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** Did you know that [=Vince McMahon=] didn't answer Bischoff's "call out" to appear on ''Nitro'' because {{Wrestling/Stephanie|mcMahon}} was graduating on the same day? Also, the reason WCW got ahead in ratings was Steph's graduation. And that's why the steroid thing blew up too. Also XFL? Steph graduated during all those games.
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Changed line(s) 9 (click to see context) from:
** With Jim Cornette. They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Cornette was old-school and Russo was the new kid in town, pushing the Attitude Era along. Russo went to [=McMahon=] and basically told him "Either he goes, or I go", because they kept getting in each others' way. [=McMahon=] sided with Russo. Cornette also blames Russo for Owen Hart's death by putting him in the Blue Blazer gimmick. The feud runs so deep that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as he do, he can't be all bad.
to:
** With Jim Cornette. They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Cornette was old-school and Russo was the new kid in town, pushing the Attitude Era along. Russo went to [=McMahon=] and basically told him "Either he goes, or I go", because they kept getting in each others' way. way, and [=McMahon=] sided with Russo.Russo. Russo's distaste for old-school wrestling is not a secret, and there was an internet video where Cornette has someone read an email sent to Dixie Carter where Russo talks about how Cornette and Wrestling/JeffJarrett are relics of another era and bad for expansion. Cornette also blames Russo for Owen Hart's death by putting him in the Blue Blazer gimmick. The feud runs so deep that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as he do, he can't be all bad.
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* ProtectionFromEditors: At the time, WCW was so low in the ratings that he was ready to try anything.
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Changed line(s) 1 (click to see context) from:
* ActorSharedBackground: Russo found God and confessed his past sins to the ''Impact Zone'', claiming that he "sold his soul for ratings." Russo really did become a born-again Christian in real life.
to:
* ActorSharedBackground: Russo found God and confessed his past sins to the ''Impact Zone'', Impact Zone, claiming that he "sold his soul for ratings." Russo really did become a born-again Christian in real life.
Changed line(s) 3 (click to see context) from:
** After he became a Born-Again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in 1998.
to:
** After he became a Born-Again born-again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in 1998.
Changed line(s) 6,8 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble a lower-quality version of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think that’s being kind. I think it started to resemble {{backyard wrestling}}.
** Cornette. They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Jim was old-school and Russo was the new kid in town, pushing the Attitude Era along. Russo went to [=McMahon=] and basically told him ''Either he goes, or I go'', because they kept getting in each others' way. [=McMahon=] sided with Russo. Cornette also blames Russo for Owen Hart's death by putting him in the Blue Blazer gimmick. The feud runs so deep that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as I do, he can't be all bad.
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think that’s being kind. I think it started to resemble {{backyard wrestling}}.
** Cornette. They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Jim was old-school and Russo was the new kid in town, pushing the Attitude Era along. Russo went to [=McMahon=] and basically told him ''Either he goes, or I go'', because they kept getting in each others' way. [=McMahon=] sided with Russo. Cornette also blames Russo for Owen Hart's death by putting him in the Blue Blazer gimmick. The feud runs so deep that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as I do, he can't be all bad.
to:
--->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble a lower-quality version of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think
** With Jim Cornette. They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time.
Changed line(s) 10,11 (click to see context) from:
* EarlyBirdCameo: Russo already appeared on several WWF programs during the Wrestling/AttitudeEra, like in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF6HwD-pjU4 this commercial]] for the WWF magazine.
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed. Although he ''might'' have gained new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to zero net effect.
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed. Although he ''might'' have gained new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to zero net effect.
to:
* EarlyBirdCameo: Russo already appeared on several WWF programs during the Wrestling/AttitudeEra, Wrestling/AttitudeEra under his Vic Venom monicker, like in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF6HwD-pjU4 this commercial]] for the WWF magazine.
''WWF Magazine''.
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought intoWCW/TNA WCW and later TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed. Although he ''might'' have gained new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to zero net effect.
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into
Changed line(s) 13,14 (click to see context) from:
** '''WCW''': Russo lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a booking "committee" consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, all of whom promised a return to "real" wrestling.
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Keiji Mutoh also nearly pulled the plug on ''Bound For Glory'' in Japan when he found out Russo was still involved with the company. TNA execs had to guarantee that Russo would have zero input in any aspect of the show, or he was calling it off. Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that Spike (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) asked Dixie not to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal, and Russo himself has confirmed this. In addition, Spike has tried for a while now to not seem quite so misogynistic and brash. Russo is known to be exactly that: misogynistic and brash. (And they were already dealing with plenty of {{Wrestling/ECW}} alums who were the same.) So it wouldn't be surprising if they told Dixie not to put him anywhere near creative control.
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Keiji Mutoh also nearly pulled the plug on ''Bound For Glory'' in Japan when he found out Russo was still involved with the company. TNA execs had to guarantee that Russo would have zero input in any aspect of the show, or he was calling it off. Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that Spike (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) asked Dixie not to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal, and Russo himself has confirmed this. In addition, Spike has tried for a while now to not seem quite so misogynistic and brash. Russo is known to be exactly that: misogynistic and brash. (And they were already dealing with plenty of {{Wrestling/ECW}} alums who were the same.) So it wouldn't be surprising if they told Dixie not to put him anywhere near creative control.
to:
** '''WCW''': '''WCW:''' Russo lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a booking "committee" committee consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ J.J. Dillon, and Mike Graham, all of whom promised a return to "real" wrestling.
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Keiji Mutoh also nearly pulled the plug on ''BoundFor for Glory'' in Japan in 2014 when he found out Russo was still involved with the company. TNA execs had to guarantee that Russo would have zero input in any aspect of the show, or he was calling it off. Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that Spike (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) asked Dixie not to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal, and Russo himself has later confirmed this. In addition, Spike has tried for a while now to not seem quite so misogynistic and brash. Russo is known to be exactly that: misogynistic and brash. (And they were already dealing with plenty of {{Wrestling/ECW}} Wrestling/{{ECW}} alums who were the same.) So it wouldn't be surprising if they told Dixie not to put him anywhere near creative control.
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Keiji Mutoh also nearly pulled the plug on ''Bound
Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
-->'''''[[http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/2000042m.htm DDT Digest]]''''': Jarrett grabs a mic. He talks about when he came to WCW about 6 months ago, he was the chosen one. He said Russo was responsible for turning the WWF around.\\\
to:
--->'''''[[http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/2000042m.htm DDT
Changed line(s) 20,23 (click to see context) from:
** That podcast where he said he never wanted to book something he'd seen somewhere else, then said he'd put Owen in a harness because the guys who did it for {{Wrestling/Sting}} (at WCW) were in the building.
** "They kind of fell into that NWO thing. I mean, they really did. You had two top stars from the WWE jump ship and go to their organization, then for the first time Hulk Hogan turns heel after 25 years or whatever it was. They fell into something." It's the typical response to anything that happened in WCW that got fans interested and stopped them showing an interest in their competition. "''Oh, it was just happenstance, they lucked their way into that. Meanwhile, we had rooms full of genius minds crafting storylines and characters that everybody loved and revered for decades to come.''" Not surprising Russo would fall into that line of thinking, but the guy who wants to take credit for everything good that happened in the WWE/F from 1996-1999 and passes blame on everything else he was involved with can't give someone else credit?
** Tell him you want longer wrestling segments and less of everything else and he'll tell you everything else is what resulted in the high ratings. Yet when ''Nitro'' decided to cut back on wrestling segments to test this, ''RAW'' slaughtered it by a 2.5 margin.
