Vince Russo shoots on his brief 2002 WWE return

[@lwmrv]

i think the story is longer than his run, bro

[@misfitdanzig8152]

And Jim Cornertt comes in and makes it boring ASF.

[@supersnappahead]

It's a shame...it would've been great to see Russo book himself as world champion in WWE.

[@Rschr101]

Would have drawn more than Hunter.

[@weshallsee5589]

Vince is a Genius in His Own Mind. Literally Bro!

[@miniontm69]

Give this guy 2 months and this story will turn into Russo inventing wrestlemania and Undertaker.

[@misaelchavarin5931]

Vince Russo is right in every interview he does 😂

[@bishop_got_the_juice-9418]

I think about Jim Cornette every time i hear his voice😭😭

[@terranceaddison4599]

bold, loud, simple, and straight to the point.....

[@claytonbigsby423]

Corny is the best

[@foreverred105]

Corny needs to let the beef go. It's not good for his health.

[@jlee6166]

Ik right 😂

[@matthewsmith5374]

@@foreverred105 I think the hate keeps him going actually. He looks great for his age.

[@RetroMediaLibrary]

"just the two of us" *song starts*

[@ivancortez7653]

This has aged like a fine wine

[@markfinch6794]

Russo wrote and sent it to Vince , Vince said to Bruce and Pat and they said “ yeah maybe change that bit”

[@charlesezrarevmongoosecane5097]

He doesn’t get enough credit. I always loved him as the writer of RAW magazine as Vic Venom. Love those articles. Wish there was a book collection of those articles

[@matthewsmith5374]

There is, it’s actually stored in the Library of Congress.

[@seanycaufield6809]

Drink every time he says Bro

[@hiwdy1]

holy fuck man never thought of that game im about to get fucked up lol

[@NightOwlMovieTalk]

Was the thumbnail picture taken in The Matrix?

[@Jffeeney3rd]

I’m pretty sure it’s from a WWE project.

[@misfitdanzig8152]

It's funny how everyone in the attitude era buried russo but never complain about their paycheck who russo was responsible for.

[@johnselwitz5362]

Yep, he gets consistent burials yet no one had a problem with cashing their checks off the back of his booking. Say what you want about Russo, I’m not his biggest fan but I don’t hate him, but he was head booker on May 10, 1999 when Raw had its highest rating ever at an 8.1. Now they’re lucky to get a 2.0 with yes men like Prichard booking the shows

[@raiderrodavis6357]

Stone Cold was a fan of Russo...personally I’d rather watch Russo’s WCW than this 💩 with Sami Zay, Reigns, etc.

[@greenkidd529]

@@raiderrodavis6357 so was The Rock.

[@raiderrodavis6357]

@@greenkidd529 yep, what’s that tell you, 2 biggest stars at the time loved Russo

[@uriel4274]

@@raiderrodavis6357 reigns is cool I think u meant Kevin Owens lol

[@anthonytinaj7131]

Wrestling has been garbage ever since

[@Jffeeney3rd]

Since when?

[@johnselwitz5362]

@@Jffeeney3rd I would assume 2002/03. I didn’t think the shows were that bad back then, I loved Smackdown during that period

[@Kaneseb]

"Joe, listen. Joe, here's what went down. Joe, I laid out 86 years of creative, Joe. And when I presented it to them, Joe, I could tell that they were terrified because they knew I could do all of their jobs myself, Joe. They knew they were useless, Joe. And Joe, they were all against me." Jesus, it's amazing how he called out Vince and Steph yet he was so polite. Leave it to Russo to also complain about the WWE's low 3 ratings whereas his never came close after he left the WWE to begin with.

[@roberttrester4030]

Yeah he thinks that if he lays out his argument in the way he does it will make him completely believable. This is why he always tries to take over the interview and say bro and the interviewers name. He also say I swear to god bro. By doing this he makes himself believe it. Russo is the King of Bullshit and as the king he has to be at the top. Like when he says that none of the others would be needed now that he was there. That old argument I and only I can solve all your problems. Pathetic!

