Vince Russo

At 63 years old, Vince Russo has this physical status:

Vincent James Russo (born January 24, 1961) is an American author, podcaster, professional wrestling booker, and pundit. He is best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in creative capacities.

In WCW and TNA, Russo has made appearances as an on-screen authority figure and a professional wrestler.

His writing style, which emphasizes shock value and "swerves" over in-ring combat, has made him a controversial figure among wrestling fans.

He has been credited with helping the WWF reach new heights in the late 1990s. Russo earned televised singles victories over current WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Booker T (the latter winning his first match in WCW), and he never lost a match.

In addition, he has appeared in multiple pay-per-view main events in WCW and TNA in April 2015: "Vince Russo's The Brand" is his company's daily newspaper.

Early life

Russo grew up in Farmingville, New York, and graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in 1983 (then unknown as Indiana State University Evansville) with a degree in journalism. He began working as an assistant sports editor and then as editor-in-chief for the school newspaper The Shield.

Russo got his start in pro wrestling when he started training under Johnny Rodz' tutelage at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. On Long Island, New York, he owned two video stores. Vicious Vincent's World of Wrestling, Russo's local radio show from 1992 to 1993, aired on WGBB in Freeport, New York, New York. The program lasted for exactly one year, with the last show being the one-year anniversary.

Personal life

Russo is an American of Italian descent, as his maternal grandfather was Sicilian. Since 1983, he has been married to Amy. The couple have three children together. Russo became a Born Again Christian in October 2003. He founded Fortress, a short-lived online Christian ministry, in 2004. He appeared in two shows for his Christian Ring of Glory independent promotion in late 2005.

Russo was close friends with Joanie Laurer, also known as Chyna.

Russo worked with Jim Cornette in the WWF in the 1990s and in TNA during the 2000s. They often disagreed on their opposing viewpoints in the wrestling industry. After writing a letter stating, "I want Vince Russo to die," a law firm alerted Cornette of a "terrible threat." If I could find a way to murder him without going to prison, I would say it would be the biggest achievement of my life." Russo filed a restraining order against Cornette after repeated verbal threats of physical harm against Russo and his family. In Dark Side of the Ring episodes chronicling the Montreal Screwjob and WWF's Brawl for All, which aired in 2019 and 2020 respectively, their rivalry has been captured.

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Professional wrestling career

Russo was hired as a freelance writer for WWF Magazine in 1992 after a letter that he wrote to Linda McMahon and then became an editor in 1994 under the pseudonym of Vic Venom. In 1996, he was eventually promoted to the WWF Creative Team. As Monday Night Raw's chief competition (Raw's chief battle) was in the midst of an 83-week victory streak against Raw head-to-head, the pair met in the same year. With World Championship Wrestling (WCW) eclipsing the WWF, WWF chairman Vince McMahon pressed Russo to make revisions to the televised product. Russo produced edgy, controversial storylines involving sexual content, profanity, swerves, or unexpected heel turns, as well as short matches, backstage vignettes, shocking angles, and measures of depicted violence. Russo's style of writing began to be known as "Crash TV" and was heavily inspired by The Jerry Springer Show.

Russo became the WWF's chief writer in 1997 and produced their flagship show Raw Is War as well as monthly pay-per-views. Russo was instrumental in the creation of WWF in the Attitude Era's rating wars on Monday night, thanks in large part to his angles. Russo said in an interview with Jeff Lane in 2015 that the first thing he wrote as WWF head writer was the episode of Raw, which aired on December 15, 1997. Ed Ferrara joined the WWF creative team in 1998 and was paired with Russo at the King of the Ring pay-per-view. Sable, Val Venis, and The Godfather are three of the more controversial characters at this time, and they are often cited by Russo's critics. The legendary Brawl for All tournament was devised by Russo. Russo was also involved in the creation of D-Generation X, The Undertaker vs. Kane feud, The Black Tattoo's rise, The Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Mr. McMahon, and Mick Foley's three-face pushes.