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising ]] WWE for putting the Universal Championship belt on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Kevin Owens will ever be", since in his mind Owens doesn't look like a wrestler. His logic is circular and it's [[Wrestling/DustyRhodes so easily rebuked]] it's not even funny.
** "They kind of fell into that NWO thing. I mean, they really did. You had two top stars from the WWE jump ship and go to their organization, then for the first time Hulk Hogan turns heel after 25 years or whatever it was. They fell into something." It's the typical response to anything that happened in WCW that got fans interested and stopped them showing an interest in their competition. "''Oh, it was just happenstance, they lucked their way into that. Meanwhile, we had rooms full of genius minds crafting storylines and characters that everybody loved and revered for decades to come.''" Not surprising Russo would fall into that line of thinking, but the guy who wants to take credit for everything good that happened in the WWE/F from 1996-1999 and passes blame on everything else he was involved with can't give someone else credit?
** Tell him you want longer wrestling segments and less of everything else and he'll tell you everything else is what resulted in the high ratings. Yet when ''Nitro'' decided to cut back on wrestling segments to test this, ''RAW'' slaughtered it by a 2.5 margin.
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising ]] WWE for putting the Universal Championship belt on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Kevin Owens will ever be", since in his mind Owens doesn't look like a wrestler. His logic is circular and it's [[Wrestling/DustyRhodes so easily rebuked]] it's not even funny.
to:
** That podcast where he said he never wanted to book something he'd seen somewhere else, then said he'd put Owen Hart in a harness because the guys who did it for {{Wrestling/Sting}} Wrestling/{{Sting}} (at WCW) were in the building.
** "They kind of fell into thatNWO nWo thing. I mean, they really did. You had two top stars from the WWE jump ship and go to their organization, then for the first time Hulk Hogan turns heel after 25 years or whatever it was. They fell into something." It's the typical response to anything that happened in WCW that got fans interested and stopped them showing an interest in their competition. "''Oh, "Oh, it was just happenstance, they lucked their way into that. Meanwhile, we had rooms full of genius minds crafting storylines and characters that everybody loved and revered for decades to come.''" " Not surprising Russo would fall into that line of thinking, but the guy who wants to take credit for everything good that happened in the WWE/F from 1996-1999 and passes blame on everything else he was involved with can't give someone else credit?
** Tell him you want longer wrestling segments and less of everything else and he'll tell you everything else is what resulted in the high ratings. Yet when ''Nitro'' decided to cut back on wrestling segments to test this,''RAW'' ''Raw'' slaughtered it by a 2.5 margin.
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-becriticising ]] criticising]] WWE for putting the Universal Championship belt on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Kevin Owens will ever be", since in his mind Owens doesn't look like a wrestler. His logic is circular and it's [[Wrestling/DustyRhodes so easily rebuked]] rebuked (see: Wrestling/DustyRhodes) it's not even funny.
** "They kind of fell into that
** Tell him you want longer wrestling segments and less of everything else and he'll tell you everything else is what resulted in the high ratings. Yet when ''Nitro'' decided to cut back on wrestling segments to test this,
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be
Changed line(s) 25,31 (click to see context) from:
** [[http://whatculture.com/wwe/10-things-didnt-know-vince-russo.php/1 As late as 2014]], Vince Russo still complains about TNA becoming "just another wrestling show". This despite the fact much of the WWE roster--Klondyke (Sirelda), Alexis Laree, Valentina, Tracy Brooks, Angel Williams, Talia Madison, Simply Luscious, [[Wrestling/DaffneyUnger Lucy Furr]], Shelly Martinez, Trenesha Biggers, Mickie Knuckles, ODB, Radiant Rain, [[Wrestling/TaylorWilde Shantelle Taylor]] and more--came to work for TNA! The company which was already doing Russo's ideas was feeding him as much talent as [[Wrestling/RingOfHonor ROH]]!
* RunningTheAsylum: Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The show folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (This is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
* SexSells: The problem with trying to give the fans something new is: you have to know they've seen before. And it is clear Vince Russo does not know his wrestling history. His plan for TNA was to make to offer pay-per-view porn wrestling, with more nudity and sex. Problem was, Women's Extreme Wrestling did the same thing two months before TNA even existed. XPW in 1999 was even closer to Russo's pitch. (Both XPW and WEW went under.) Meanwhile, while Russo was writing for TNA, Carmen Electra launched an "adult" wrestling show, and "Full Throttle Wrestling" premiered. They both went under too! In fact, one of the few "adult" promotions to have more staying power than "just another wrestling show" TNA, nearly thirty years of it at that point, was Steel Kittens Productions, and it was significantly more tasteful than what Russo got to do in TNA. (Unless you find polygamy, trashcan sex, molestation, forced prostitution, rape, crack whores and incest less offensive than the occasional torn shirt, that is). History has already shown that shows that stay relatively tasteful and focus on wrestling outlast those that do not, and that "adult" wrestling has been around since before WCW and ''never'' posed a challenge to WWE.
* TrollingCreator:
-->'''On booking himself WCW World Champion''': Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. That's why I even started at the WWE. I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete.
** The trademark "swerve". Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WCW_World_Heavyweight_Champions ri-damn-diculous]] when you reach the Russo booking era.
* RunningTheAsylum: Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The show folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (This is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
* SexSells: The problem with trying to give the fans something new is: you have to know they've seen before. And it is clear Vince Russo does not know his wrestling history. His plan for TNA was to make to offer pay-per-view porn wrestling, with more nudity and sex. Problem was, Women's Extreme Wrestling did the same thing two months before TNA even existed. XPW in 1999 was even closer to Russo's pitch. (Both XPW and WEW went under.) Meanwhile, while Russo was writing for TNA, Carmen Electra launched an "adult" wrestling show, and "Full Throttle Wrestling" premiered. They both went under too! In fact, one of the few "adult" promotions to have more staying power than "just another wrestling show" TNA, nearly thirty years of it at that point, was Steel Kittens Productions, and it was significantly more tasteful than what Russo got to do in TNA. (Unless you find polygamy, trashcan sex, molestation, forced prostitution, rape, crack whores and incest less offensive than the occasional torn shirt, that is). History has already shown that shows that stay relatively tasteful and focus on wrestling outlast those that do not, and that "adult" wrestling has been around since before WCW and ''never'' posed a challenge to WWE.
* TrollingCreator:
-->'''On booking himself WCW World Champion''': Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. That's why I even started at the WWE. I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete.
** The trademark "swerve". Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WCW_World_Heavyweight_Champions ri-damn-diculous]] when you reach the Russo booking era.
to:
** [[http://whatculture.com/wwe/10-things-didnt-know-vince-russo.php/1 As late as 2014]], Vince Russo still complains complained about TNA becoming "just another wrestling show". This despite the fact much of the WWE roster--Klondyke (Sirelda), Alexis Laree, Valentina, Tracy Brooks, Angel Williams, Talia Madison, Simply Luscious, [[Wrestling/DaffneyUnger Lucy Furr]], Shelly Martinez, Trenesha Biggers, Mickie Knuckles, ODB, Radiant Rain, [[Wrestling/TaylorWilde Shantelle Taylor]] and more--came to work for TNA! The company which was already doing Russo's ideas was feeding him as much talent as [[Wrestling/RingOfHonor ROH]]!