[@TheNextStep851]

@@roberttrester4030 Here's the thing - he was 100% right in that only he could solve all their problems. Look at what has happened since he left WWE in 2002 and look at how many people have tried and failed to fix WWE's problems. He went to TNA and their viewership later began to climb each year on Spike (peaking at more than 2 million viewers) while WWE were previously losing viewers each year on Spike, despite having an all-star roster at the time. Fast-forward to 2021 and their product is the worst it's ever been.

[@roberttrester4030]

@@TheNextStep851 the day that Russo can single handedly tie his shoes is a good day. NO ONE PERSON CAN EVER SOLVE 100% OF ANY ONE PROBLEM LET ALONE A WHOLE COMPANY! You guys put way way way to much stock in him just because he happened to have worked there during the attitude era. Not to mention Russo takes credit for everything that worked in that era even when most of the things he is taking credit for have been proven to have little to do with him. Hell all you have to do is look at his ridiculous writing for WCW to see why that failed among other things. Also TNA viewer climb had less to do with Russo and started before he was ever there. TNA ENDED UP BEING A BOMB EVEN WITH HIS HELP SO IM NOT SURE WHY YOU WOULD EVEN MENTION THAT! Russo is a joke he destroys not builds.

[@TheNextStep851]

@@roberttrester4030 Wow, literally everything you just said was false lol. Do you think what you're saying is new? It's old, tired and has been debunked so long ago that it baffles me you'd still buy into what you're saying. Hope you have your reading glasses at the ready, pal... First of all if you're actually old enough to have watched the product at the time, look at how RAW was structured. That was Russo's method of Crash TV - shorter matches which served the purpose of advancing the storylines via run-ins or non-clean finishes (he believed that protected the talent from having to lose clean and it gave them an out). Then you had no matches running during commercials - they always went into a commercial on a cliffhanger that was often fed to the announcers (something happening in the back), or would be someone arriving at the arena etc. Everything was done at a faster pace to combat the short attention span of the viewer. This exact formula carried over to Nitro when he went there and RAW went back to being the way it was structured in 1993-1996 - longer matches, more filler and less storylines. Second of all, Russo doesn't take credit for everything that happened there but the talent involved acknowledge he was responsible for the majority of it because him and Ferrara were the 2 people writing the show from top to bottom. Even The Rock put over working with him on his Twitter for goodness sake. Russo gives credit where it's due but here is the thing - people go out of their way to discredit him for what he accomplished there. Without him turning things around we'd be watching the WCW Network. Third point - his writing in WCW (contrary to popular belief) improved Nitro's ratings, going from a 2.6 in October of 1999 to 3.4 in January of 2000. Once he left, Konnan has confirmed he started a petition to get Russo back and the majority of the roster signed it. The 'Radicalz' decided to leave there once he went home because without him there they had nobody looking out for the younger talent. Just because you didn't like his writing doesn't mean it wasn't working. Nitro was able to pull viewers away from RAW in mid-2000. Both times he went home, Nitro viewership declined in his absence. Final point regarding TNA - Russo's first run was in 2002-2004 and he had a hell of a lot to do with the company's growth. He was also there from 2006-2012 for his second run so how did that growth have "less to do with him"? All you have to do is look at what happened when he left to see it wasn't him that destroyed anything, but the people who replaced him because that's when the numbers began to decline. Prichard replaced Russo and then Gaburick replaced Prichard. Kurt Angle has praised Russo's writing in TNA, as have many others who worked there (including the women) so maybe you should avoid getting your info from the likes of bitter rivals and dirtsheet writers.

[@roberttrester4030]

@@TheNextStep851 I could say the same to you. Nothing you are saying is any different than what has been said a thousand times before. LOL I must have really push a button of your for you to type out that ridiculous novel. Does baby want its bottle next. LOL you know this is just wrestling right? Sad Oh and yes I was old enough in fact I have been watching for much longer than that. Since about the early 90s. I can't remember if it was 91 or early 92.

[@Mr.Derogatory316]

JOE BRO!!!!

