10 FIERCEST Online Wrestling Rivalries

7. Bruce Prichard Vs. Vince Russo

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A revealing civil war, this - one that undermines the "Fed" Vs. "Dirtsheets" cause.

We know, via these conflicting accounts of What Really Happened, that at least one of Bruce Prichard and Vince Russo is a liar. Philosophically opposed, Russo fell out with Prichard after Brother Love read out - and ripped to shreds - Russo's autobiography on Something To Wrestle.

But who is the liar, and specifically, who was responsible for the rise of The Rock?

Was it:

A) Vince Russo, who claims that it was his idea to turn the former Rocky Maivia heel, altering the fortunes of both the WWF and Hollywood in the process?The same Vince Russo who purportedly told Rock to describe himself in the third person, which definitely wasn't improvised by Rock himself on the December 8, 1997 RAW?

OR:

B) Bruce Prichard, who claims that Russo failed to convince Rock to turn heel that fateful summer - and that Prichard and Jim Ross successfully sold him on the idea.

The answer is C:

The f*cking Rock.

And that's what is lost amid all these carny jerk-offs and rim shots; if you were to take Russo at his Russo = Ratings word, you'd have to believe that his revolutionary writing drew the ratings...as opposed to, and the clue, bro, is in the name: the draws. The Rocks. The Austins. Russo's writing didn't get Jeff Jarrett over as a top guy; it helped put WCW under.

Who Would Win: Prichard, probably.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!