* RunningTheAsylum: Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The show folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (This is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for''WWE ''WWF Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
*SexSells: The problem with trying to give the fans something new is: you have to know they've seen before. And it is clear Vince Russo does not know his wrestling history. His plan for TNA was to make to offer pay-per-view porn wrestling, with more nudity and sex. Problem was, Women's Extreme Wrestling did the same thing two months before TNA even existed. XPW in 1999 was even closer to Russo's pitch. (Both XPW and WEW went under.) Meanwhile, while Russo was writing for TNA, Carmen Electra launched an "adult" wrestling show, and "Full Throttle Wrestling" premiered. They both went under too! In fact, one of the few "adult" promotions to have more staying power than "just another wrestling show" TNA, nearly thirty years of it at that point, was Steel Kittens Productions, and it was significantly more tasteful than what Russo got to do in TNA. (Unless you find polygamy, trashcan sex, molestation, forced prostitution, rape, crack whores and incest less offensive than the occasional torn shirt, that is). History has already shown that shows that stay relatively tasteful and focus TrollingCreator:
** He once gave this answer onwrestling outlast those that do not, and that "adult" wrestling has been around since before WCW and ''never'' posed a challenge to WWE.
* TrollingCreator:
-->'''Onbooking himself WCW World Champion''': Heavyweight Champion. We ''think'' that he was taking the piss out of it:
--->'''Vince Russo:''' Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. That's why I even started at the WWE. I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete.
** The trademark "swerve".Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Wrestling/AJStyles gets over? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WCW_World_Heavyweight_Champions ri-damn-diculous]] when you reach the Russo bookingera. era, ending with Vince Russo, WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
* RunningTheAsylum: Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The show folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (This is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for
*
** He once gave this answer on
* TrollingCreator:
-->'''On
--->'''Vince Russo:''' Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. That's why I even started at the WWE. I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete.
** The trademark "swerve".
* WrittenByCastMember: Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WCW_World_Heavyweight_Champions ri-damn-diculous]] when you reach the Russo booking
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** "They kind of fell into that NWO thing. I mean, they really did. You had two top stars from the WWE jump ship and go to their organization, then for the first time Hulk Hogan turns heel after 25 years or whatever it was. They fell into something." It's the typical response to anything that happened in WCW that got fans interested and stopped them showing an interest in their competition. "''Oh, it was just happenstance, they lucked their way into that. Meanwhile, we had rooms full of genius minds crafting storylines and characters that everybody loved and revered for decades to come.''" Not surprising Russo would fall into that line of thinking, but the guy who wants to take credit for everything good that happened in the WWE/F from 1996-1999 and passes blame on everything else he was involved with can't give someone else credit?
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that Spike (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) pointedly asked Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal; Russo himself has confirmed this. Spike has been very good to TNA over the years; an under-handed move like that broke the trust the two companies had built.
to:
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Keiji Mutoh also nearly pulled the plug on ''Bound For Glory'' in Japan when he found out Russo was still involved with the company. TNA execs had to guarantee that Russo would have zero input in any aspect of the show, or he was calling it off. Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that Spike (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) pointedly asked Dixie ''not'' not to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal; deal, and Russo himself has confirmed this. In addition, Spike has been very good tried for a while now to TNA over not seem quite so misogynistic and brash. Russo is known to be exactly that: misogynistic and brash. (And they were already dealing with plenty of {{Wrestling/ECW}} alums who were the years; an under-handed move like that broke the trust the two companies had built.same.) So it wouldn't be surprising if they told Dixie not to put him anywhere near creative control.
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Added DiffLines:
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising ]] WWE for putting the Universal Championship belt on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Kevin Owens will ever be", since in his mind Owens doesn't look like a wrestler. His logic is circular and it's [[Wrestling/DustyRhodes so easily rebuked]] it's not even funny.
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Added DiffLines:
* ActorSharedBackground: Russo found God and confessed his past sins to the ''Impact Zone'', claiming that he "sold his soul for ratings." Russo really did become a born-again Christian in real life.
Added DiffLines:
-->'''''[[http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/2000042m.htm DDT Digest]]''''': Jarrett grabs a mic. He talks about when he came to WCW about 6 months ago, he was the chosen one. He said Russo was responsible for turning the WWF around.\\\
Single handedly, didn't you know that?\\\
No wrestlers needed, only good old Vince Russo.
Single handedly, didn't you know that?\\\
No wrestlers needed, only good old Vince Russo.
Added DiffLines:
** Tell him you want longer wrestling segments and less of everything else and he'll tell you everything else is what resulted in the high ratings. Yet when ''Nitro'' decided to cut back on wrestling segments to test this, ''RAW'' slaughtered it by a 2.5 margin.
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Deleted line(s) 1,4 (click to see context) :
* AscendedMeme:
** "'''''SWERVE!'''''" and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast. He even wore a "FIRE RUSSO" T-shirt (a la [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Han Shot First]]).
** And for Website/{{Botchamania}} 300, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVH8iW3pEhw he accepted their offer to do the introduction]]...
--->'''Russo:''' Well I'm gonna give ya ''Botchamania'' another day, I'm here to swerve ya. I'm gonna give you old reruns of ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', how's that?
** "'''''SWERVE!'''''" and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast. He even wore a "FIRE RUSSO" T-shirt (a la [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Han Shot First]]).
** And for Website/{{Botchamania}} 300, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVH8iW3pEhw he accepted their offer to do the introduction]]...
--->'''Russo:''' Well I'm gonna give ya ''Botchamania'' another day, I'm here to swerve ya. I'm gonna give you old reruns of ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', how's that?
Changed line(s) 9,13 (click to see context) from:
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
** Russo only lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a "booking committee" (read: a coup) consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, who all promised a return to "real" wrestling. A sad day for [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the Ed Ferrara marks]].
--->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble [[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think [[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's "more storyline, less wrestling" direction only to be ignored.
** Russo only lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a "booking committee" (read: a coup) consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, who all promised a return to "real" wrestling. A sad day for [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the Ed Ferrara marks]].
--->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble [[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think [[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's "more storyline, less wrestling" direction only to be ignored.
to:
** Russo only lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a "booking committee" (read: a coup) consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, who all promised a return to "real" wrestling. A sad day for [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the Ed Ferrara marks]].
--->'''Bill
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think
** Cornette. They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Jim was old-school and Russo was the new kid in town, pushing the Attitude Era along. Russo went to [=McMahon=] and basically told him ''Either he goes, or I go'', because they kept getting in each others' way. [=McMahon=] sided with Russo. Cornette also blames Russo for Owen Hart's death by putting him in the Blue Blazer gimmick. The feud runs so deep that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as I do, he can't be all bad.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's "more storyline, less wrestling"
Changed line(s) 15,22 (click to see context) from:
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment. Although you ''might'' gain new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] net effect.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by Vince [=McMahon=] to sabotage the competition from within. [[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]
* RunningTheAsylum:
** There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinAttack kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
* TrollingCreator: His trademark "swerves" have an element of this. It isn't enough to upset fans' expectations; Russo will unfailingly go in a direction that'll rile them to the maximum degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time performer? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]].''' One of the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And he wrote the other one (David Arquette) too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment. Although you ''might'' gain new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] net effect.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by Vince [=McMahon=] to sabotage the competition from within. [[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]
* RunningTheAsylum:
** There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinAttack kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
* TrollingCreator: His trademark "swerves" have an element of this. It isn't enough to upset fans' expectations; Russo will unfailingly go in a direction that'll rile them to the maximum degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time performer? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]].''' One of the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And he wrote the other one (David Arquette) too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.
to:
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment.failed. Although you he ''might'' gain have gained new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] zero net effect.
* GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld:
** '''WCW''': Russo lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a booking "committee" consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, all of whom promised a return to "real" wrestling.
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that Spike (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) pointedly asked Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal; Russo himself has confirmed this. Spike has been very good to TNA over the years; an under-handed move like that broke the trust the two companies had built.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by Vince [=McMahon=] to sabotage the competition from within.[[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]
wasn't.
*RunningTheAsylum:
LyingCreator:
**There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment That podcast where he said he never wanted to book something he'd seen somewhere else, then said he'd put Owen in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, a harness because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the guys who did it for {{Wrestling/Sting}} (at WCW) were in the building.
** In the first week of the "Second Monday Night War", ''Raw'' got a 3.6 rating. ''Impact'' got a 1.5, leading to Russo including the following in his blog: "The bottom line is, TNA WON--period."
** [[http://whatculture.com/wwe/10-things-didnt-know-vince-russo.php/1 As late as 2014]], Vince Russo still complains about TNA becoming "just another wrestling show". This despite the fact much of the WWE roster--Klondyke (Sirelda), Alexis Laree, Valentina, Tracy Brooks, Angel Williams, Talia Madison, Simply Luscious, [[Wrestling/DaffneyUnger Lucy Furr]], Shelly Martinez, Trenesha Biggers, Mickie Knuckles, ODB, Radiant Rain, [[Wrestling/TaylorWilde Shantelle Taylor]] and more--came to work for TNA! The company which was already doing Russo's ideas was feeding him as much talent as [[Wrestling/RingOfHonor ROH]]!
* RunningTheAsylum: Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The show folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (This is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
* SexSells: The problem with trying to give the fans something new is: you have to know they've seen before. And it is clear Vince Russo does not know his wrestling history. His plan for TNA was to make to offer pay-per-view porn wrestling, with more nudity and sex. Problem was, Women's Extreme Wrestling did the same thing two months before TNA even existed. XPW in 1999 was even closer to Russo's pitch. (Both XPW and WEW went under.) Meanwhile, while Russo was writing for TNA, Carmen Electra launched an "adult" wrestling show, and "Full Throttle Wrestling" premiered. They both went under too! In fact, one of the few "adult" promotions to have more staying power than "just another wrestling show" TNA, nearly thirty years of it at that point, was Steel Kittens Productions, and it was significantly more tasteful than what Russo got to do in TNA. (Unless you find polygamy, trashcan sex, molestation, forced prostitution, rape, crack whores and incest less offensive than the occasional torn shirt, that is). History has already shown that shows that stay relatively tasteful and focus on wrestling outlast those that do not, and that "adult" wrestling has been around since before WCW and ''never'' posed a challenge to WWE.
* TrollingCreator:
-->'''On bookingera.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russohimself had WCW World Champion''': Because I'm a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, total mark and fought her twice in May the first words I ever spoke when I came out of 2000: once in a cage match, my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinAttack kicking him kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. That's why I even started at the WWE. I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get on backstage.
* TrollingCreator: Hissome experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete.
** The trademark"swerves" have an element of this. It isn't enough to upset fans' expectations; Russo will unfailingly go in a direction that'll rile them to the maximum degree."swerve". Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time performer? full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember:Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]].''' One of Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WCW_World_Heavyweight_Champions ri-damn-diculous]] when you reach the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And he wrote the other one (David Arquette) too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.Russo booking era.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment.
* GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld:
** '''WCW''': Russo lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a booking "committee" consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, all of whom promised a return to "real" wrestling.
** '''TNA:''' There was some speculation as to ''why'' his rehiring was kept a secret: The obvious one was that Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that Spike (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) pointedly asked Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal; Russo himself has confirmed this. Spike has been very good to TNA over the years; an under-handed move like that broke the trust the two companies had built.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by Vince [=McMahon=] to sabotage the competition from within.
*
**
** In the first week of the "Second Monday Night War", ''Raw'' got a 3.6 rating. ''Impact'' got a 1.5, leading to Russo including the following in his blog: "The bottom line is, TNA WON--period."
** [[http://whatculture.com/wwe/10-things-didnt-know-vince-russo.php/1 As late as 2014]], Vince Russo still complains about TNA becoming "just another wrestling show". This despite the fact much of the WWE roster--Klondyke (Sirelda), Alexis Laree, Valentina, Tracy Brooks, Angel Williams, Talia Madison, Simply Luscious, [[Wrestling/DaffneyUnger Lucy Furr]], Shelly Martinez, Trenesha Biggers, Mickie Knuckles, ODB, Radiant Rain, [[Wrestling/TaylorWilde Shantelle Taylor]] and more--came to work for TNA! The company which was already doing Russo's ideas was feeding him as much talent as [[Wrestling/RingOfHonor ROH]]!
* RunningTheAsylum: Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The show folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (This is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
* SexSells: The problem with trying to give the fans something new is: you have to know they've seen before. And it is clear Vince Russo does not know his wrestling history. His plan for TNA was to make to offer pay-per-view porn wrestling, with more nudity and sex. Problem was, Women's Extreme Wrestling did the same thing two months before TNA even existed. XPW in 1999 was even closer to Russo's pitch. (Both XPW and WEW went under.) Meanwhile, while Russo was writing for TNA, Carmen Electra launched an "adult" wrestling show, and "Full Throttle Wrestling" premiered. They both went under too! In fact, one of the few "adult" promotions to have more staying power than "just another wrestling show" TNA, nearly thirty years of it at that point, was Steel Kittens Productions, and it was significantly more tasteful than what Russo got to do in TNA. (Unless you find polygamy, trashcan sex, molestation, forced prostitution, rape, crack whores and incest less offensive than the occasional torn shirt, that is). History has already shown that shows that stay relatively tasteful and focus on wrestling outlast those that do not, and that "adult" wrestling has been around since before WCW and ''never'' posed a challenge to WWE.
* TrollingCreator:
-->'''On booking
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo
* TrollingCreator: His
** The trademark
* WrittenByCastMember:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
moderator restored to earlier version
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Moved to Jim Cornette.
Deleted line(s) 7 (click to see context) :
*** His hatred for Russo is so bad that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has had a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as I do he can't be all bad.
Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
* CreatorKiller: Carter's secret rehiring of him in early 2014. A lot of his tells were there in the booking of ''Impact!'' at the time. Then, in true stupidity, Russo CC'ed an email with commentary instructions for Tazz and Mike Tenay to [=PWInsider=]. TNA tried to do damage control and make it seem like a work, only to give up when Russo came clean.\\\
to:
* CreatorKiller: Carter's His secret rehiring of him in rehiringin early 2014. A lot of his tells were there in the booking of ''Impact!'' at the time. Then, in true stupidity, Russo CC'ed an email with commentary instructions for Tazz and Mike Tenay to [=PWInsider=]. TNA tried to do damage control and make it seem like a work, only to give up when Russo came clean.\\\
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Changed line(s) 31,32 (click to see context) from:
From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.\\\
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.\\\
to:
From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
**Night''. Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.defected.
** Winning the world title, which he held way longer than [=McMahon=] ever did, in a multiway ''Hell in the Cell'' ripoff which was won by escape.\\\
**
** Winning the world title, which he held way longer than [=McMahon=] ever did, in a multiway ''Hell in the Cell'' ripoff which was won by escape.\\\
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Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
** Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The shows folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (That is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
to:
** Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The shows show folded within a the year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (That is not a joke.) )\\\
From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
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Changed line(s) 38 (click to see context) from:
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising WWE]] for putting the Universal Championship on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Wrestling/KevinOwens will ever be". (Russo actually was warming up to Owens at one point, but the physique kind of turned him off, since in his mind Owens doesn't look like a wrestler.)
to:
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising WWE]] for putting the Universal Championship on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Wrestling/KevinOwens will ever be". (Russo actually was warming up to Owens at one point, but the physique kind of turned him off, since in his mind Owens doesn't look like a wrestler.)) His logic is circular and it's [[Wrestling/DustyRhodes so easily rebuked]] it's not even funny.