[@jordanmccluskey891]

Vince Russo saying that the Rating on RAW was in the 3s what's wrong with this year the ratings are in the 1s 1.7 or 1.9

[@ix-badsport-xix7433]

He meant they were 3’s in 2002

[@jordanmccluskey891]

@@ix-badsport-xix7433 yeah i know RAW's ratings in 2002 was in the 3s i don't see nothing wrong with that but now 2021 RAW's ratings are in the 1s and 2s

[@nlee4566]

They need to bring this man back!! The excitement Is trash now.

[@johnselwitz5362]

Hell, it can’t get any worse than it is now, why not give it a shot? Say what you want about Russo, good or bad, his shows were never boring

[@josecarlosramolete6109]

You need to tell Vince McMahon to get rid of Stephanie McMahon first then he WILL hire Vince Russo.

[@josecarlosramolete6109]

did you not listen carefully to the video? Russo mentioned Stephanie treating him like a "red-headed stepchild" in the creative. so therefore, Stephanie was PART of the creative. you just didn't listen carefully to the video.

[@MoAlfaraj]

Believe it or no, he can make it even worse 🤣

[@1983jcheat]

OK, bro.

[@jamaali2358]

Why does the WCW world champion wants to be a writer?

[@kieranwillis395]

You’re telling me Katie vick and HLA wasn’t Russo?!

[@manifestgtr]

Everyone has a different story…this is obviously Russo’s Prichard says that Russo was entirely unaware of anything going on, had no idea who the current title holders were, had already annoyed Vince McMahon and wanted to have “toaaanaments, we’re gonna have touaaanaments, bro”. Cornette says “Goddaaaaamn, fuck that yankee motherFUCKer! Stinks worse than a man eating fumunda cheese in the septic tank of a slaughter house….motherFUCKER…”

[@JJbm4233]

She’s talking to you like that because you have proven without Vince McMahon Vince Russo is a clown. He was giving complete control of WCW and ran it straight into the ground. Years later Spike TV refuse to work with him because they knew him TNA Would still be on Spike if Dixie Carter hadn’t fallen for Russo’s PS self-promotion. The guys only ever had success when he was under Vince McMahon!

[@jjalkman1999]

Fabricated wrestling smark nerd lies. Russo never had complete control of WCW and Spike had no clue who Russo was.

[@JJbm4233]

You’re absolutely hilarious if they didn’t know who he was why did they cancel their contract the second they found out that Vince Russo was working for TNA. God give your brain a shake next time

[@melainebullock]

That’s absolutely ridiculous, if Vince McMahon is such a great filter they wouldn’t have gone downhill since Russo left. They only made it to their peak in 2000 by following the writing and characters Russo created. When McMahon launched his own vision with his team you got Ruthless Aggression, and it had already lost its spark by then, but it survived by relying on top names and longer matches. The storyline aspect of WWE was already fading, and by the time the PG era came and most of those big names left it became obvious that Vince McMahon is not a filter and if he is, he’s terrible at filtering anyone else’s ideas. Your entire comment is invalid

[@TheNextStep851]

@@JJbm4233 It's already been confirmed that Russo had nothing to do with those Spike/TNA negotiations. The Spike SVP himself (David Schwarz) said so in an interview. It has also been confirmed by the person who broke the story that Russo was secretly working there, Mike Johnson of PWInsider (and Mike Johnson hates Russo so has no reason to lie for him). The reason Spike pulled out is because TNA after Russo left declined in viewership and thus were no longer bringing in the money through ad revenue. This is what happens to all TV shows that do low viewership - they get cancelled. As for WCW he never ran it into the ground either. The viewership went up under his watch and actually took viewers away from RAW in 2000. WCW was ran into the ground before he got there. They had lost 3 million viewers and were paying out crazy amounts of money in contracts for an aging, over-inflated roster.

[@philsargent9332]

I think he's reading a scept acting he barud WCW and TNA

[@channeldeleted2946]

Russo brought the legitamate element of chaos, sponatanaeity, and sheer unpredictability. Nobody is perfect, but in todays entertainment market, those are the qualities that are painfully missing.

