Eerie (a/k/a Toxxin), his girlfriend, was never under contract to TNA Wrestling. Her status with TNA remains unknown following Neal’s departure from the organization.
* Neal says the widespread rumor that he received food stamps earlier this year isn’t true. He does, however, admit that he was almost evicted from his small one bedroom apartment three times this year because he couldn’t afford to pay rent.
* Neal says he rejected TNA’s request to move to Louisville, Kentucky and train at Ohio Valley Wrestling because the money they were offering “wasn’t anything close to live on.” Management told him to get a sidejob if he needed money, but felt that with three shows per week and training six days out of seven he wouldn’t have the time.
* Neal says he spoke to company president Dixie Carter over the phone regarding his situation and was promised it would resolved. He adds she was gracious to him on his final day with the company and was sure she’d see him in TNA again one day.
* Neal praised creative writer Vince Russo, who encouraged him with his promos.
– James Storm continues to get a ton of praise behind the scenes in TNA. He’s been working very hard on improving his mic work and has been working with Vince Russo on his promos.
– Jesse Neal’s storyline injury was TNA’s way of writing him out of the company. TNA let him go because he was not willing to move to Louisville, Kentucky to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling, TNA’s new developmental territory. Neal was not completely opposed to relocating, but based on what TNA was paying him, it didn’t make seense for him.
– TNA has sent Anarquia, Rob Terry and “Big Brother” reality star Jessie Godderz to OVW to train