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Vince Russo Interview

Vince Russo appeared live on "Monday Night Mayhem" (http://www.mondaynightmayhem.com) at 8:53 pm EST/5:53 pm PST. Host says Russo's book is one of the most anticipated book of the year and credits Russo for helping to get TNA the highest rating they got on Thursday (1.4). Host says you can interact with Russo on http://www.facebook.com/vinnyru

Mosh hypes Rope Opera's book, TNA's "Against All Odds" pay-per-view. A TNA correspondent asks about the difference between "Forgiven" and "Rope Opera" and when Russo became a born-again Christian, there was a narrative written afterwards which may have taken away from the "Forgiven" book. He asks if "Rope Opera" would be written the same. Russo said "Forgiven" - he didn't talk about a lot because it hurt when he talked about it. When he wrote "Rope Opera", in 2002, when he was thinking about going back to work for Vince McMahon, that gave him the closure that he needed. Once he got that closure and a lot of the hurt that was done to him in the wrestling business was released, he had no problem and write about his WCW experience as they really happened. In this book, there is a lot more wrestling, there isn't any subject that he didn't talk about, he was open with everything. There will be much more insight in this book than "Forgiven" because when he wrote this, he was in a different place in his life than when he wrote "Forgiven".

Mosh says Russo is one of the most criticized personalities/characters in the history of professional wrestling. Host says Russo talks about his critics in his books. Mosh wants to get into some comments that came from Jim Cornette, although some may say that Jim has an ax to grind. Mosh reads a Cornette quote with Cornette saying that Russo can't honestly believe that he wrote a wrestling show in his life, among other things. Mosh asks if it is difficult to let the critics bother him, or will it just be that Russo will always be the most criticized guy in wrestling even if TNA drew 7.0 in the ratings. Russo says TNA could do a 7.0, 8.0, or 10.0, Russo would be criticized no matter what. Russo says he doesn't take what he does as passionate as maybe some of the people that watch the product, or involved in the business. Russo says what he does is his job, he gets paid to do what he does. His job is to be a television writer and to achieve the highest number rating that he can. It's that simple, Russo says, and that is his job description. It's what he tries to do week in and week out from the day he started.

Russo says many come and go in the wrestling business. When he looks back from the time he had his radio show, looking back now, 18 years ago, he has made a living in this business. The reality of it is, that's the bottom line. If he is able to support his family in the wrestling business for 18 years, then obviously he has done his job and continues to get paid to do his job. That is how he looks at it- Jim Cornette and the critics will get hung up on whatever they want to get hung up on. He does his job the best he can - he can do nothing more or nothing less.

Another host says when he was in college, he took a class from Tom Fontana (writer of Oz - the HBO series) who taught a writing class. He said all writers do is write - even in holidays, they'd wake up and just write. The host asks what is Russo's process exactly how his day goes. He said people don't really have an appreciation for that and what changes were made when Hogan/Bischoff came on board.

Russo said people don't understand it. He said when you talk about the critics - about the show, about finishes - everything he writes gets criticized on a weekly basis. Russo says unless you have done it, you can't imagine what it is like to write 52 weeks a year and make each finish, show, character different. Add the pay-per-views to it - as of 1996 more or less, he has been doing this straight through. He says you can tear apart the shows, but when you look at the content and look at what has been created, you have to respect it. He said unfortunately, people don't. The writing process: you're thinking something, you're writing something, you're calling one of the boys and bouncing things off each other - it never stops, as you have another show. When Eric and Hulk came on board, it's like a double-edged sword and great because you're getting a different perspective and different way to look at things. On the other hand, it's a little more difficult as you have to hear more input - and it eats up more time. Russo says being responsible for writing TNA Impact, he has to make sure they have to stay on schedule every single day. First draft is in, the boys have their copy. It's difficult now as there are more people with great ideas, but he has to really stick to the schedule, make it the best it can be and stay within the constraints of time.

Host asks where did the name "Rope Opera" come from. He mentions he knows Russo pitched the title of "Rope Opera" to television networks. Russo says it was "How WCW Killed Vince Russo" because it was humourous to him that he had read "Vince Russo killed WCW" so much so it was comical to him. He said he wrote 9 months in a 2 year contract. He said how in those 9 months he killed a company that has been around for decades - he has no idea. Russo said he was working in WCW and he can't even tell people who killed WCW. It had nothing to do with Russo, Nash, Bischoff, Hogan - the decision was made in a boardroom with the suits for financial reasons. He said he found it humourous. Then ECW Press wanted Russo to call it "Rope Opera" and if he can make it a combination of the two. Russo says that was fine.