During a recent edition of “The Brand” podcast, former WWF writer Vince Russo, former WWE wrestler “Big” Vito LoGrass, Kenny Bolin & Jeff Lane discussed Samoa Joe’s return on last week’s episode of Raw, Kurt Angle’s booking & more. Below are the highlights:
On Samoa Joe’s return:
Kenny: From what I gathered and I go by the neutral cities I don’t go by when it’s in their hometown or whatever, Samoa Joe got a hell of a pop.
And one thing I want to say about Samoa Joe that I didn’t realize about him before he got to WWE is that sumbi*ch can cut promo. I like his promos. I’m don’t think I can whip him. And he talks pretty good game.
So between his promos and his fighting ability, I don’t know if I want him being a heel though. I think I might like him better as the guy putting the heels in their place.
I like Samoa Joe. Doesn’t look like all the other wrestlers, doesn’t act like all the other wrestlers. And I think if you let Samoa Joe be what Samoa Joe was when he was in ROH, I think he got something there. Don’t make a clown out of him. Let him be what he is.
Vito: I think that him coming out and then I looked at it from a totally different aspect that they did what I said they were gonna do. They had run-ins after every match and somebody started to walk in.
Nia Jax walked in and then Samoa Joe walked in and then you saw a trend building for the rest of the night. Samoa Joe making a comeback on TV… Yes it was due. They needed another body.
That’s great but I looked at it as from the booking standpoint of the trend of the people doing the run-ins instead of looking at the show. That was just my perspective.
On Kurt Angle being buried on Raw:
Russo: I swear to god, I feel sorry for Kurt because I don’t know how he’s doing this. If I was Kurt Angle and I had the money Kurt Angle has in the bank, I swear to God in segment one I would have cut a shoot promo on Stephanie McMahon and cut her frickin’ balls off and being fired. And that’s how I would have been freaking remembered. I swear to you I would have done that.
They have Kurt on the phone scared to death saying “they’re here”. Do you guys remember poltergeist? That little four-year-old girl was in front of the TV and she said “they’re here”. That girl was less scared than the Olympic gold-medalist freaking Kurt Angle was.
With all due respect, Kurt you gotta tell them this sucks, bro. I understand you’re getting a freakin’ paycheck bro, but Kurt nobody wants to remember you like this. It’s a travesty man. They should have had the Raw guys waiting at the back freaking door, not sealing the doors.
This is how I’m gonna assess this. Kurt’s on his way out, Stephanie’s on her way back in. So they’re just gonna cut Kurt’s balls off. Period. End of story.
Vito: Guys you are forgetting something and this is 101 WWF/WWE. What happens to all the talent that leave and go to the opposition company – they go there, Vince opens up his arms, welcomes them back, gives them a little build up and then drums them out of the business and makes them lesser than what they were in the other company.
And they are not gonna be the same. That’s his revenge. That’s why you come back. Remember Mr. Perfect? When he came back. You remember Jerry Lawler when he came back.
You remember Bret Hart when he came back. You remember all the guys who left and came back. He’s been doing it for years, for centuries. This is the mindset of the man. He is gonna bury you.
Scott Steiner and Goldberg, the two biggest stars in WCW, Scott Steiner just came off the program with Goldberg. He goes to WWE, he got his a$$ kicked for six weeks. Then he got beat by Triple H.
Goldberg came over as a monster and he got beat and beat and beat. That’s how they do. You guys got to realize. Kurt Angle brought in. They got him Raw. Here’s your ring. Glad to have you. Now they’re gonna bury him and they are gonna make him look like a stooge.
On Corey Graves taking shots at Vince Russo:
Russo: Let me tell you something about freakin’ tattoo neck. This jacka$$ can take all the shots in the world he wants at Vince Russo. Corey Graves, you could be in the business for the next 70 years and you’ll never accomplish what I did bro.
There used to be a commentator on the WWE who literally had a cape and a freaking crown and was 1,000 times more freaking believable than you. You are the worst freakin’ actor I think in the history of professional wrestling.
You need to watch the show Corey, play back your shit and get freakin’ better because you suck bro. Nothing, nothing that comes out of your mouth is believable. They shoot a story then they depend on you to sell it.
The minute you open your mouth, you’ve freaking killed every freaking angle. You are freaking horrible, bro. Go talk about that on the WWE Network.
