*
*
*
*


The following is from an interview conducted by Matt Harris of http://www.wrestlingoutlaws.com on August 10, 2002
"Again, the majority of the people on the Internet okay, they expect the show to be a two hour 5 Star 'wrestling match'. And you know what, if that's what you give them, the reality of the situation is, you are only going to draw a very small percentage of the viewing public. And why I can tell you that as a fact is: when I was writing television for the WWF and we were doing stuff that was off the wall, we hit ratings in the sevens okay?, they're doing a 3.7 right now. So the way I look at it between a 3.7 and a 7.1, they've lost all those people in between. My theory is, they've lost all those people in between because those people in between weren't necessarily 'wrestling' fans. They caught onto something that was an entertainment aspect of our show: whether it was Vince and Austin, that had nothing to do with wrestling. Whether it was Sable, that had nothing to do with wrestling. Whether it was The Rock and Sock Connection, that had nothing to do with wrestling. The people that weren't 'wrestling' fans started watching our product because it was cool, it was hip, and they enjoyed it. Those people have left the building. And if you just give them a two hour 5 star match, you are always going to have a 3.7. The trick is to put a little bit of stuff out there for everybody: you know, sex appeal, comedy, good wrestling matches, theory of storyline, a mixture of everything, to get as many people as humanly possible to watch your product. That's the ticket, and that's the key. The people on the internet, if it's anything than a 5 star match between AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn, they're gonna rip it apart. And I've accepted that, I've learned that. And that's why to be honest with you, when I'm writing TV, I do not go on the Internet, I do not read what they say, because I know what they're gonna say. And I'm not writing a show just for people on the Internet. I'm writing a show for everybody that's got a television in front of them and that's the difference." - VINCE RUSSO

� Vince Russo Interview: Get In The Ring (December 1, 2002) �

Marty2Hotty's current rant (December 6, 2002): Yup! Vince Russo has come back to Save professional wrestling with his S.E.X. Sports Entertainment Xtreme, that is. First off, remember to check out the Vince Russo interview in the above link, it's a great listen. Now, my favourite part: This "spontaneous reaction" thing is the next big thing in wrestling. I am happy Russo is on TNA to put the company on top, because if TNA let him go to WWE, I swear to god, TNA's chances of making it big is slim to none. Now? i see nothing but good to come for this upstart promotion. Vince Russo: Natural Heel! That is what I have been saying all along. What is the point of having heels in Wrestling? To HATE them, to hate their characters. Back then, people cheered for the faces and hated the heels. Look at WWE! Who can you say that you honestly "hate"? Their characters are way too cartoony, lame, and pathetic for me to hate them. Russo always knew how to make heels heels... Silver nWo, the Powers That Be, 'The Chosen One' Jeff Jarrett, the Vince Russo character, Tank Abbott, evil Mike Tenay, hell, the Goldberg heel was great. What i'm trying to say is, Kurt Angle, The Big Show, Chris Jericho... do you really hate their characters? NO! you just see them as people doing their job as being fake "bad guys". Wrestling thrives on having characters you REALLY like, and REALLY hate. However, I always loved heels more for some reason. I love how they piss off the crowd. Vince Russo is cocky in real life. The thing is, in reality, most people on the Internet REALLY REALLY hate his guts... and putting him on-screen is just genius. The fans can watch somebody they "hate" and hopefully see others kick his ass (shoot OR work). That's why Russo "challenged" anybody that has a problem with him. He is going to do whatever it takes to put this business back on top. That's why he wanted to fight John Rocker in Starrcade 2000. Reality Sells! Dave Meltzer, Grumpy senile old men from other boards that miss their "wrassllin", whomever that has a beef with him: fly to Nashville and kick his ass instead of whining and crying like little girls. Traditional fans hate my opinion, as well as Russo's. His opinion does drive the traditionalists 'insane', as does mine. I see that everyday on the NWA TNA board that I post at. haha! I loved everything Russo has done for this business. I have had almost the exact same views as him from day one, even before I knew about him. Everytime I listen to a new interview from him, I learn something new; I mean, come on, this is the guy that gave me the coolest, most entertaining wrestling shows over the last 5 years. Who else can you learn from? Brian Gerwertz and Stephanie McMahon? Give me a break. That's what makes me a big fan of him. Currently, I truly think Vince Russo is one of the very few people in this business that knows what works today. Whether it is writing his own segments or being an on-air character, he is here to once again evolve this crumbling business. Bob Ryder is correct in his column when he said his grandmother would hate the heels and say she would never watch wrestling again, yet she would come back to watch the following week. So TNA: you will see on numerous boards people whining saying they are not going to order because of one person... well, that's BS, i have read a lot of hypocritcal posts. I constantly learn more about the "Internet Journalists/Fans" as days go by. Most on the Internet say they "hate" WWE right now, yet they purchase their Pay Per Views and tune in EVERY SINGLE Monday and Thursday night; same with Russo's shows from 1997-2000. While some 'say' they will not purchase TNA, the other 99.9% WILL, as well as attracting the other millions that left. I never say 100%, but in this case I am, because I truly think the following three steps will put TNA on top of the Wrestling and Entertainment world: 1) Ignore the Negative Feedback on the Internet, 2) Stay the Course (Give This Time) and 3) Let Vince Russo do what he does Best! That is free money-making advice from yours truly. I will bet anybody. Vince Russo/SEX and TNA = The next big thing! Is it a shoot or is it a work? The question that we'll be asking every week on TNA! I love it! Reality Television is going to win back the audience. Panda, get the word out, and get it out fast, because Vince Russo is going to make Jerry Jarrett a very rich man! L8z

From the "Anti-Christ" of wrestling message boards: M2H

November 4, 2002 Rant
October 1, 2002 Rant