Vince Russo published a new blog on his website pyroandballyhoo.com, discussing a number of subjects and putting a lot of myths to bed. Below are the highlights:
The only reason you did anything good in WWE was because Vince McMahon was your filter.
A myth. While all the shows were bounced off Vince for final approval, Vince never changed what Ed and I wrote. He just âtweakedâ some things within the segment. If Vince is âthe filterâ, than how do you explain where ratings are today, compared to when Ed and I were writing the show? Andâthe ratings have been in the 3-range since 2002.
Could you respond to this Bret Hart quote from 2009 (courtesy of Ministry of Slam radio show): âI think they should take Vince Russo and hang him by the neck somewhere in the back of the parking lot.â
Had many conversations with Bret at WCW, never said anything like this to me. If Bret did indeed say itâthan I donât understand it. I think the world of Bret Hart. Keep in mind, many things have been said about me behind my backânever to my faceâso itâs hard for me to really understand the reasoning behind it.
Why book a legitimately injured Bret Hart in a hardcore match with Terry Funk (this is right after Bret was kicked in the head by Goldberg)?
I would never book anybody in a match that was hurtâif I was aware of it. Canât remember back that far, but Iâm sure Breat hadnât spoke up about his injury yet.
What were your original plans with Bret Hart coming into WCW?
Put him high on the pedastal that he deserved to be on.
Why did you book yourself to win the WCW World Championship?
Just another week of TV. Was never a big deal to me, especially knowing I was going to relinquish it 3 days later.
Ric Flair doesnât have kind words for you either when talking about his time working with you in WCW. What was your experience working with The Nature Boy?
I loved every second of it. Again, while we worked together Ric never said ANYTHING negative about anything. It was HIS IDEA for me to shave his head. I gave his son, David, the most exposure he ever had in his career. We put his younger son Reed on TV. What more did Ric want? Againânothing was ever said to me to my face by Ricâeven when we worked together later at TNA.
What on earth happened to the Samoe Joe kidnapping angle!?
Tell me and weâll both know. Unfortunately for my criticsânot my idea. I was just as perplexed as you. Still am.
Mike Johnson and Dave Scherer of PWInsider.com do not like you, it appears? Why?
Maybe itâs because I had an interview set up with Mike after I left TNA. Then prior to the interview I had a conversation with Mike where he already seemed to know all the answers to the questions before even speaking to me. I told Mike that if he already had the answersâthen there was no need in him interviewing me. So I canceled the interview. Dave? Dave is just another guy who writes whatever he wants to write about me without ever confronting me. Thatâs the power of the computer age . . . i guess.
The âAttitude Eraâ was a blatant ripoff of ECW!
Yeah, I hear that alot. I knew of ECW, and had maybe seen a handful of shows. No offense, but what they were doing at the time had no impact on me whatsover during the birth of the âAttitude Eraâ. Hereâs a great story of how the âattitude Eraâ actually started. It was Vinceâs birthdayâI had to get him something. What do you buy a millionaire? So, I bought him a T-Shirt that said, âKeep your ATTITUDE to yourselfâI have enough of my own.â That was literally weeks before the âAttitude Eraâ was born.
Do you RESPECT the dirt sheets as a whole? Why or why not?
Very few members. Why? Itâs real simple. out of all the BS said about me over the past 20 years, I can count maybe 1, or 2 instances where I was actually âcontactedâ for a response. They wrote whatever they wanted to write because there was no accountability. Just like they said a few weeks ago that I was under contract with TNA. Even with all the rumors concerning my status of lateâNOBODYâhas picked up the phone to ask ME. How can you respect that?
Do you read the dirt sheets?
Honestly? When Iâm working on my computer, and I just need to step away from what Iâm writingâIâll pop on. You have to understand, since so many mistruths have been wriiten about me, itâs hard for me to really look at those sites with any legitimacy. You just never know whatâs true, and whatâs inaccurate.
What was the ârealâ Vince McMahon like?
WOWânot too many people know. When you get past all the layers, and thereâs a level of trust, you see a Vince that very few see. A guy that never grew up, and was still a kid at heart in many aspects. That wasnât a good thingâit was a great thing. I loved those times I got to spend with the unguarded Vince. I actually miss them.
Do you ever regret leaving WWE for WCW?
Tough question. I have to go back to WHY I left. I was literally on the verge of a nervous breakdown at that point. Vince had added âSmackdownâ without even talking to Ed and I about it, and the pressure, stress and work load just became to much to handle. You have to remember there werenât 20 people writing TV back thenâthere was TWOâEd Ferrara and myself. It was just too much.
Were you ever physically threatened by any wrestlers?
Yes. Shawn threatened me once by saying, âI know I can take youâ, which was his âfunnyâ way of threatening me, and Goldberg made me feel uneasy once. Thatâs about it, and thatâs ridiculous on all our parts because at the end of the day itâs just businessânothing is personal.
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