Raw beat WCW's Nitro in head-to-head ratings in the two years after Russo's promotion to head writer.

After Russo left the organization in October 1999, Russo was replaced by Chris Kreski as WWF's head writer.

Russo and Ed Ferrara joined WCW on October 3, 1999; Russo maintains that his departure from the WWF was due to a rivalry with Vince McMahon over the increased workload caused by the introduction of the new SmackDown. McMahon and his distaste for Russo's family. On Monday, Russo and Ferrara attempted to imitate Raw Is War's faster pace, with soapier narrations, longer non-wrestling segments, increased female representation on the show, more backstage vignettes, and the use of midcard talent in a more effective manner. At the WWF, Russo and Ferrara were often focusing on poking fun.

Russo's writing style triggered a lot of revisions in titles, reflecting his "crash TV" writing style. Jushin Thunder Liger's booking of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on Nitro in late 1999 was not recognized by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) until 2007; Liger lost the title to Juventud Guerrera, a luchador, after being struck over the head with a tequila bottle. Swerves and scenes were often described as "shoots" in wrestling; wrestlers reportedly gave unscripted interviews using "insider" terms that were previously unhearded; erratic broadcasts became the norm.

Russo received two phone calls in January 2000, one from Bret Hart (then WCW World Heavyweight Champion) and another from Jeff Jartt (then WCW United States Heavyweight Champion), both advising that they were ill and unable to compete and force to vacate their respective titles. Russo had to modify the plans he had for Hart and the New World Order as a result. Russo and his booking committee met to discuss what would happen at Souled Out. One of the suggestions was to place the now-vacated WCW Title on the shoot fighter Tank Abbott, a former UFC fighter. The plan was originally intended to be a "rumble match" in which Sid Vicious would be the first entrant in the match and would come to a close when Abbott would come into the match and beat him with one punch. Abbott may not have been in possession of the belt for more than 24 hours if this title change had happened, Russo said. However, the day after he and his committee had suggested the idea, he was asked to serve in a committee and not to be the author. Russo turned down the bid and left the business, with Kevin Sullivan, who, along with other bookers, selecting wrestler Chris Benoit to win the title from Vicious in a singles match with Arn Anderson as the referee. Despite political uproar, Vince Russo's ratings have risen by a full point in his 3 month tenure.

Kevin Sullivan was eventually fired from his posts in March 2000, three months after Russo's departure, and Russo returned as the lead writer, alongside returning Eric Bischoff. The idea was that Russo and Bischoff would resurrect WCW into a more modern, streamlined operation that would welcome the younger talent to work with the established stars. Vince Russo, the on-screen villain authority figure on Monday's WCW Monday Nitro edition, was introduced as an on-screen villain figure. "The New Blood vs. St. Louis" is a notable storyline to illustrate his character. "The Millionaire's Club" is a magazine about richard Caval's hair, as well as Reid Flair's, based in Ric Flair, where he and David Flair were involved in shaving Ric Flair's hair, as well as Reid Flair's hair, Goldberg's feud; and his brief reign as the world champion. Russo called Miss Elizabeth in her first official wrestling match against Daffney on May 8, 2000. Elizabeth left the company shortly after.

