By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast with Vince Russo
Host: JP John Poz
Twitter: @TwoManPowerTrip
Website: www.tmptempire.com
Interview available at Tmptow.podomatic.com
Undertaker vs. Mankind in a Hell in a Cell match: “When you got guys like Undertaker and Mick [Foley], you tell them what we need the finish to be. They lay all that out. Bro, a writer has nothing to do with that. So I have no idea what’s in this match, what they’ve laid out. I know what we need the finish to be. But, bro, I was watching this match from the gorilla position, so I was just on the other side of the curtain, and I could not believe the two bumps that Mick took. Bro. After that second bump, I thought he was dead. I could not believe. And, bro, it wasn’t like, today, oh, my God. And popping and this and that, and this is awesome. I was genuinely concerned about his health. That’s what I was worried about, first and foremost. And we had the trainer Francois there. And as soon as Mick came through the curtain, we had a gurney ready for him. And I went in a private room where Francois was looking at him because, brother, that was my only concern was that this guy just did some major damage to himself.”
Steve Austin and Kane: “Not only is it cool stuff, you as a viewer, as a writer, it’s like euphoria, bro, because now you’ve got so many avenues that you can go down, bro. Now you have created weeks and weeks and weeks of television. That’s the beauty of it, bro. That’s the part that a lot of these hardcore fans miss and don’t understand. When David Arquette wins a world title, when Goldberg spears Russo through the cage and Russo wins a world title, these moments are meant, bro, to open up the creative envelope… when Vince McMahon is in a Royal Rumble. Because now, bro, you’ve got so many places you could go that you didn’t have before. So when you’ve got something like this where there could have been ten different scenarios, it’s a writer’s paradise, bro, because it gives you weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks of good television. Everyone’s protected. Everyone’s protected. I can’t tell you how many times on Raw I see a guy get attacked. And by the next week, we totally forgot about it. What? Would a guy, would a wrestler, a competitor, a fighter, ever forget about somebody attacking him? That’s the stuff that I’m talking about, bro. So we make sure the finish is going to protect Austin and suit Austin’s character. Like I said, bro, that stuff does not happen anymore.”
On Ken Shamrock winning King of the Ring: “I said this all along, man. I think to this day, man, because I review a lot of Attitude Era shows and stuff. Bro, he was one of the most believable characters I’ve ever seen in the ring ever. He had just such integrity and emotion and you believed what he was doing, bro. So, yeah, I was a big fan of Ken Shamrock, brother. There were a lot of contractual problems going on with Shamrock and I’m never privy to that stuff. But a lot of times, bro, that really dictated who you pulled back on. If there was some kind of hesitancy to sign a contract or something like that, that’s when I was usually given a heads up by JR [Jim Ross] or Vince [McMahon]. And now, okay, bro, now we’ve got to pull back on this talent, because that’s the only reason I would have ever pulled back on a guy like Ken Shamrock. It had nothing to do with what he was doing in the ring.”
On Al Snow with Head being a great act: “Anything with Al and head is just hysterical to me. So there was definitely something gimmicky about that. But yeah, bro, this is 1,000 percent an entertainment match. This is something that would not go over today because I say this all the time. Somehow or another, a lot of people have convinced themselves that wrestling is real. I don’t know how that happened. So there’s no room for comedy. There’s no room for entertainment. Wrestling is real. So we got to go out there for twenty minutes, bro. And we got to have a five star match because wrestling is real. You know what I say, bro? If it’s real, then wrestle for real. Wrestle for real, bro. If you’re Joe Tough Guy and you’re that good, wrestle for real, because the fact of the matter is it’s not real, bro. And it is predetermined. And you are play fighting whether you want to admit that or not. And the only way that will ever change is if you go out there and fight for real. So let me know when you’re ready to go out there and fight for real. See, that’s the thing, man. There was never any such thing as a push, bro. The fans are dictating the direction of the show, the fan response, and the ratings are dictating who we’re going with. If you’re drawing, bro, you’re going to get more television time. If you’re not, you’re going to get less. It’s really that simple, bro. Simple, simple formula.”
Other topics include Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Mankind, Kane, Paul Bearer, Vince McMahon, Hell in a Cell, Ken Shamrock, The Rock, and more.
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