[@CasualtiesOfGaming]

There creative in 2002 was pretty damn good(atleast on smackdown). Wcw and tna were so A.D.D. when he was let off the leash though.

[@TheNextStep851]

2002's creative in my opinion was horrible. WWE had an all-star roster and they still managed to lose millions of viewers because it became the HHH show. RAW after the draft was horrible and Smackdown honestly wasn't much better outside of Hogan feuding with McMahon.

[@muffin-iwnl-271]

It was good because of the in ring product but the creative was terrible. Attitude era had people get over on the mic but what is called the ruthless aggression was all in the matches. All besides kurt angle

[@swazie8455]

@@muffin-iwnl-271 in ring wrestling without compelling organic story is boring

[@bobbycecere]

@@TheNextStep851 same, i stopped watching wrestling for at least 10 years in late 2001 when we got the invasion. WWE as a whole became so boring at that time in my opinion. Russo leaving meant every character on the show no longer had their own (interesting) story line

[@foreverred105]

@@bobbycecere Same thing with me Bob but just around mid-2003. I had never been a fan of HHH and could see the way it was working towards him. The invasion storyline was such a massive let down I feel alot of fans have never recovered from it.

[@josecano9210]

Vince Russo putting himself over Paul Heyman? He’s funny

[@christopheroliver4757]

Russo > Heyman

[@LongHuynh-bx5ll]

@Ruthless Attitude Entertainment Russo 4life

[@mrbadguysan]

Picking Russo over Heyman is like picking a van over a mansion.

[@SinaSoh]

mrbadguysan size wise, that’s an accurate analogy.

[@sqworldwide44]

What the hell did Heyman ever do? His company failed, he lost alot of money. He owed wrestlers and staff money. Failed twice as a writer at WWE. The facts are that Vince Russo is the most successful writer in the history of WWE. Nobody can deny that, it's a fact. If not name another writer who was.

[@lotokiba851]

No vince I think they made you a consultant to get you back to the lead role. I mean bro they said you didn't even know what the wrestlemania main event was that year. You needed to be freshened up on the product. Instead you got in your feelings and got paranoid. Thats the real story bro you can't be the lead writer if you have no idea whats going on in the product your writing for

[@TheNextStep851]

Why not? The reason people are brought in is to freshen up the product, not carry on with existing storylines which haven't been working. The product in 2002 was stale, losing viewers and needed a complete reboot, just like it did in 1997 when he got the job the first time around.

[@e2go]

That's such lame BS😂🤣

[@liublanka3925]

STDphanie Mcsham the reason pro wrestling died a Corp woke death

[@uriel4274]

I’m glad there’s people with sense

[@killjoydklown]

Yeah, uh huh.... Sure thing, bro. I'm sure that's EXACTLY how it happened. 😉😉

[@TheNextStep851]

Considering nobody else in that company was able to grow the viewership I 100% believe it happened that way. It's called self-preservation. Stephanie, Heyman, Hayes, Prichard etc all failed at increasing WWE's ratings even though they had the best roster they've ever had from 2002-2005.

[@e2go]

He just described how the wrestling business works and has always worked.

[@Kirix]

I don't believe him

[@davidbutler1622]

‘We’re gonna have tournaments’

[@dellboy1775]

Dude sounds deluded 🤣

[@VegetabIeMan]

2002 and then on, the WWE has been shit. Russo would of done a different type of change, but maybe if he didn’t leave the way he did, something done could of made to not allow McMahon and his inferiority complex.

[@miniontm69]

We would have had Russo as Champ and Cena vs Brock would have ended in a finger poke.

[@roberttrester4030]

This makes me laugh if this story is indeed true. LOL Vince Russo is talking about being buried when HE HIMSELF has literally buried TONS of other people! LOL well Jim Cornette can take some solace in knowing that Russo final got what was coming to him. What goes around comes around! It just makes me laugh so hard to hear him cry about being buried when his hypothetical ass has done this to SO SO SO many people! What's funnier still is that he wants us to believe that this didn't bother him a bit. LOL You csn hear it in his voice it really bothers him a lot!