Russo was involved in an incident with Hulk Hogan, where Hogan was forced to miss a match against current WCW World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett at Bash at the Beach 2000. Following Hogan's apparent lack of direction following the cancellation, he refused to miss the match (invoking his employment's "creative control" clause to overrule Russo). "That's why this business is in the damn shape it's in," Russo told Jartt after winning the pinfall by placing his foot on Jaro's chest." Russo will come out later in the show to nullify the match's outcome, as he explicitly chastised Hogan. Jartt was resurgent after this match, setting up a new title match between Jartt and Booker T, with the latter winning the game and the title. As Russo promised, Hogan never returned to WCW nor even filed a court suit against Russo for defamation of character (in 2003, the charges against Russo were "groundless" and "weren't part of a wrestling storyline." In his autobiography, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Hogan claims Russo turned the scene into a fight and that he was double-crossed by Turner executive Brad Siegel, who did not want to use him anymore due to his monthly budget. In his autobiography, Controversy Creates Ca$h, Eric Bischoff states that winning and leaving with the crown was a gamble that would result in his return to Halloween Havoc, where Hogan will come out at the end of the competition and ultimately win a champion vs. champion match, but Russo came out to shoot him. After Hogan left the arena, Bischoff says he and Hogan celebrated after the shooting due to the angle, but they were distraught to receive a phone call. In a shoot interview published by Highspots, Mike Awesome, uncle to Hogan's nephew Horace Hogan, argued that the events and the incident also affected his WCW career, in which Russo reportedly took out his problems with Hulk Hogan on Awesome, citing multiple poorly received gimmicks.

Russo first came into a partnership with Ric Flair in September 2000. During the marriage between Stacy Keibler and Flair's son David, Russo sent cops to arrest Flair.

Russo's run as a head writer and fledgling in-ring came to a halt in October 2000 after a string of injuries, mostly as a result of a match with Goldberg, where Russo was speared through a cage and ended in a head-on collision with the ringside fence. Russo's deal was bought out shortly after the WCW acquired him.

Russo returned to WWE in June 2002 as a consultant to oversee creative direction of both Raw and SmackDown, but shortly after saying there was "no way in the world" that this thing would work out. Bill Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Eric Bischoff, and Bret Hart were among the WCW's best-known stars on the show, with previously unsigned talent including Bill Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Eric Bischoff, and Bret Hart. Russo left of his own accord after being disrespected by a phone call with Stephanie McMahon, turning down a $125,000-per-year role with WWE in favour of a $100,000-per-year full-time job with TNA).

Russo was a writer and producer on the shows from Jeff and Jerry Jarrett's NWA-TNA promotion in July 2002. Russo claims that the name "Total Nonstop Action" came from him and that the original idea was to be an edgier product than WWE; the company's initials, "TNA," short for "Tit and Ass," was a play on "T&A." During the first few years, there had been a lot of evidence of a creative power struggle over the direction of the software.

Russo debuted as an on-screen character when the enigmatic masked wrestler "Mr. Wrestling III" helped Jeff Jarrett win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and was eventually revealed as him. Jarrett did not want Russo's assistance, which culminated in the two characters being embroiled in a feud. Russo founded his own band of wrestlers he named Sports Entertainment Xtreme (S.E.X.). Sonny Siaki, B.G., was recruited by Glenn Gilbertti. The names of James, Raven, Trinity, and others may have been consulted. S.E.X. Jeff Jartt led the more traditional TNA wrestlers. Russo will eventually leave his on-screen role and Gilbertti will take over S.E.X's leader. Rather, the enforcing of a cigarette.

Russo returned to On-screen role on May 28, 2003, where he will face Raven with a baseball bat, assisting Gilbertti in becoming the nation's best player. Russo would strike Gilbertti with a baseball bat next week, which helped Jarti save his belt. A.J.'s pay-per-view's pay-per-view appeared on A.J.'s pay-per-view's (June 11, 2003). Styles and Raven met Jarrett for the world championship in a triple threat match, Russo teased striking Styles with Jarrett's signature guitar, but eventually saw Jarrett's coveted style win the world championship belt, but Jarrett led Styles defeated Jarrett in a three-way competition.

