5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (Jan 19)
An even worse shame.
Vince Russo is a martyr to some, who feel mainstream wrestling lost so much when he was not allowed back into its fold. To others, he is an absolute moron with an objective record as a One Hit Wrestling Wonder.
Jim Cornette was the first to posit that Russo, undoubtedly a man of some creativity, required a Vince McMahon-sized filter in order to operate to a remotely successful standard. One need only watch virtually any of the 2000 WCW Monday Nitro episodes for which he is responsible to determine that, while not exactly insightful - Cornette laid this out well over a decade ago - it's no less true.
Russo rendered everything completely meaningless through either constant repetition or subversion. Everybody turned at least once. Investment, suspension of disbelief, became impossible, Everything ended up on top of a pole at least once: stickball bats, champagne, bottles of viagra, pipes, crowbars, chairs, piñatas, grown women, blow-up sex dolls, pictures of released talent battling crippling addiction problems...
The line between the work and the shoot became invisible, when Russo, at the helm of a major national company, catered to the most niche demographic imaginable - the same niche demographic he will criticise, for their appearance, to this day - despite himself falling victim to the spread of middle age.
Russo's subsequent delusion is well-documented. The man will say anything to live the gimmick. The extent to which he believes his own bullsh*t has never been entirely clear - until now...
5. You Are Talking Out Of Your A*se, Bro
Bros over hoes.
This week, Kayfabe Commentaries released the trailer for the new Breaking Kayfabe Vince Russo shoot interview. Watching it is quite the experience - particularly when asked to elaborate his on-record view that women do not possess the inherent ability to lead.
"Study the book of Genesis," he said, while in the same breath admonishing Dave Meltzer and the like for untrustworthy sources. There's a reference to the cross in the bible, but they hardly bloody cross-referenced it.
"Emotions!" came Russo's response, when asked what separates men and women in terms of leadership qualities. Gentle reminder that Russo worked under Vince McMahon. There is a glorious moment - or at least, one that does not make you weep - in which Sean Oliver crucifies Russo. He points out that Jim Cornette is the most emotional person he has ever encountered, irrespective of gender.
"Would you vote for Hillary Clinton, or Jim Cornette?" Oliver asked. The defeated look on Russo's face is priceless. "Aw, don't make me answer that," he said, knowing d*mn well he'd got got. It's almost as if biology doesn't automatically determine personality - something Russo himself says minutes later in the same trailer, when he refers to Jim Cornette as a "victim of his environment". As a man, though, shouldn't he, genetically, as prescribed by God himself, possess the ability to keep those hysterical emotions in check? Of course Russo can't keep his story straight. He never could.
For bonus points, Russo also claimed he isn't automatically racist for automatically writing Kalisto off. It's debatable, but Russo is definitely racist for booking five Mexicans to fight over a cash-stuffed piñata.