[@jacobsavage8502]

Dude is so full of his self it is shocking. The way he says he confronted Vinnie Mac after he let him go probably went more like, "Yes Mr. McMahon. I understand. Can I at least carry your bags?"

[@dwy8569]

What the fk?... lol

[@josedavidmendoza2854]

Reminder that the WWF hit its highest peak as soon as Russo left. Why anyone thinks he's good at booking is wild lol

[@priyadarshidash4353]

russo was the head writer in 1999 and 1998 wwf hits its peak then and the year 2000

[@nicopillay4059]

Russo is a writer. NOT a booker. He can write up a push but he doesn't structure the matches with the talent.

[@LissaBroyles]

What you didn't like it when he wrote himself as WCW champion?

[@danielburger1775]

Are you serious? Think before you post.

[@e2go]

L

[@markmenning1804]

He was awful for Wcw

[@hotmanga1]

Ok going burn Russo on this story that shows he full of it & lieing about this & what Bruce PRITCHARD & others story is the true one. Even will give Russo the benefit of the dought. Even if Russo Creative was that good then & he could do it on his own & didn't need all the rest of them Vince would not fire the others due to the fact Russo himself went to WCW on him with no notice leaving them with no writers. Vince would not be dumb enough to bring Russo back on his own leaving himself & WWE open to have the past repeat itself again. So this is just a Russo Rope Opera performance though will give him points on the creative. If he did good creative at WCW like he did in this Worked interview maybe he still be relevant today.

[@jjalkman1999]

"The past repeat itself" You mean their highest ratings ever and the creation of stars that still get pops today?

[@TheNextStep851]

Look at WWE's viewership before and after Russo. That tells you everything you need to know.

[@Bungalowtv]

This is hilarious according to him his creative was better then theirs? Lol yet this clown has no job now...they buried him cause they were worried about him? Mayb they thought his stuff was crap. Lbvs this is why it’s hard to take this clown seriously.

[@greenkidd529]

He wrote the highest rated RAWS and the biggest stars during the 90 loved working with Russo Show respect you mark

[@TheNextStep851]

He has no job in wrestling now because he doesn't want a job in wrestling now. He has arguably the most successful podcasting network in the entire wrestling business with the most Patreon subscribers in addition to his Brand paywall, and has just recently started interviewing Hollywood legends on there. He doesn't need wrestling more than wrestling needs him. The ever-declining viewership proves that.

[@lockstepgone1223]

Russo is so delusional

[@misfitdanzig8152]

At least russo is trying to redeem himself unlike cornette who has issues and stuck in the past.

[@josecarlosramolete6109]

If Russo were delusional in your opinion, he wouldn't make WWE a successful company. There wouldn't be the Attitude Era in WWE. Why not apply being the creative writer in WWE? Let's see if you can do better or at least as good as the Attitude Era (by Vince Russo).

[@VegetabIeMan]

@@misfitdanzig8152 everyone has issues. Being stuck in the past during the days when wrestlers were rockstars is another thing, bro.

[@jayhood8514]

Remember this is the SAME EXACT guy that wanted to have a match at Wrestlemania between Fred Goldman and O.J Simpson only 4 years after O.J. Simpson murdered Fred Goldmans Son and Nicole Simpson.... Let that shit sink in .....

[@greenkidd529]

Theat wouldve drew monster ratings because how ridiculous and surreal that would be. It'd get national press it probably would be the only thing watched that night

[@TheNextStep851]

That's not true. That was Bruce Prichard passing the buck onto Russo. Russo in March of 1996 was not writing the show, and was not pitching matches to creative. His job at that time was producing the talent i.e. handling their promos.

[@jayhood8514]

@@TheNextStep851 Negative.

[@TheNextStep851]

@@jayhood8514 So... you believe Russo was writing RAW in March 1996?

[@jayhood8514]

@@TheNextStep851 I never said he was he was writing the show in 96. I said he pitched the IDEA of a MATCH at Wrestlemania between OJ and Fred Goldman. And you said it was Bruce Prichards idea. I only beleive it was Russo because Cornette & Jim Ross both said it was russo. I tend to beleive it because JR doesn't lie nor does Cornette.