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Changed line(s) 38 (click to see context) from:
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising WWE]] for putting the Universal Championship on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Wrestling/KevinOwens will ever be".\
to:
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising WWE]] for putting the Universal Championship on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Wrestling/KevinOwens will ever be".\ (Russo actually was warming up to Owens at one point, but the physique kind of turned him off, since in his mind Owens doesn't look like a wrestler.)
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Changed line(s) 37 (click to see context) from:
** It isn't enough to defy expectations. Russo will unfailingly go in a direction which will rile you to the max degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Sting squashes him out of nowhere. Fan petition to promote a valet to full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole matches? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
to:
** It isn't enough to defy expectations. It's almost, ALMOST as if Russo will unfailingly go in a direction gets starved for attention sometimes, so says or does something silly but which he knows will rile you to the max degree.get people talking about him. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Sting squashes him out of nowhere. Fan petition to promote a valet to full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole matches? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
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Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
There was some speculation as to ''why'' it was kept a secret: the obvious one was that Wrestle-1 took offense to his race-baiting (not without merit). Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that ''Creator/SpikeTV'' (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) pointedly asked Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal. (Russo himself has confirmed this.) Spike has been very good to TNA over the years and a bush-league move like that broke the trust the two companies had built.
to:
There was some speculation as to ''why'' it was kept a secret: the secret. The obvious one was that Wrestle-1 took offense answer: Wrestle-1's front office didn't trust Russo to his race-baiting use New Japan's talent wisely (not without merit). Dave Meltzer, on the other had, reported that ''Creator/SpikeTV'' (who were renegotiating a TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time) pointedly asked Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but the announcement that they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal. (Russo himself has confirmed this.) Spike has been very good to TNA over the years and a bush-league move like that broke the trust the two companies had built.
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Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
** The only reason he got a job in TNA in the first place was his friendship with Jeff Jarrett (something Jerry Jarrett greatly regrets). Jeff, to his credit, did a lot of editing of his ideas (alongside Dutch Mantell), but Vince proceeded to endear himself to TNA's President Dixie Carter. From its first PPV till it's jump to Fox Sports Net, TNA Impact became gradually less Russo-like, by 2003 one could even argue that most of the angles made sense (the occasional Monty Brown in Planet Jarrett aside). Then, in late 2006, the prints started to become visible again [[http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2015/06/18/bound-for-nothing-or-how-tna-died-on-october-22-2006/ after Russo was seen in the audience.]]
to:
** The only reason he got a job in TNA in the first place was his friendship with Jeff Jarrett (something Jerry Jarrett greatly deeply regrets). Jeff, to his credit, did a lot of editing of his ideas (alongside Dutch Mantell), but Vince proceeded to endear himself to had more clout with TNA's President Dixie Carter. President. From its first PPV till PPV, til it's jump to Fox Sports Net, TNA Impact became gradually less Russo-like, by 2003 one could even argue that most of the angles made sense (the occasional Monty Brown in Planet Jarrett aside). Then, in late 2006, the prints started to become visible again [[http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2015/06/18/bound-for-nothing-or-how-tna-died-on-october-22-2006/ after Russo was seen in the audience.]]
Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
There was speculation as to ''why'' it was kept a secret; the obvious one was, of course, that Wrestle-1 hated him for his perceived racism (not without merit), but Dave Meltzer claimed the main reason was because ''Creator/SpikeTV'', who was renegotiating a new TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time, hated him too and actually pointedly instructed to Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike denied this, but seeing that they announced that the deal fell through and they wouldn't be renewing the deal shortly after Russo's rehiring was revealed, it was highly doubtful anyone believed them. Considering that John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal, lends weight to the fact that Russo had a ''lot'' to do with the decision. Russo himself believes that the real reason Dixie kept his rehiring a secret was the fact that she feared the backlash.
to:
There was some speculation as to ''why'' it was kept a secret; secret: the obvious one was, of course, was that Wrestle-1 hated him for took offense to his perceived racism race-baiting (not without merit), but merit). Dave Meltzer claimed Meltzer, on the main reason was because ''Creator/SpikeTV'', who was other had, reported that ''Creator/SpikeTV'' (who were renegotiating a new TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time, hated him too and actually time) pointedly instructed to asked Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike has denied this, but seeing the announcement that they announced that the deal fell through and they wouldn't be renewing the deal came shortly after Russo's rehiring was revealed, it was highly doubtful anyone believed them. Considering that rehiring. John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal, lends weight to the fact that Russo had a ''lot'' to do with the decision. Russo deal. (Russo himself believes has confirmed this.) Spike has been very good to TNA over the years and a bush-league move like that broke the real reason Dixie kept his rehiring a secret was trust the fact that she feared the backlash.two companies had built.
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Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
--->"Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. [[IMeantToDoThat That's why I even started at the WWE.]] I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete. "
to:
--->"Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. [[IMeantToDoThat That's why I even started at the WWE.]] I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete. ""
*** He also claimed that it was [=McMahon's=] idea to put the belt on David Arquette, "to kill WCW once and for all." It was genius move for Vince to send him to TNA, as well.
*** He also claimed that it was [=McMahon's=] idea to put the belt on David Arquette, "to kill WCW once and for all." It was genius move for Vince to send him to TNA, as well.
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** When Vince did his first Reddit [=AmA=], he was asked what in the hell was the point of giving himself the world title. His response:
--->"Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. [[IMeantToDoThat That's why I even started at the WWE.]] I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete. "
--->"Because I'm a total mark and the first words I ever spoke when I came out of my mother's wound, was that one day, I was going to be the WCW Champion. And all through pre-school and kindergarden and grade school and high school, that dream never left me. My whole intention of getting in the wrestling business in the first place, was to become the WCW World Champion for three whole days. [[IMeantToDoThat That's why I even started at the WWE.]] I knew I wasn't good enough to be the WWE Champion, but if I just could get some experience there, then MAYBE, just MAYBE, I could fulfill my destiny of being the WCW Champion. And it was only by the grace of GOD that my dreams were fulfilled and I was able to hold that WCW title high above my head and say, "I did it!" At that point in time, my life was complete. "
Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising WWE]] for putting the Universal Championship on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Wrestling/KevinOwens will ever be".
to:
** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising WWE]] for putting the Universal Championship on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Wrestling/KevinOwens will ever be".\
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Changed line(s) 30,31 (click to see context) from:
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
** Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
to:
** Russo got his start by operating and hosting an AM Radio show called ''Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling''. The shows folded within a year after the crank calls from listeners got out of hand. (That is not a joke.) From there he got hired a writer for ''WWE Magazine'' under the pen name "Vic Venom", had his own segment on the show ''Livewire'', and even commentated on a handful of episodes of ''Shotgun Saturday Night''.
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship toOrlando.
