During a recent interview on Chris Van Vliet’s ‘Insight’ podcast, former WWF/WCW Writer Vince Russo was asked about his worst booking idea ever.
Here’s what Russo replied:
“I’d rather try something new than repeat a match we’ve seen a billion times before, that’s how I am. I’d rather try something new than just go back to the well a million times.
The Dog Kennel from Hell is probably number one, and I’ll tell you why. I swear this is the God honest truth.
I think of the concept because The Boss Man, our story revolved around the little dog Pepper.
Okay, so I thought of the concept but in my head, in my head they are attack dogs, you know, they’re police dogs, the teeth are out and saliva is coming out and they’re circling the ring, that’s the picture in my head.
So now bro, I’m at the building and they bring the dogs in and someone says Vince here are the dogs for the match.
I walk over to look at the dogs and bro, the first dog licked my hand. And I’m like, bro, I never thought of what if they’re not attack dogs?
What if they are pets? You know what I’m saying? Like that’s exactly what happened bro, these were the lamest, laziest dogs.
I swear to God, and like I said I 1,000% blame myself for that because I never took that into consideration.
I’m literally convinced these are going to be attack dogs. So, since they weren’t, that actually sucked.”
Vince was also asked about his obvious obsession with ‘on a pole’ matches, to which he had the following to say:
“That’s folklore, bro. I was in the business, I started writing about I’ll roughly say 1996, I went to 2012, that’s 16 years.
A lot of that 16 years bro were two shows a week, plus pay-per-views. Okay, I dare anybody in those 16 years with all those shows I wrote, I dare you to come up with 10 pole matches.
I dare you, bro. I dare you. You can come up with about 3 because that’s what I remember, bro. I remember green slip on a pole match.
I remember Viagra on a pole match. Mrs. Bagwell, Judy Bagwell technically was not on a pole, she was on a forklift, and what was after that, go ahead.
Maybe it is more than 3. I just said there are 3 to me that immediately come to mind, but come on, bro.
Again, they love creating the folklore. We’re going to create folklore, but here’s the problem, bro.
When you go to anybody that really cares enough and goes back and does the history, it’s all there, bro. You will find out what is true and what is false.
Bro, if I booked all these pole matches, I have no problem saying that. Why would I care, I don’t give a crap, bro. I’d have no problem saying it.
But what I’m saying is, bro, it’s not what you’ve created over the years.”
After working for the World Wrestling Federation (1992-1999) in various positions and later being in charge of the TV program in Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling (1999-2000), Vince Russo was a writer and head of creative for most of his 2002-2011 TNA (Total Nonstop Action!) run behind the scenes.
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