Russo will then be named as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. S.E.X. and the remainder of his 2003 run. Was coerced out of the storylines. Russo suffered his first loss of his in-ring career against Dusty Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett in a tag team match against Dusty Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett, but Styles returned the pin on October 1, 2003. Russo made his last appearance of the year in a street confrontation with Jarrett on October 15, 2003. Russo was booted out of the company as a result of Hulk Hogan's signing, according to Hogan, who said that he would not work for TNA as long as Russo was involved with the organization. Russo would return to TNA in February 2004, but only as an on-air character, becoming the "Director of Authority" in the storylines. This time, he was a celebrity who appeared to have changed his ways (which was possibly inspired by Russo's real-life conversion to Christianity). However, he would return in late 2004 when Dusty Rhodes was "voted" the new D.O.A. On TNA's website, the guy who murdered himself at three-hour Victory Road in a "election" on November 4, 2004. Russo joined the company after the 2004 Victory Road pay-per-view was announced. Russo says he never wrote a single show on his own during this period in TNA, and that his stay there was a "total nightmare."

Dixie Carter, the TNA's chief, re-signed Russo as a writer on the TNA's creative team on September 21, 2006. On the TNA's creative staff, Russo was partnered with Dutch Mantell and Jeff Jartt.

"Fire Russo" during the TNA pay-per-view Destination X match against Abyss and Sting in March 2007. The audience in Orlando's arena erupted, showing the fans' indignation with the match's events.

Another time the "Fire Russo!"

It was heard that chanting at the following month's pay-per-view Lockdown, which was held in St. Louis on April 15, 2007. During an electrified steel cage match with Team 3D and The Los AngelesX, where the lights would flicker on-and-off as a wrestler touched the cage giving the appearance of electrocution, the chantings were heard. Since being published by writer Dutch Mantell, Dixie Carter hasn't forgotten that the gimmick was created by him. However, in a 2011 interview, Mantell denied this, and the two men went on to disagree over Twitter for many months after this.During July 2009, Russo took over TNA's creative director.

On addressing the "Fire Russo!"

Russo said he was not creative at the time, and when the prospect of an electrified steel cage was presented to him, he said that there was no way that the scheme could have been carried out in a convincing manner and that he was often chastised for beliefs he never even came up with. Ed Ferrara, a No Surrender pay-per-viewer from September 9, joined TNA and began working on the creative team with Vince Russo and junior contributor Matt Conway.

Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff both joined TNA on October 27, 2009, becoming partnered with Russo, who had conflicted with WCW and had not been affiliated with since leaving the firm after Bash at the Beach 2000. Hogan said in 2010 that when asked about his TNA experience, he returned to TNA in peace, that the Russo, Ed Ferrara, Matt Conway, and Jeremy Borash's writing staff have really "stepped up" and that Hogan adored Russo "from afar." According to Russo, the three three people came together and worked out their differences. In a February 2010 interview, Bischoff said it was also a "great experience" and that their collaborations were fruitful.

Russo had stepped back to the role of a contributing writer by October 6, 2011, with Bruce Prichard taking over the head writer's position. TNA and Russo had mutually parted ways this week, according to TNA President Dixie Carter on February 14, 2012.

Russo was working as a TNA Wrestling consultant, according to the PWInsider website in April 2014. Russo denied the reports, but PWInsider reported that Russo had mistakenly sent them an email with instructions on how TNA's commentators work. As a result, Russo confessed on his website that he was already working as a consultant for TNA Wrestling to work with TNA's commentators and that one of TNA's terms was that he kept his information private. Russo's statement was taken down from his website in fewer than two days.

Russo said he was "officially done" with TNA on July 30, 2014. Russo revealed that he had been working for TNA since October 24, 2013, claiming he had been active in creative meetings and also criticized the weekly episodes of Impact Wrestling. Russo said he was getting paid approximately $3,000 a month to be a TNA consultant.

Russo began working as a script consultant with the Nashville, Tennessee-based Aro Lucha promotion on December 8, 2017. Russo had been recruited as an independent contractor, not as an employee, according to Aro Lucha's CEO, Jason Brown, who explained it on WeFunder (a crowd-funding portal). Russo is no longer a member of the company as of April 2018.

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