**Orlando.\\\
Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to
**
Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
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Changed line(s) 4 (click to see context) from:
* CreativeDifferences:
to:
* CreativeDifferences: The [=McMahon=]/Russo/[[Wrestling/JimCornette Cornette]] creative team was effective for the same reasons they all hate each other now: Russo is pure id. He'd come up with new ideas—some great, many garbage—but never had much attention span for any of them, no follow through beyond the one thing he wanted to do. Cornette is the superego. The deeply-held belief system, the fundamental awareness of right and wrong. He could book a dozen technically-perfect matches in his sleep... but unfortunately, they're dry enough that he'd put the audience to sleep, too. [=McMahon=] is the Ego. He's the one who deals with reality. [=McMahon=] knows how to get the results he wants without getting in trouble. The element which mediates between Id and Superego.
Changed line(s) 6,7 (click to see context) from:
** They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Jim was old-school and Russo was the new kid in town, pushing the Attitude era. Russo went to [=McMahon=] and basically told him 'Either he goes, or I go', because they kept getting in each others' way. [=McMahon=] sided with Russo. (Cornette also blames Russo for Owen Hart's death by putting him in the Blue Blazer gimmick.)
** His hatred for Russo is so bad that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has had a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as I do he can't be all bad.
** His hatred for Russo is so bad that he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has had a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as I do he can't be all bad.
to:
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Changed line(s) 33 (click to see context) from:
** It isn't enough to defy expectations; Russo unfailingly goes in a direction that will you you to the maximum degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Sting squashes him out of nowhere. Fan petition to promote a valet to full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole matches? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
to:
** It isn't enough to defy expectations; expectations. Russo will unfailingly goes go in a direction that which will you rile you to the maximum max degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Sting squashes him out of nowhere. Fan petition to promote a valet to full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole matches? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
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Changed line(s) 17,18 (click to see context) from:
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment. Although you ''might'' gain new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] net effect.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment. Although you ''might'' gain new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] net effect.
to:
* FollowTheLeader: FollowTheLeader:
** Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed.
-->'''''DDT --->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment. Although you ''might'' gain new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] ZERO net effect.effect.
** The problem with trying to give the fans something new is: you gotta know they've seen before. And it is clear Vince Russo does not know his wrestling history. His plan for TNA was to make to offer pay-per-view porn wrestling, with more nudity and sex. Problem was, Women's Extreme Wrestling did the same thing two months before TNA even existed. But if that isn't convincing enough Vince Russo had nothing new, before WEW, XPW in 1999 was even closer to Russo's pitch. (Both XPW and WEW went under.)
*** While Russo was writing for TNA, Carmen Electra launched an "adult" wrestling show, and "Full Throttle Wrestling" premiered. They both went under too! (One of the few "adult" promotions to have more staying power than "just another wrestling show" TNA, nearly thirty years of it at that point, was Steel Kittens Productions, and it was significantly more tasteful at its most explicit than what Russo got to do in TNA! (unless you find polygamy, trashcan sex, molestation, forced prostitution, rape, crack whores and incest less offensive than the occasional torn shirt, that is). History already showed that shows that stay relatively-tasteful and focus on wrestling outlast those that do not, and that "adult" wrestling has been around since before WCW and ''never'' posed a challenge to WWE.
** Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed.
** The problem with trying to give the fans something new is: you gotta know they've seen before. And it is clear Vince Russo does not know his wrestling history. His plan for TNA was to make to offer pay-per-view porn wrestling, with more nudity and sex. Problem was, Women's Extreme Wrestling did the same thing two months before TNA even existed. But if that isn't convincing enough Vince Russo had nothing new, before WEW, XPW in 1999 was even closer to Russo's pitch. (Both XPW and WEW went under.)
*** While Russo was writing for TNA, Carmen Electra launched an "adult" wrestling show, and "Full Throttle Wrestling" premiered. They both went under too! (One of the few "adult" promotions to have more staying power than "just another wrestling show" TNA, nearly thirty years of it at that point, was Steel Kittens Productions, and it was significantly more tasteful at its most explicit than what Russo got to do in TNA! (unless you find polygamy, trashcan sex, molestation, forced prostitution, rape, crack whores and incest less offensive than the occasional torn shirt, that is). History already showed that shows that stay relatively-tasteful and focus on wrestling outlast those that do not, and that "adult" wrestling has been around since before WCW and ''never'' posed a challenge to WWE.
Changed line(s) 24 (click to see context) from:
** The podcast where he said he never wanted to book something he'd seen somewhere else, then said he'd put Wrestling/OwenHart in a harness because the guys who did it for {{Wrestling/Sting}} (at WCW) were in the building.
to:
** That podcast where he said he never wanted to book something he'd seen somewhere else, then said he'd put Wrestling/OwenHart in a harness because the guys who did it for {{Wrestling/Sting}} (at WCW) were in the
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Changed line(s) 26 (click to see context) from:
Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
to:
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
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Deleted line(s) 1,4 (click to see context) :
* AscendedMeme:
** "'''''SWERVE!'''''" and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast. He even wore a "FIRE RUSSO" T-shirt (a la [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Han Shot First]]).
** And for Website/{{Botchamania}} 300, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVH8iW3pEhw he accepted their offer to do the introduction]]...
--->'''Russo:''' Well I'm gonna give ya ''Botchamania'' another day, I'm here to swerve ya. I'm gonna give you old reruns of ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', how's that?
** "'''''SWERVE!'''''" and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast. He even wore a "FIRE RUSSO" T-shirt (a la [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Han Shot First]]).
** And for Website/{{Botchamania}} 300, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVH8iW3pEhw he accepted their offer to do the introduction]]...
--->'''Russo:''' Well I'm gonna give ya ''Botchamania'' another day, I'm here to swerve ya. I'm gonna give you old reruns of ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', how's that?
Changed line(s) 6 (click to see context) from:
** After he became a Born-Again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in 1998.
to:
** After he became As a Born-Again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in 1998.
Changed line(s) 9,13 (click to see context) from:
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
** Russo only lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a "booking committee" (read: a coup) consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, who all promised a return to "real" wrestling. A sad day for [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the Ed Ferrara marks]].
--->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble [[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think [[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's "more storyline, less wrestling" direction only to be ignored.
** Russo only lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a "booking committee" (read: a coup) consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham, who all promised a return to "real" wrestling. A sad day for [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the Ed Ferrara marks]].
--->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble [[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think [[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's "more storyline, less wrestling" direction only to be ignored.
to:
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, If Wrestling/JimCornette had his way, Russo would have been zipped up in a body bag ''years'' ago. Cornette has stated that his biggest ambition in life is to piss on Russo's grave. Jim Cornette stopped eating most fast food. He stopped drinking Sprite. These were his two great loves. Why? So he can be slightly healthier and hopefully outlive Russo.
** They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Jim was old-school and Russo wasa useful sounding board the new kid in town, pushing the Attitude era. Russo went to [=McMahon=] and basically told him 'Either he goes, or I go', because they kept getting in each others' way. [=McMahon=] sided with Russo. (Cornette also blames Russo for Owen Hart's death by putting him in the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than Blue Blazer gimmick.)
** His hatred for Russo is so bad thatin WWE, so he made amends with Eric Bischoff (someone else Cornette has had a long-standing grudge against) mainly because, as Cornette said, if he hates Russo as much as I do he can't be all bad.
** In 1999, [=Vince McMahon=] got a call from his head writer informing him that ''not only'' was he no-showing at ''Raw'' that night, he'd just jumped ship toOrlando.
**his competitor. Russo had just entered into talks with TNT wherein he claimed responsibility for the WWE's renaissance, believing that [=McMahon=] had screwed him out of credit.
