Wrestling INC: You went back to the WWE in 2002 for a short period. In your book, there's a storyline idea you pitched where Vince McMahon hires Eric Bishoff to be general manager and abuses him. Bishoff would then restart WCW in retaliation. Why do you think the WWE didn't go ahead with the storyline?
Vince Russo: Probably because it was my idea. The last person I should have been pitching was Eric Bishoff, but he was a phenomenal on-air talent. Anything personal between us wouldn't have mattered. Bishoff deserved to be on TV. I literally laid out this plan and then obviously things didn't work out. I left WWE and Eric was hired. I watched it unravel at home on TV and I was like 'are you freaking kidding me?' They had a goldmine and week after week they were butchering it. They killed a million dollar idea.
Wrestling INC: Looking back since you've left, the WWE has been on a downtrend of popularity. Is there a way to get back to that popularity or has that shipped sailed?
Russo: It blows me away the minute Ed [Ferrara] and I left, Vince [McMahon] forgot what brought him to the dance. He forgot how the Attitude Era was created and maintained. He lost sight on what about the Attitude Era so successful. He went back to what he knew, which was wrestling. Wrestling only draws a crowd of a 3.0 [rating]. It was 3.0 before and after the Attitude Era because only wrestling fans are watch. Is there a way to get a mainstream person back to watch wrestling? Absolutely, but there's no effort going in that direction. That direction is not a three hour show with four matches going 15 minutes. That's only going to draw wrestling fans.
Wrestling INC: You were on and off with TNA for 10 years. What was your creative vision with that company?
Russo: That started on pay-per-view and the name was T-N-A. I came up with the name and gave it to Jeff [Jarrett] for pay-per-view because of the name. It was supposed to be more edgy, have characters taken to the next level, and it was on pay-per-view so anything could have happened. That was the origin of TNA. Taking nothing away from Jeff Jarrett—he's a wrestler at heart and slowly that concept turned into another wrestling show. It's completely different from the company's original concept.
Wrestling INC: Your first TNA stint lasted a couple of years. How much of your input was used in the product and what ultimately led to you leaving the company?
Russo: It was a struggle in the beginning working with Jeff and Jerry Jarrett. Jerry never liked me and still doesn't to this day. I don't know what it was. It was tough trying to work through those kinks. I know Jeff was having some issues with his dad as well, so finally Jerry was no longer involved. I started working on the TV with Jeff, but I was there to pitch ideas to Jeff. At the end of the day it was up to Jeff what got produced and I was fine with that. It was his company. I then became a Christian and a lot changed for me in my life. One of those was that I didn't want to be around the wrestling business anymore. Wrestling was almost everything I was against so that's a primary reason.
Wrestling INC: Had you been a Christian before or had you converted earlier in life?
Russo: It was definitely my first time and it was nothing I was looking or thinking about. My life wasn't in a black hole. It happened, slapped me upside the head, and changed everything from the inside out. I haven't been the same person since.
Read more at http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2014/0609/576842/vince-russo-talks-tna/#kmhYUYlyrjhldGhI.99
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