*** Russo only lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a "booking committee" (read: a coup) consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham,who all of whom promised a return to "real" wrestling. A sad day for [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative the Ed Ferrara marks]].
wrestling.
--->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble[[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] version of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think[[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. kind. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
**{{backyard wrestling}}.
*** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's "more storyline, less wrestling" direction only to beignored.ignored.
** The only reason he got a job in TNA in the first place was his friendship with Jeff Jarrett (something Jerry Jarrett greatly regrets). Jeff, to his credit, did a lot of editing of his ideas (alongside Dutch Mantell), but Vince proceeded to endear himself to TNA's President Dixie Carter. From its first PPV till it's jump to Fox Sports Net, TNA Impact became gradually less Russo-like, by 2003 one could even argue that most of the angles made sense (the occasional Monty Brown in Planet Jarrett aside). Then, in late 2006, the prints started to become visible again [[http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2015/06/18/bound-for-nothing-or-how-tna-died-on-october-22-2006/ after Russo was seen in the audience.]]
* CreatorKiller: Carter's secret rehiring of him in early 2014. A lot of his tells were there in the booking of ''Impact!'' at the time. Then, in true stupidity, Russo CC'ed an email with commentary instructions for Tazz and Mike Tenay to [=PWInsider=]. TNA tried to do damage control and make it seem like a work, only to give up when Russo came clean.\\\
There was speculation as to ''why'' it was kept a secret; the obvious one was, of course, that Wrestle-1 hated him for his perceived racism (not without merit), but Dave Meltzer claimed the main reason was because ''Creator/SpikeTV'', who was renegotiating a new TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time, hated him too and actually pointedly instructed to Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike denied this, but seeing that they announced that the deal fell through and they wouldn't be renewing the deal shortly after Russo's rehiring was revealed, it was highly doubtful anyone believed them. Considering that John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal, lends weight to the fact that Russo had a ''lot'' to do with the decision. Russo himself believes that the real reason Dixie kept his rehiring a secret was the fact that she feared the backlash.
** They both had worked in WWE and TNA at around the same time. Jim was old-school and Russo was
** His hatred for Russo is so bad that
** In 1999, [=Vince McMahon=] got a call from his head writer informing him that ''not only'' was he no-showing at ''Raw'' that night, he'd just jumped ship to
**
*** Russo only lasted a year there before he lost creative control to a "booking committee" (read: a coup) consisting of Wrestling/KevinSullivan, JJ Dillon, and Mike Graham,
--->'''Bill Apter:''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]'') Critics have said WCW has started to resemble
'''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think
**
*** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's "more storyline, less wrestling" direction only to be
** The only reason he got a job in TNA in the first place was his friendship with Jeff Jarrett (something Jerry Jarrett greatly regrets). Jeff, to his credit, did a lot of editing of his ideas (alongside Dutch Mantell), but Vince proceeded to endear himself to TNA's President Dixie Carter. From its first PPV till it's jump to Fox Sports Net, TNA Impact became gradually less Russo-like, by 2003 one could even argue that most of the angles made sense (the occasional Monty Brown in Planet Jarrett aside). Then, in late 2006, the prints started to become visible again [[http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2015/06/18/bound-for-nothing-or-how-tna-died-on-october-22-2006/ after Russo was seen in the audience.]]
* CreatorKiller: Carter's secret rehiring of him in early 2014. A lot of his tells were there in the booking of ''Impact!'' at the time. Then, in true stupidity, Russo CC'ed an email with commentary instructions for Tazz and Mike Tenay to [=PWInsider=]. TNA tried to do damage control and make it seem like a work, only to give up when Russo came clean.\\\
There was speculation as to ''why'' it was kept a secret; the obvious one was, of course, that Wrestle-1 hated him for his perceived racism (not without merit), but Dave Meltzer claimed the main reason was because ''Creator/SpikeTV'', who was renegotiating a new TV deal for ''Impact!'' at the time, hated him too and actually pointedly instructed to Dixie ''not'' to rehire him. Spike denied this, but seeing that they announced that the deal fell through and they wouldn't be renewing the deal shortly after Russo's rehiring was revealed, it was highly doubtful anyone believed them. Considering that John Gaburick (head of TNA creative) fired Russo days later, likely in a vain attempt to save the deal, lends weight to the fact that Russo had a ''lot'' to do with the decision. Russo himself believes that the real reason Dixie kept his rehiring a secret was the fact that she feared the backlash.
Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by Vince [=McMahon=] to sabotage the competition from within. [[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]
to:
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even LyingCreator:
** He's been afew wrestlers suspected ProfessionalWrestling fan for so long that he was a double agent sent in by Vince [=McMahon=] proclaims to sabotage have "SeenItAll." (In truth, Russo had never attended a wrestling match before being promoted to Cornette's partner at the competition from within. [[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]WWF.)
** We've yet to see a shoot interview where Russo comes across well. His whole style is ''lemmie me be honest with you bro'' then he proceeds to blame everyone else for his failures. Of course his success is entirely his, though.
** The first week of the "Second Monday Night War", ''[[Wrestling/{{WWERaw}} Raw]]'' got a 3.6 rating. ''[[Wrestling/{{TNA}} TNA Impact]]'' got a 1.5, leading to Russo including the following in his blog:
--->"The bottom line is, TNA WON-- period."
** The podcast where he said he never wanted to book something he'd seen somewhere else, then said he'd put Wrestling/OwenHart in a harness because the guys who did it for {{Wrestling/Sting}} (at WCW) were in the building.
** He's been a
** We've yet to see a shoot interview where Russo comes across well. His whole style is ''lemmie me be honest with you bro'' then he proceeds to blame everyone else for his failures. Of course his success is entirely his, though.
** The first week of the "Second Monday Night War", ''[[Wrestling/{{WWERaw}} Raw]]'' got a 3.6 rating. ''[[Wrestling/{{TNA}} TNA Impact]]'' got a 1.5, leading to Russo including the following in his blog:
--->"The bottom line is, TNA WON-- period."
** The podcast where he said he never wanted to book something he'd seen somewhere else, then said he'd put Wrestling/OwenHart in a harness because the guys who did it for {{Wrestling/Sting}} (at WCW) were in the building.
Changed line(s) 19,22 (click to see context) from:
** There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinAttack kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
* TrollingCreator: His trademark "swerves" have an element of this. It isn't enough to upset fans' expectations; Russo will unfailingly go in a direction that'll rile them to the maximum degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time performer? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]].''' One of the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And he wrote the other one (David Arquette) too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinAttack kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
* TrollingCreator: His trademark "swerves" have an element of this. It isn't enough to upset fans' expectations; Russo will unfailingly go in a direction that'll rile them to the maximum degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury him out of nowhere. Fans petition to promote a valet to full-time performer? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]].''' One of the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And he wrote the other one (David Arquette) too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.
to:
Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
**There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
* TrollingCreator:
**Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinAttack kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
* TrollingCreator: His trademark "swerves" have an element of this.It isn't enough to upset fans' defy expectations; Russo will unfailingly go goes in a direction that'll rile them that will you you to the maximum degree. Heat for Wrestling/AJStyles? Have Sting bury squashes him out of nowhere. Fans Fan petition to promote a valet to full-time performer? full-time? Invite her into the ring, call her a strumpet, and summon your twin bodyguards to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYC6b9i6myI knock her senseless.]] Audiences becoming sick of the pole match? matches? ''Increase the pole matches exponentially!''
* WrittenByCastMember: Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]].''' One of ** While [[http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/749785-vince-russo-rants-on-kevin-owens-as-universal-champ-says-wrestling-is-at-rock-bottom-david-arquette-was-more-over-than-owens-ever-will-be criticising WWE]] for putting the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And Universal Championship on [[Wrestling/KevinSteen Kevin Owens]], he wrote the other one (David Arquette) too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.claimed that David Arquette "was more over than Wrestling/KevinOwens will ever be".
**
* TrollingCreator:
**
* TrollingCreator: His trademark "swerves" have an element of this.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 2,3 (click to see context) from:
** '''''SWERVE!''''' and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast.
** He even wore a "FIRE RUSSO" T-shirt (a la [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Han Shot First]]).
** He even wore a "FIRE RUSSO" T-shirt (a la [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Han Shot First]]).
to:
** '''''SWERVE!''''' "'''''SWERVE!'''''" and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast.
**podcast. He even wore a "FIRE RUSSO" T-shirt (a la [[Creator/GeorgeLucas Han Shot First]]).
**
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 9 (click to see context) from:
* CreativeDifferences: Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
to:
* CreativeDifferences: CreativeDifferences:
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
** Under [=McMahon's=] moderating influence, Russo was a useful sounding board for the company's demographic. But he knew he would never rise further than that in WWE, so he jumped ship to Orlando.
Changed line(s) 11 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Bill Apter''' (''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]''): Critics have said WCW has started to resemble [[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1 (click to see context) from:
* AscendedMeme: '''''SWERVE!''''' and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast.
to:
* AscendedMeme: AscendedMeme:
** '''''SWERVE!''''' and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast.
** '''''SWERVE!''''' and "FIRE RUSSO", both of which he has acknowledged on ''Impact'' and in his podcast.
Changed line(s) 3,5 (click to see context) from:
** And for {{Website/Botchamania}} 300, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVH8iW3pEhw he accepted their offer to do the introduction]]...
--->'''Russo''': Well I'm gonna give ya ''Botchamania'' another day, I'm here to swerve ya. I'm gonna give you old reruns of ''{{Series/Roseanne}}'', how's that?
* CreatorBacklash: After he became a Born-Again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in 1998.
--->'''Russo''': Well I'm gonna give ya ''Botchamania'' another day, I'm here to swerve ya. I'm gonna give you old reruns of ''{{Series/Roseanne}}'', how's that?
* CreatorBacklash: After he became a Born-Again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in 1998.
to:
** And for {{Website/Botchamania}} Website/{{Botchamania}} 300, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVH8iW3pEhw he accepted their offer to do the introduction]]...
--->'''Russo''': --->'''Russo:''' Well I'm gonna give ya ''Botchamania'' another day, I'm here to swerve ya. I'm gonna give you old reruns of ''{{Series/Roseanne}}'', ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', how's that?
*CreatorBacklash: CreatorBacklash:
** After he became a Born-Again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in1998.1998.
** When asked once what angle he wished he wouldn't have done, Russo answered that he regretted the angle in which he had Ed Ferrara dress up as "Oklahoma", the Wrestling/JimRoss impersonator.
*
** After he became a Born-Again Christian, Russo hated that angle in which Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin was crucified on Wrestling/TheUndertaker's symbol in
** When asked once what angle he wished he wouldn't have done, Russo answered that he regretted the angle in which he had Ed Ferrara dress up as "Oklahoma", the Wrestling/JimRoss impersonator.
Changed line(s) 8,14 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Bill Apter''' (''[[http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]''): Critics have said WCW has started to resemble [[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff''': I think [[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's more "story line less wrestling" direction only to be ignored.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Russo already appeared on several WWF programs during the AttitudeEra, like in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF6HwD-pjU4 this commercial]] for the WWF magazine.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by VinceMcMahon to sabotage the competition from within. [[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]
* RunningTheAsylum: There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinKick kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
'''Creator/EricBischoff''': I think [[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's more "story line less wrestling" direction only to be ignored.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Russo already appeared on several WWF programs during the AttitudeEra, like in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF6HwD-pjU4 this commercial]] for the WWF magazine.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by VinceMcMahon to sabotage the competition from within. [[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]
* RunningTheAsylum: There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz [[GroinKick kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
to:
-->'''Bill Apter''' (''[[http://wcwworldwide.(''[[http://web.archive.org/web/20150227045543/http://wcwworldwide.com/post/85175946504/eric-bischoff-wow-magazine-2001 WCW Magazine]]''): Critics have said WCW has started to resemble [[SerialNumbersFiledOff a lower-quality version]] of the WWF. How do you avoid that perception?\\
'''Creator/EricBischoff''': '''Creator/EricBischoff:''' I think [[InsultToRocks that’s being kind]]. I think it started to resemble BackyardWrestling.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo'smore "story line "more storyline, less wrestling" direction only to be ignored.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Russo already appeared on several WWF programs during theAttitudeEra, Wrestling/AttitudeEra, like in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF6HwD-pjU4 this commercial]] for the WWF magazine.
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment. Although you ''might'' gain new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] net effect.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in byVinceMcMahon Vince [=McMahon=] to sabotage the competition from within. [[PoesLaw He wasn't.]]
*RunningTheAsylum: RunningTheAsylum:
** There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz[[GroinKick [[GroinAttack kicking him in the goolies.]] They apparently didn't get on backstage.
** Time Warner employee Matt Williams gave up on WCW after personally polling fans to prove they didn't like Russo's
* EarlyBirdCameo: Russo already appeared on several WWF programs during the
* FollowTheLeader: Russo was brought into WCW/TNA to imprint the WWF product onto those companies, but he failed.
-->'''''DDT Digest'':''' You end up pissing off the fans who watch WCW because they don't want to watch the WWF and/or a product with a lessened emphasis on action and more on sports entertainment. Although you ''might'' gain new fans by switching to an entertainment-based product, if you piss off enough people you merely trade audiences to [[DidntThinkThisThrough ZERO]] net effect.
* IAmNotSpock: During his run with WCW, many fans and even a few wrestlers suspected that he was a double agent sent in by
*
** There is no better example of rampant famboyism and wish fulfillment in wrestling. Even today, fans are heartbroken when looking over WCW's title history, because it starts getting rid-damn-diculous when you reach the Vince Russo booking era.
** Russo (who had enough on his plate) was unhappy with Turner Entertainment for foisting WWF veterans out of retirement in 2000 to enliven WCW. He was delighted, however, when his boyhood crush, Golden Age valet Wrestling/MissElizabeth, returned from her sabbatical to appear with him on ''[[Wrestling/WCWMondayNitro Nitro]]'' and ''Thunder''. Though Elizabeth insisted on a clause in her contract allowing her to decline working in the ring (she was then forty years old), Russo managed to book her into some brawls with the Nitro girls (and later, for some ungodly reason, [[Wrestling/HulkHogan Hogan]] and Wrestling/LexLuger). Russo himself had a short-lived feud with Elizabeth's stable, Team Package, and fought her twice in May of 2000: once in a cage match, and again in a tables match. Both ended with Liz
Changed line(s) 16 (click to see context) from:
* WrittenByCastMember: Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion]].''' One of the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And he wrote the [[RealitySubtext other]] [[Film/ReadyToRumble one]], too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.
to:
* WrittenByCastMember: Vince Russo, '''[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion]].''' One of the top two candidates for lowest point in the Big Gold Belt's entire history. And he wrote the [[RealitySubtext other]] [[Film/ReadyToRumble one]], other one (David Arquette) too, going so far as to run it above the misgivings of every single wrestling fan on the planet—''including the very actor he made champion there''.
